Last updated September 22, 2026. Independent resource, not affiliated with ACTA, the College of Alberta Psychologists or the Government of Alberta.
Clinical supervision for Alberta counsellors and therapists.
Virtual clinical supervision with qualified, experienced supervisors, for counsellors registering with ACTA and therapists preparing for regulation in Alberta. The government has committed to regulating the counselling profession, and this page tracks each step. Start building documented hours now, from anywhere in the province.
Accepting Alberta supervisees
The path to regulation in Alberta
Stage 2 of 6
- Commitment to regulateLegislated in 2018 and reaffirmed by government in 2024 and 2026Complete
- Workforce planningAdvisory committee reviewing workforce needs and regulationThrough fall 2026
- Framework confirmedRegulator, protected titles and scope decidedFollowing recommendations
- Standards developedEntry requirements drafted and opened for consultationTo be announced
- Applications openExisting practitioners apply through a transition routeTo be announced
- Regulation in forceRegistration required to use protected titlesTo be announced
A realistic timeline. For comparison, British Columbia is taking about three and a half years from designating psychotherapy for regulation in July 2024 to licensing in November 2027. If Alberta follows a similar path once its framework is confirmed, regulation would most likely arrive in 2028 or later. That gives Alberta therapists meaningful time to build a supervision record now.
Supervision hours for ACTA registration
If you are registering with the Association of Counselling Therapy of Alberta (ACTA), you need documented clinical supervision now. ACTA membership is voluntary and is not a licence, but it is the main credential for Alberta counselling therapists today, it is recognized by more than 14 insurers, and it is how the profession is being counted as regulation is planned.
Under the criteria ACTA updated in June 2026, supervision and client contact hours from your practicum can count toward these totals, alongside a structured counselling or psychotherapy education program. If your practicum did not give you enough supervised hours, or you graduated a while ago, supervision now closes the gap.
Direct and indirect supervision. OntarioSupervision.ca offers both: direct supervision, where your supervisor observes your clinical work, and individual, dyadic or group sessions built on case discussion. Supervisors are Registered Psychotherapists regulated by the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario, with at least five years of clinical experience.
Check before you count. ACTA decides which supervision and supervisors it accepts, and requirements can change. Confirm the current criteria on the ACTA registration page before counting hours toward your application.
What changed in 2026
There is still no date for regulation, but 2026 brought a new process and a change in who government is talking to. Here is what has happened so far this year.
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DoneA new advisory committee, and a renewed commitment
Minister of Mental Health and Addiction Rick Wilson formed the Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Workforce Advisory Committee to advise on the workforce needed for Alberta's recovery-oriented system of care. His message said the government remains committed to regulating the counselling profession and named ACTA as a partner in finding a path forward. ACTA was invited onto the committee as the only organization representing the unregulated counselling profession.
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DoneProvince-wide workforce survey
ACTA ran a time-limited survey of Alberta's counselling therapy and psychotherapy workforce, including a separate Indigenous workforce brief, and held town halls on regulation and workforce planning.
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DoneSurvey findings presented to government
ACTA presented its findings to the advisory committee, arguing that Alberta already has a large, trained counselling workforce and that regulation is what would let it work to full scope. The full brief and slides are published on ACTA's website.
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DoneACTA lowers its registration requirements
ACTA reduced the direct client contact hours required for membership from 450 to 150, set the clinical supervision requirement at 40 hours, and ran a summer fee waiver that ended September 15. ACTA membership is voluntary and is not a licence, but a larger registry strengthens the profession's case in regulation talks.
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DoneMeetings with the Premier and ministers
ACTA reported meeting with Premier Danielle Smith, Minister Rick Wilson and Minister of Primary and Preventive Health Services Justin Wright about the committee and the future of regulation. ACTA also reported new recognition from several insurers, bringing the total that recognize ACTA counselling therapists to more than 14.
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UpcomingAdvisory committee recommendations
The committee's mandate runs through fall 2026, and ACTA says it will look more closely at regulation during that period. Its recommendations to government are the next signal to watch for a timeline or a decision on structure.
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AheadNext steps to watch
After the committee reports, the next announcements to watch for are the choice of regulator, protected titles, entry requirements, a transition route for existing practitioners, and a start date.
Where Alberta regulation stands today
Anyone in Alberta can call themselves a counsellor or therapist, regardless of training. There are no protected titles and no public complaints process specific to counselling. Many practitioners register voluntarily with the Association of Counselling Therapy of Alberta (ACTA) or hold the Canadian Certified Counsellor designation, but neither is a licence.
The Mental Health Services Protection Act passed unanimously in December 2018 and would have created a College of Counselling Therapy of Alberta. That college was not proclaimed. In March 2024 the government asked the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP) to take on the regulation of counselling therapists, with an initial goal of 2025. That work required provincial funding for standards development, and in 2026 the process moved into broader workforce planning.
Where things stand in 2026. Regulation is now being discussed inside workforce planning for Alberta's recovery-oriented system of care, through the new advisory committee. The minister's February 2026 message commits to regulating the profession and names ACTA as a partner. Neither that message nor ACTA's 2026 updates mention CAP.
What this means. The 2024 CAP announcement has not been changed, and final decisions will follow the committee's work. Which body will regulate, what titles will be protected, whether addiction counsellors and child and youth care counsellors are included, and how existing practitioners will be assessed are all still open.
What to expect when it happens
Every Canadian province that has regulated this profession has set education requirements, a transition route for experienced practitioners, and an expectation of supervised practice. The transition route in other provinces has looked at education, client contact hours, supervised practice and professional standing. Alberta's details will come from whatever legislation and standards follow the committee's work.
Why supervision matters before regulation
Without a regulator, supervision is one of the few structures holding Alberta therapists to a defined standard of care. It is also the most portable record of practice you can build: whichever body ends up regulating, and whatever the transition route looks like, documented supervised practice is the kind of evidence regulators in other provinces have assessed.
- A record you can show
- Signed, dated supervision documentation is concrete evidence of ongoing, accountable practice when a transition route opens.
- Accountability now
- With no complaints process for counselling, supervision is a real check on practice for clients and clinicians alike.
- Clinical growth
- Good supervision sharpens case conceptualization and helps clinicians handle complexity that training alone does not prepare anyone for.
- Ethics without a rulebook
- Supervision is a confidential place to work through dual relationships, scope, duty to report and risk while provincial standards are still unwritten.
- Sustainability
- Regular supervision helps clinicians notice vicarious trauma and burnout early, especially in recovery-oriented and addiction settings.
- Future supervisors
- Experienced Alberta clinicians who plan to supervise under a regulator will benefit from formal supervision training and a record of supervisory experience.
Accepting Alberta supervisees
Start building your supervision record now
Alberta therapists do not need to wait for a regulator. Alberta Supervision is part of the OntarioSupervision.ca network, an established clinical supervision practice for Ontario's Registered Psychotherapists, and supervision is fully virtual, so it works anywhere in the province, from Calgary and Edmonton to Red Deer and Lethbridge.
Supervisors meet the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario's clinical supervisor criteria, the most developed standard in Canada. Every session is documented.
An honest caveat: no one can say yet which hours an Alberta regulator will accept, because Alberta has not set its requirements. A signed, dated record with a qualified supervisor is still the strongest evidence you can have ready.
Supervision for Alberta therapists
- Qualified supervisors. Registered Psychotherapists with at least five years of clinical experience and 30 hours of supervision training.
- Documentation that holds up. Every session logged, with signed attestation forms returned within 24 to 48 hours.
- Individual, dyadic or group. Groups are capped at eight. Every format is fully virtual.
- Direct and indirect supervision. Build hours for ACTA registration now and a documented record for when Alberta regulates.
- Free 15-minute consult. Talk through your background and find the right supervisor, with no commitment.
Booking opens in Jane, the scheduling system used by OntarioSupervision.ca.
What a regulated model looks like
Ontario has regulated psychotherapy through the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario since 2015, and the controlled act of psychotherapy has been in force since 2020. It is the most detailed Canadian example of what supervision requirements under a regulator look like in practice.
Ontario requires at least half of those supervision hours to be individual or dyadic, and expects supervision to be spread out over time in proportion to client contact rather than bunched together. Alberta's numbers may be very different, but the Ontario structure shows the kind of record regulators look for.
Questions Alberta therapists are asking
How many supervision hours do I need to register with ACTA?
Under the registration criteria ACTA updated in June 2026, applicants need 40 hours of clinical supervision, which may include supervision received during practicum. Applicants also need 150 direct client contact hours and a structured counselling or psychotherapy education program. Confirm the current criteria with ACTA before you apply.
Can Alberta counsellors get clinical supervision online?
Yes. Alberta counsellors and therapists can complete clinical supervision virtually through OntarioSupervision.ca, with individual, dyadic and group options. Each session is documented, and supervisors are Registered Psychotherapists with at least five years of clinical experience.
Do you offer direct supervision?
Yes. OntarioSupervision.ca offers direct supervision, where your supervisor observes your clinical work rather than only discussing it, alongside case-based individual, dyadic and group sessions. Ask about how observation works during your free consult.
Is counselling therapy regulated in Alberta?
No. As of September 2026, counselling therapy and psychotherapy are not regulated professions in Alberta. The government has committed to regulating the profession, and a start date will follow the current planning work.
When will counselling therapy be regulated in Alberta?
A date has not been set yet. The Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Workforce Advisory Committee is due to make recommendations through fall 2026, and a timeline is most likely to follow from that work. After the framework is confirmed, a regulator will need standards, consultation and an application process before it opens.
For comparison, British Columbia is taking about three and a half years from designation to licensing. On a similar path, Alberta regulation would most likely arrive in 2028 or later.
Is the College of Alberta Psychologists still going to regulate counsellors?
That was the plan announced in March 2024, and it has not been changed. The minister's February 2026 message and ACTA's 2026 updates focus on ACTA's role and the advisory committee, so the final structure is best confirmed once the committee's recommendations are acted on.
Should I register with ACTA?
That is your decision, and it is not a licence. ACTA is a voluntary association that is preparing the profession for regulation. In 2026 it lowered its direct client contact requirement from 450 to 150 hours and set its clinical supervision requirement at 40 hours, and ACTA counselling therapists are recognized by more than 14 insurers. Membership also adds to the evidence ACTA presents to government about the size of the profession.
Will supervision hours I build now count when Alberta regulates?
No one can say for certain, because Alberta has not set its requirements. Other provinces have looked at supervised practice, client contact, education and professional standing when bringing existing practitioners into regulation. Hours with a qualified supervisor, formally documented and spread out over time, are the strongest foundation you can build.
Can I start supervision now?
Yes. Alberta therapists can build a documented supervision record now through OntarioSupervision.ca, with fully virtual individual, dyadic and group options and a free 15-minute consult.
What is grandparenting?
Grandparenting is a transition route that lets experienced practitioners enter a newly regulated profession without meeting every new entry requirement, provided they can show enough education, experience and supervised practice. Alberta has not published any transition criteria. Keeping careful records of your client contact and supervision hours is the best preparation.
How is supervision different from consultation?
Clinical supervision is an ongoing, contracted relationship with defined responsibilities, a written agreement and session records, where the supervisor takes professional responsibility for overseeing the supervisee's clinical work. Consultation is informal, occasional advice between peers, without oversight responsibility. Consultation is unlikely to count toward any supervision requirement.
How does Alberta compare with other provinces?
Ontario (Registered Psychotherapist), Quebec (psychotherapist permit through the Ordre des psychologues), Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island already regulate the profession. British Columbia has a fixed date: psychotherapy licensing through the College of Health and Care Professionals of BC begins November 29, 2027.
How should I prepare?
Keep careful records of client contact and supervision hours going back as far as you can. Have your transcripts and practicum documentation ready. Consider whether ACTA membership suits you. Follow ACTA's updates and watch for the advisory committee's recommendations this fall.
Sources for this update: ACTA news and regulation updates from February, March, June and September 2026, including the minister's February 2026 message, and CBC News reporting from March 2024 and September 2025.
About this resource
Alberta Supervision is an independent, plain-language resource on clinical supervision and counselling therapy regulation in Alberta. It is updated as government, ACTA and any future regulator publish new information, and each update is dated at the top of this page.
It is part of a family of sites alongside OntarioSupervision.ca and ClinicalSupervisionBC.ca. When Alberta regulates, this site will grow into a clinical supervision service for Alberta built on the same model. Until then, Alberta therapists who want to start can do so through OntarioSupervision.ca.