Counselling therapy and psychotherapy are not yet regulated in Alberta — but the path toward regulation is underway. A working resource on what supervision looks like now, what it will require under CAP, and how therapists can prepare.
As of 2026, Alberta remains one of the few Canadian provinces where counselling therapy and psychotherapy are not statutorily regulated. Anyone — regardless of training, education, or supervised practice — can call themselves a counsellor or therapist in this province. There are no protected titles, no controlled acts, and no public-facing complaints process. This stands in sharp contrast to provinces like Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, where regulation has long since been proclaimed.
On March 1, 2024, the Government of Alberta announced that counselling therapists would be regulated under the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP), rather than through a separate College of Counselling Therapy of Alberta. The Association of Counselling Therapy of Alberta (ACTA) continues to advocate for clear regulatory standards and to support members through the transition.
The original 2025 deadline has been missed. As of September 2025, the College of Alberta Psychologists is still awaiting provincial funding to develop a code of conduct, practice standards, and educational requirements. The Mental Health and Addiction Workforce Advisory Committee will deliver recommendations to government through Fall 2026, after which legislative steps would follow.
"Most regulated health professions have supervision requirements upon entry into the profession and prior to independent licensure." — College of Alberta Psychologists, March 2024
In every regulated jurisdiction in Canada, clinical supervision is a cornerstone of safe, accountable practice. Once Alberta proclaims regulation, supervision will move from a recommended best practice to a formal entry-to-practice requirement — as it already is for psychologists, social workers, nurses, and every other regulated health profession in this province.
For Alberta therapists practicing today, supervision is the most reliable way to build a defensible record of practice ahead of regulation. Documented supervision hours and a relationship with a qualified supervisor are exactly the things grandparenting routes assess.
Alberta Supervision is not a new venture. It is the next chapter of work that has been underway in Ontario for years through OntarioSupervision.ca — an established clinical supervision practice serving Registered Psychotherapists since the early years of CRPO regulation.
Ontario's regulatory framework is the most mature in Canada. The College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) was established under the Psychotherapy Act, 2007. CRPO requires 100 clinical supervision hours and 450 direct client contact hours for transfer from Qualifying to full Registered Psychotherapist status, and 150 supervision hours and 1,000 direct client contact hours for independent practice.
OntarioSupervision.ca was built to serve that need — clear contracts, qualified supervisors, structured supervision, and documentation that holds up to regulatory scrutiny. Every lesson learned from a decade of regulated Ontario practice is being brought forward for Alberta's regulatory framework once it arrives.
The questions below come from the most common queries Alberta counsellors and therapists are searching for as regulation approaches. Updated as the regulatory framework evolves.
No. As of 2026, counselling therapy and psychotherapy are not yet regulated in Alberta. Anyone — regardless of training — can call themselves a counsellor or therapist. There are no protected titles, no controlled acts, and no regulatory complaints process specific to counselling.
In March 2024, the Government of Alberta announced that counselling therapists would be regulated under the College of Alberta Psychologists, but the regulatory framework, funding, and proclamation date have not yet been finalized.
The original target was 2025. As of early 2026, that deadline has been missed. The College of Alberta Psychologists is awaiting provincial funding to develop standards. The Mental Health and Addiction Workforce Advisory Committee will provide recommendations to government through Fall 2026, after which legislative steps would follow.
A realistic timeline for proclamation is likely 2027 or later, depending on government funding decisions, legislative drafting, and stakeholder consultation.
The College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP), as announced by the Government of Alberta on March 1, 2024. This replaced the original 2018 plan to create a separate College of Counselling Therapy of Alberta (CCTA).
ACTA continues to advocate for the profession and prepare members for regulation, but the regulatory authority rests with CAP.
Yes — and there are strong reasons to do so. Alberta therapists can begin accumulating verified clinical supervision hours right now through OntarioSupervision.ca. Sessions are fully virtual, supervisors are qualified and experienced, and every session is fully documented.
Starting now means arriving at proclamation with a documented supervision record already built, rather than starting at zero when grandparenting assessments begin. The hours don't expire.
Alberta's grandparenting criteria have not yet been finalized, so no one can say with certainty which hours will count. What is known is that every Canadian province that has regulated counselling therapy has assessed supervised practice hours, direct client contact, and professional standing in its grandparenting route — and CAP has signaled the same approach is likely here.
Hours accumulated with a qualified supervisor, formally documented, and conducted to a professional standard are the strongest foundation you can build. Starting now puts you in the best position regardless of how the specific criteria are ultimately set.
Yes. The College of Alberta Psychologists has confirmed that supervision will be required upon entry into the profession and prior to independent licensure. For comparison, Ontario's CRPO requires 100 clinical supervision hours and 450 direct client contact hours to transfer from Qualifying to full RP status, then 150 supervision hours and 1,000 DCC hours for independent practice. Alberta's specific thresholds will be set by CAP, but a similar structure is likely.
Clinical supervision is a structured, contracted professional relationship in which a more experienced practitioner provides oversight, guidance, and accountability for a less experienced clinician's work. It is distinct from consultation, peer support, or personal therapy.
Once regulation arrives, supervision standards will likely mirror those in regulated provinces — formal agreements, documented hours, defined competencies, and supervisors who meet specific qualification thresholds.
Grandparenting is a transitional pathway that allows existing practitioners to enter a newly regulated profession without meeting all new entry-to-practice standards, provided they can demonstrate sufficient experience, education, and supervised practice prior to proclamation. It is how every other Canadian province has handled the transition to regulated counselling therapy.
Alberta's specific grandparenting criteria have not yet been finalized. The strongest position is to build a record now: documented supervised hours, direct client contact hours, education, and good standing in a recognized professional association.
Clinical supervision is a formal, ongoing professional relationship with defined responsibilities, a written agreement, structured documentation, and regulatory accountability. The supervisor takes professional responsibility for overseeing the supervisee's clinical work.
Consultation is informal, episodic professional advice between peers. There is no oversight responsibility, no formal contract, and no regulatory weight. Consultation will not satisfy supervision requirements under Alberta's eventual regulatory framework.
Alberta is currently behind. Six provinces have already proclaimed regulation: Ontario (Registered Psychotherapist, controlled act in force since 2020), Quebec (Psychotherapist, Order of Psychologists), Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island (Counselling Therapist, title protection). British Columbia has confirmed regulation under CHCPBC with implementation set for November 2027.
Alberta's approach — using the existing College of Alberta Psychologists rather than creating a new college — is unique among Canadian provinces.
Alberta Supervision is an editorial and informational resource on clinical supervision in Alberta. The current focus is to track the regulatory process clearly, write substantively about what supervision actually entails, and document the questions Alberta counsellors and therapists are facing as proclamation approaches.
In the months and years ahead, this site will expand to include in-depth articles on supervision models, ethical considerations specific to Alberta practice, and regulatory developments through ACTA and CAP.
Once regulation is proclaimed in Alberta, this site will transition into a full clinical supervision service — modeled on the proven OntarioSupervision.ca framework. That includes connecting Alberta therapists with qualified supervisors meeting CAP's standards, structured supervision agreements, and documentation that satisfies regulatory scrutiny.
Until then, this site exists to be useful. Alberta therapists who want to begin supervision now can do so through OntarioSupervision.ca.