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By Brian Konrad

Albertans urged to join letter writing campaign

Albertans are unprotected without counselling regulatory college, says local therapist

Dec 13, 2021 | 12:32 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — A group representing counselling therapists in Alberta is urging people to write a letter to the provincial health minister to speed up the establishment of a regulatory body for their profession.

It’s been three years since enabling legislation to establish a regulatory college for counselling therapists, addictions counsellors and child abuse counsellors received unanimous consent in the Alberta legislature.

The UCP government supported the college and was working with the Association of Counselling Therapy of Alberta, until a change in health ministers in September.

That’s when things ground to a halt and the new minister won’t say why.

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Russ Webb, a counselling therapist in Medicine Hat, says it’s a frustrating situation that leaves Albertans unprotected.

“Without a regulatory college, we’re not really doing a service to Albertans,” says Webb.

“We’re not protecting Albertans from situations where individuals who do not have the competency to work as a counselling therapist, as an addictions counsellor or child youth care counsellor. Anyone in Alberta right now, legally speaking, can put out a shingle and call themself a counselling therapist and there’s nothing to stop them from doing so,” adds Webb.

Webb says establishing a regulatory college would not cost the government or taxpayers any money, as it would be funded by the professionals in the industry.

The Association of Counselling Therapy of Alberta is asking concerned Albertans to join their letter writing campaign to the office of the health minister.