History

The Canadian College of Professional Counselling Practitioners (CCPCP) is a Non-profit Canadian Corporation incorporated in compliance with the Canada Corporations Act on the 31st day of August, 2006.

Most Canadian Provinces and Territories have had no “regulatory body” for mental health practitioners, mainly because of the vast diversity in educational and skill training backgrounds for mental health practitioners throughout Canada. Corporations, including some Insurance Health benefit providers and governments have traditionally and in some cases have arbitrarily promoted a particular education type (i.e. Master’s degree, or Psychologist) as the benchmark for qualification in Canada.

In recent years the public has requested that qualifications for mental health practitioners be based on “core competency” requirements rather than a particular “education type.” An “inclusive model” of mental health professionals with various educational backgrounds can become qualified practitioners if they are trained and meet “core competency” requirements, as required by a regulatory body such as the CCPCP.

Some Provincial governments have been reluctant to support a Regulatory College for mental health practitioners because of the wide range of diversity in the mental health profession. The cost, time involved, lack of consensus, and possible legal challenges, have also been a hindrance to the creation of an “inclusive model” regulatory body for mental health practitioners in some provinces.

The creation of the CCPCP recognizes the need to “do no harm” to the public seeking assistance, by regulation of CCPCP members.

Many professional mental health practitioners have requested the need for mobility of their profession from one Province/Territory to another, without having to endure facing different standards, and having difficulty accessing market share in different provinces. Differing HPA regulations in different provinces has led to “waiting lists,” confusion to the public and limited access to mental health professionals by the public.

The creation of a National College like the CCPCP benefits Mental Health Practitioners, Counselling/Psychotherapist Associations, and members of the public seeking mental health assistance by working toward standardizing the Profession across Canada.