CCC – Canadian Certified Counsellor
Basically, this means your counsellor didn’t just wake up one day and decide to give advice for a living. They've completed specialized training, logged supervised hours, and follow strict ethical guidelines, all thanks to the CCPA. In other words — fully qualified *and* fully invested in supporting you.
RPC-Provisional – Registered Professional Counsellor Provisional
Think of this as the “in-training but already awesome” stage. RPC- Provisional counsellors have fully graduated and are already certified to work on their own, but they're completing extended supervision hours to earn the full RPC designation. They work under experienced supervisors (hi, that's me!) and bring fresh knowledge, compassion, and dedication to their work — with a little *backup* they grow.
RPC – Registered Professional Counsellor
RPC's are the real deal. They’ve jumped through the educational hoops, survived the paperwork jungle of supervision, and earned their title through compassion, consistency, and showing up for clients again and again. If you’re working with an RPC, you’re in capable, caring hands.
MPCC – Master Practitioner in Clinical Counselling
This is the “counselling Jedi” level. MPCCs didn’t just stop at the basics — they kept learning, kept practicing, and built up the kind of experience that makes them the go-to for complex stuff. Think: Yoda with a clipboard.
Even Jedi need refreshers. MPCCs also complete 6 hours of supervision and 12 hours of continuing education each year to maintain their advanced standing.
RQS Registered Qualified – Provisional
This designation means your counsellor is approved by the CPCA to provide clinical supervision to newer counsellors, RQS-Provisionals are like the Padawans of the supervision world — wise, well-trained, and almost ready to take on the galaxy solo. They’re finishing their 100 hours of supervised supervision (aka Jedi training), and backed by CPCA’s stellar standards, they’re already guiding, mentoring, and supporting others with confidence and heart — lightsabers optional.
RQS – Registered Qualified Supervisor
RQS's are the seasoned supervisors who’ve been around the block — probably more than once. They’ve got the credentials, the experience, and the “I’ve seen that before” calm. Basically, they're the people other therapists go to when things get sticky.
Want to know more? You can learn about each designation by visiting the CPCA (www.cpca-rpc.ca) or CCPA (www.ccpa-accp.ca) websites.