RTCc Counsellor - Candidate Application

Registered therapeutic counsellor - candidate

Prior to completing your Registered Therapeutic Counsellor - Candidate (RTCc) / Accredited Counsellor - Candidate (ACc) application please ensure you meet the following criteria and that you have the following documents saved to your computer ready to upload with your application:

  1. RTCc/ACc (Candidate) applicants are required to have completed a minimum of 50 Direct Client Contact (DCC) hours and 25 hours of Supervision with a qualified Supervisor, in order to apply for candidate status. Candidates are required to complete the requirements for RTC status within two years of becoming a candidate.
  2. Provide a current (received within the last 12 months or one that is not expiring in the next 12 months) criminal record check (CRC) including a vulnerable sector search.
  3. Provide a copy of your current resume.
  4. Applicants must hold a diploma that includes a minimum of 880 education hours or hold a bachelor's degree, postgraduate diploma, master’s degree or Ph.D. in counselling from a registered or accredited school. One qualifying program must cover training in a minimum of six of the eight topic areas listed below and must include the first three bolded areas.  Any outstanding topic areas (a maximum of two) that were not covered within the program can be fulfilled as stand-alone courses. A stand-alone course must be a minimum of 30 hours of classroom education from a recognized registered or accredited private training institution or college/university.
    1. Basic Counselling Skills including Clinical Assessment
    2. Counselling Ethics and Ethical Practice including Effective Use of Self 
    3. Models of Therapy
    4. Individual, Couples, Family and Group Counselling Methods
    5. Trauma and Abuse
    6. Documentation
    7. Diversity and Cultural Awareness
    8. Human Development including Psychopathology/Abnormal Psychology and DSM
  5. Submit copies of diploma, bachelor's degree; postgraduate diploma; master’s degree or Ph.D. in counselling, or proof of equivalent experience and training. Must include transcripts, which show evidence of having completed an Ethics course as part of their education program or a certificate from an ethics seminar.
  6. Provide a copy of your previous professional counselling membership (if applicable).
  7. Provide proof of current Liability Insurance or a copy of a hand-signed, dated letter indicating that you will provide evidence of insurance may initially be provided for new graduates.  Proof of insurance must be provided within 6 weeks of approval of your membership.
  8. Provide ACCT with two reference letters. One reference letter will be from a qualified Supervisor, validating your 25 hours of Supervision and 50 hours of Direct Client Contact (DCC), and one reference letter from an instructor or a mental health professional (preferably a counsellor), with at least 5 years’ experience in their profession who has known you, the applicant, for at least 1 year. The reference letters must be hand-signed and include the date, contact information and credentials of your reference, including their professional designation and position with their organization.   
  9. Disclose whether or not the applicant is free of any disciplinary findings and/or any other reason that would prohibit the practice of counselling therapy.
  10. Agree to complete the annual requirements for membership, including 30 hours of Competency Development which must include a minimum of 10 hours of supervision per year, and a minimum of 8 hours of professional development or continuing education credits per year (this may include no more than 8 hours of self-care).
  11. Read and agree to ACCT Rules, Code of Ethics, Standards of Practice, ACCT Philosophy and Scope of Practice.
  12. Provide the following payments:
    1. ACCT Membership Share - $100.00 one-time payment (refundable on request when you discontinue your membership)
    2. Administration Fee - $150.00, one-time payment (non-refundable)
    3. Professional Fee - RTC $150.00 (non-refundable)

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

To help ACCT maintain the highest standard of membership, all applications go through a rigorous verification process to ensure the application is complete. Applicants are responsible to ensure that all necessary documents are submitted at the time of application. Incomplete applications and missing documents will slow down this review. After the initial review and verification, your application will be sent to a committee for further review and approval. This ensures that ACCT helps set the quality standards for our profession and that ACCT members meet or exceed the requirement for their designation.

Payment in full is required for us to review and process your application.

We are experiencing very high volumes. We appreciate your patience and understanding with this matter. Also, all applications are reviewed in the order they are received. Unfortunately, we are unable to expedite a particular application.

Privacy: Electronic copies of all documents will be kept in your secure file in accordance with our privacy policy.

By completing and submitting this membership application, I declare that I have READ, UNDERSTOOD and AGREE to follow:

As well, I agree to operate within my Scope of Practice 

YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION:

Your Contact Details:

File Uploads

Please upload copies of your proof of liability insurance (or application) as well as supporting documents for your counselling or psychotherapy qualifications: diploma, certificate, degrees or transcription documents and references (instructions below). PLEASE BE SURE TO UPLOAD EVERY DOCUMENT THAT YOU WISH TO SEND TO ACCT. Thank you!

Provide Proof of Practical Experience

Please ensure that you have provided either a transcript that indicates a completed practicum or a letter of reference indicating the completion of 50 hours of direct client contact in a clinical practice with at least 25 hours of Supervision as an integral part of your education, practicum experience, and/or paid or unpaid work experience in a counselling related capacity.

Reference letters

You will need to provide ACCT with:

  • One reference letter from a qualified Supervisor, validating your 25 hours of Supervision and 50 hours of Direct Client Contact (DCC)
  • One reference letter from an instructor or a mental health professional (preferably a counsellor)
    with at least 5 years’ experience in their profession who has known you, the applicant, for at least 1 year

The reference letters must be hand-signed and include the date, contact information and credentials of your reference, including their professional designation and position with their organization. 

Disclosure:

Expulsion from another professional body or having been the subject of a disciplinary review by another professional body or having a criminal record is not necessarily a bar to membership in ACCT. The failure to disclose all such information, or making a false declaration, may result in refusal or termination of membership.

Applications containing such disclosures will be submitted to a panel for consideration under the normal procedures outlined in Rules of the Association. Health matters that could affect your suitability for counselling will also be submitted to this panel for consideration.

 

  Yes
  No
  Yes
  No
  Yes
  No
  Yes
  No
  Yes
  No
  Yes
  No

Disclosure: Additional information

If you have answered “Yes” to any of the above please provide a full and comprehensive statement, including details of the circumstances surrounding the disclosure, any mitigating factors and detail the steps you took to make any necessary changes in the box marked 'Additional Information'. Please address the experience fully and tell us what you have learned from your experiences.

Please list any unpardoned conviction and title it 'criminal conviction statement'. Some convictions are pardonable after a certain amount of time has elapsed.

All material information relating to your application must be disclosed under Additional Information (above). It is your responsibility to ensure that you declare all relevant information. If you are not sure whether something is relevant or material, please fill out the contact form and leave a phone number where someone can call you. Please ensure that your name and date of birth are exactly the same as on this application form.

  I understand that as a member of ACCT I will receive electronic messages regarding my membership, newsletters, counselling news and updates, announcements, and event invitations which may contain information regarding ACCT news, upcoming PD offerings, ACCT community events, our annual AGM etc.
  I understand that as a Member of the Association of Cooperative Counselling Therapists, I am an ACCT ambassador and I agree to uphold our values of competency-based counselling, cooperation, teamwork, equality, transparency, lifelong learning and financial accountability. I hereby sincerely pledge these ACCT values and my loyalty to my colleagues and co-owners in ACCT.
  I have read and understood the Volunteer Commitment.

Applicant Declaration and Signature

I confirm that the information contained in and uploaded with this form is true, accurate and complete. I hereby authorize the officers of ACCT to make such inquiries, as they consider necessary to verify the information given. I understand that any false or misleading statement or falsification of accompanying documents may lead to disciplinary action being taken against me and may result in immediate termination of my registration. I understand that failure to disclose on the application or during the period of membership could lead to disciplinary action and termination of registration.

 

  I have read, understood and agree to follow the ACCT Rules, ACCT Standards of Practice, ACCT Code of Ethics, and ACCT Philosophy
  I agree to operate within my Scope of Practice
  I agree to offer therapeutic counselling at a reduced rate of no more than 70% of the industry rate for my particular geographical area, per session until I become an RTC/AC..

 Facebook          

Contact Us: 1-844-369-ACCT(2228)