ACTA Announces Registration Improvements and Summer Incentives to Support Regulation Readiness

 
 

Dear Counselling Therapy Professionals,

ACTA is pleased to announce Board-approved registration improvements and temporary Summer 2026 registration incentives designed to reduce barriers to registration and support the counselling therapy profession's readiness for regulation.

Whether you are a recent graduate, an experienced practitioner who has not yet registered, or a former member considering a return to ACTA, there has never been a better time to register. Strong participation demonstrates support for the counselling therapy profession and strengthens ACTA's ability to represent counselling therapists in upcoming discussions regarding regulation, workforce planning, and the future of mental health services in Alberta.

To encourage participation and strengthen representation of the counselling therapy profession during upcoming workforce and regulation discussions, the following temporary incentives are available until September 15, 2026:

New Applicants

  • The $200 application fee is waived.

Former Members

  • Applicable reinstatement fees are waived

ACTA Alberta Workforce Survey Participants

  • Current ACTA members who completed the workforce survey and entered the draw will be eligible for one of ten $100 ACTA membership credits.

  • Non-members who completed the workforce survey and entered the draw will receive a $100 registration credit upon successful approval of their registration.

ACTA has recently been presented with significant opportunities to participate in discussions regarding mental health and addiction workforce planning, access, barriers, enhancing full scope of practice, and regulation readiness. We will have the opportunity to represent how regulating counselling therapy can create an additional workforce pathway within Alberta's recovery-oriented system of care.

Participation in ACTA provides a verified picture of Alberta's counselling therapy workforce and strengthens ACTA's ability to provide workforce data, identify service and workforce capacity, and demonstrate the profession's readiness to support regulation, public protection, labour mobility, and improved access to care.

This fall, ACTA will continue contributing to workforce discussions through participation in the Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Workforce Advisory Committee and engagement with government and system partners.

Strong participation within ACTA strengthens our ability to ensure counselling therapists are visible, represented, and included in these conversations.

As part of ACTA's current work plan and ongoing commitment to workforce readiness, the Board recently approved updates to ACTA's registration criteria following a review of the registration pathway that had been in place for approximately seven years.
 

The revised criteria better recognize the practicum experience, clinical supervision, counselling skills development, and competency evaluation already completed within structured counselling and psychotherapy education programs.
 

Effective Immediately

All applicants must have completed a structured and cohesive counselling or psychotherapy education program that:

  • Includes integrated counselling theory and skills development;

  • Ethics and professional practice;

  • Supervised practicum placement(s);

  • Competency-based clinical evaluation; and

  • Is delivered as a cohesive curriculum rather than stand-alone individual courses.

Applicants must also demonstrate:

  • 150 direct client contact hours, which may include practicum experience completed as part of a qualifying education program (reduced from the previous 450-hour requirement);

  • 40 hours of clinical supervision, which may include clinical supervision received during practicum; and

  • All other registration requirements remain unchanged.

These changes are intended to reduce the gap between graduation and registration while maintaining ACTA's commitment to competency assurance, public protection, and professional accountability.

 
 

The work completed to date has positioned the profession for important opportunities ahead.

Through significant political change, uncertainty, and evolving discussions regarding regulation, ACTA has remained engaged, strategic, and prepared to contribute meaningfully to conversations, solutions, and as a capable regulatory partner.

ACTA continues to strengthen its registration framework, maintain robust evidence-based workforce knowledge, and position counselling therapists to participate in improving access and professional accountability to Alberta's mental health and addiction system.

The coming months present important opportunities for the profession.

We encourage eligible professionals to take advantage of these registration incentives and register with ACTA.

Strong participation strengthens the profession's representation in workforce and regulatory discussions and helps demonstrate the counselling therapy profession's readiness to support public protection and improve access to mental health services in Alberta.

 
 
Attend a Registration Information Session about How to Apply
 
 

ACTA members were emailed the free promo code.

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Laura Hahn