A resource for therapists in a profession on the cusp of regulation.
Psychotherapy and counselling therapy are not yet regulated professions in Alberta — but the path toward regulation is actively underway. This site exists to track that progress and to advocate for the role of skilled clinical supervision in shaping a safer, more accountable mental health profession in this province.
The current state of therapy regulation in Alberta.
As of 2026, Alberta remains one of the few Canadian provinces where the practice of counselling therapy and psychotherapy is not yet statutorily regulated. Anyone — regardless of training — can currently call themselves a counsellor or therapist in this province. This stands in contrast to provinces like Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and PEI, where regulation has already been proclaimed.
In March 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 as originally legislated under the 2018 Mental Health Services Protection Act. The Association of Counselling Therapy of Alberta (ACTA) continues to prepare the profession for that transition and to advocate for clear regulatory standards.
Progress has been slower than originally promised. The province had initially targeted 2025 for regulation to be in place. As of early 2026, ACTA is participating in the provincial Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Workforce Advisory Committee, and a province-wide workforce survey has been launched to inform regulatory design. The Workforce Advisory Committee is expected to deliver recommendations to government through Fall 2026.
What the next steps likely look like
- Now Workforce planning & consultation ACTA, CAP, and the Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction continue work through the MHA Recovery Workforce Advisory Committee. Profession-wide surveys are gathering Alberta-specific data to inform regulation.
- Next Funding & framework development CAP requires provincial funding to develop a code of conduct, practice standards, educational requirements, and entry-to-practice competencies for counselling therapists.
- Then Legislation & proclamation New legislation is expected to formalize the regulatory pathway under the Health Professions Act, replacing the relevant sections of the 2018 Mental Health Services Protection Act.
- After Title protection & grandparenting Once proclaimed, protected titles will be enforced and existing practitioners will be assessed through grandparenting routes — including review of supervised practice hours, education, and direct client contact.
Why clinical supervision matters — especially now.
In every regulated jurisdiction, clinical supervision is a cornerstone of safe practice. It is the structured process by which therapists reflect on their clinical work, develop competence, and remain accountable to ethical and professional standards. As Alberta moves toward regulation, supervision will move from being a recommended best practice to a formal entry-to-practice requirement — as it already is for psychologists in this province and for counselling therapists in regulated provinces across Canada.
Quality therapy supervision in Alberta protects clients, develops clinicians, and strengthens the profession itself. The investment a therapist makes in supervision shapes the quality of every therapy hour they will offer for the rest of their career.
Public Protection
Supervision creates a layer of professional oversight that protects vulnerable clients receiving mental health services. Without regulation, supervision is one of the few mechanisms that holds therapists accountable to a standard of care.
Clinical Development
Effective Alberta clinical supervision builds therapeutic skill, sharpens case conceptualization, and helps clinicians work with the complexity that doesn't show up in textbooks. It is where good therapists become great ones.
Ethical Practice
Ethical dilemmas are rarely solved alone. Supervision provides a confidential, consultative space to think clearly through dual relationships, scope of practice, mandatory reporting, and the ethical edges of clinical work.
Therapist Wellbeing
Therapy is hard. Supervision helps clinicians metabolize the emotional weight of the work, recognize signs of vicarious trauma or burnout, and sustain a long career without losing themselves to it.
Regulatory Readiness
When regulation arrives, practitioners with documented supervised hours and a track record of ongoing supervision will be best positioned to meet grandparenting requirements and entry-to-practice standards.
Profession-Building
Supervision Alberta isn't just about individual therapists — it's about raising the floor of what counselling therapy looks like in this province. Strong supervisors create strong clinicians, who in turn serve clients well.
Building a resource for the regulated future.
Alberta Supervision is being established now, ahead of the formal regulation of counselling therapy and psychotherapy in the province, to become a trusted resource on clinical supervision for Alberta therapists. The current focus is straightforward: to track the regulatory process, write clearly about supervision practice, and prepare to offer therapy supervision in Alberta to counsellors, psychotherapists, and counselling therapists once regulation makes that role formal.
In the months and years ahead, this site will grow to include articles on supervision models, ethical considerations specific to Alberta practice, updates on regulatory developments through ACTA and CAP, and — eventually — a clinical supervision practice serving Alberta-based therapists.
If you're a counsellor or therapist practicing in Alberta and want to be notified as content develops or supervision becomes available, get in touch below.