Register with the College

The Nova Scotia College of Counselling Therapists (NSCCT) is the regulatory body for Counselling Therapists in the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada. Through legislation proclaimed in 2011, the NSCCT has a mandate to: a) serve and protect public interest; b) preserve integrity of the profession; and, c) maintain public confidence in self-regulation. The privilege of self-regulation is a well-recognized mark of professionalism in health care.

How to Apply

Please note that only fully complete applications (including all required supporting documentation) will be reviewed. NSCCT does not provide a pre-approval service. Applicants who submit an incomplete application will be notified and the application, together with all supporting documents, will be held for pick-up for 14 days before being destroyed.

You should expect to receive notification of the registration decision within 60 days of the College receiving a fully completed application (including all required supporting documents). Note that some documents may take significant time to arrive at the College when sent directly from some institutions (e.g., official transcripts, criminal record checks, language proficiency scores, etc.). It is therefore a good idea to arrange for such documents to be sent early in the application process. All supporting documents must arrive no later than 8 weeks following receipt of your completed application form.

In order to assist you in filing out the application, all forms and relevant policies are hot-linked to this page. All application forms are fillable and should be submitted  electronically if possible. If you have a physical or mental disability requiring accommodation in completing the application process, please refer to Policy R-04.0 Accommodation of Applicants with Physical or Mental Disabilities and reach out to the Registrar for assistance.

We recommend you become familiar with current policies, which can be found here.

STEP 1 – Find your application

Select the category of registration that best fits your situation and begin to gather information required on the corresponding application form. 

We accept applications in full only. Your application form must be formatted into one document (ie. we cannot accept pictures of individual pages).

Licensed Categories

The NSCCT recognizes 2 categories of Licensed Registrants. Registered Counselling Therapist-Candidates have completed a graduate degree in counselling or related field and are licensed to practice under supervision of a fully licensed Registered Counselling Therapist who has undergone approved supervisor training. Registered Counselling Therapists are licensed to practice independently after successful completion of their candidacy period (2 to 5 years).

Registered Counselling Therapist-Candidate (RCT-C)

You should apply to be registered as an RCT-C if you hold a graduate degree (Master’s or PhD) in counselling or a related field.

You will be required to propose a Supervisor to work with you during your Candidacy. You can find a list of pre-approved Supervisors here: Schedule of Approved Candidacy Supervisors S-03.0(Policy Candidacy-Supervision-SC-01.0-1)

If you hold a current license in another regulated Canadian province or territory (i.e., currently Ontario, Quebec or New Brunswick), you can have your license transferred to Nova Scotia under the terms of the Canada Free Trade Agreement (CFTA). Several provinces are in the process of becoming regulated. You can check for updates at Regulation Across Canada.

Registered Counselling Therapist

You should apply to be registered as an RCT if you were registered as an RCT-C and have now completed all of the requirements of your supervised candidacy period (see Policy R-10.0 Transfer of Registration Category  RCT-C to RCT)

Unlicensed Categories

The NSCCT recognizes 3 categories of Affiliate Members. These memberships are designed to allow persons who have an interest or attachment to the NSCCT, to participate in and support the work of the College.

Associate Members support the College’s objectives and activities, and may be eligible to serve on certain College committees.

Retired Members continue to share their experience and expertise in support of the College’s mandate. In addition to being able to serve on certain College committee, retired members retain eligibility to vote at the Annual General Meeting.

Student Members are enrolled in a graduate level counselling degree program and can use this opportunity to begin to establish themselves as professionals.

Please refer to the Schedule-of-Fees-R-01.0 to find the payment that must accompany your application.

Applications are reviewed and approved by the Registration Committee, who meet once monthly after Board Meetings. Please see the list of Board Meetings for 2021 dates linked below. Therefore, it is pertinent to understand your application must be remitted in full 2 business days prior to the date of the meeting. Note: you do not need to attend any meeting. You will be notified the outcome of your application the week following the Registration Committee meeting.

Board Meetings 2021

STEP 2 – Find a Supervisor

To apply as a Registered Counselling Therapist-Candidate (RCT-C), you will need to identify a supervisor approved by the Registrar/Registration Committee to oversee your Candidacy Period Candidacy-Supervision-SC-01.0-1

You should begin the search for a supervisor as you start to prepare you application.

You can check the Schedule of Approved Candidacy Supervisors S-03.0 to begin your search with a list of pre-approved Supervisors with NSCCT. 

As of February 1, 2021, Supervisors are required to be a Registered Counselling Therapist who:

  • Has their name appear in the Active Practicing Roster of the College
  • Has a minimum of three (3) years post-candidacy counselling experience
  • Has completed Candidacy Supervision training as prescribed by the Board of Directors or a program deemed equivalent by the Registration Committee
  • Has not participated with the Candidate as a teacher, practicum supervisor in any setting (e.g., university or external placement), work supervisor or other dual-role that may represent an actual or perceived conflict of interest.
  • Holds Professional Liability Insurance in an amount not less than $1,000,000 and which includes coverage for supervising candidates for licensure.
  • Has signified their willingness to supervise your Candidacy by signing the Supervisor portion of your application
  • Is approved by the Registrar/Registration Committee

Looking to Change Your Supervisor? This must be formally approved by the College prior to doing so.

To remit the form, or for additional questions, please email info@nscct.ca.

STEP 3 – Gather your documents

Fill out the appropriate Application Form and obtain all required documents. Where applicable, ensure that you have:

STEP 4 – Submit your application

Forward the completed application and all required documents electronically or by mail to:

Nova Scotia College of Counselling Therapists

207-1 Kingswood Dr.

Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia

B4B 0P4                                                                       

Email:apply@nscct.ca

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