Diploma of Applied Psychology and Counselling Specializing in Advanced Counselling Practitioner

The Diploma program specializing as an Advanced Counselling Practitioner is geared to post-diploma students, university graduates, and mental health professionals who wish to incorporate advanced techniques into their scope of practice. (Undergraduate degree related to mental health, social work or psychology is required for admissions to the Diploma program specializing in Advanced Counselling Practitioner.)
The accelerated, online program consists of 16 courses and can be completed in just one year. All textbooks, videos, and study materials are included with the cost of tuition.

This program has been approved by the Private Training Institutions Regulatory Unit (PTIRU) of the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills.

What is the difference between Counsellors and Advanced Counselling Practitioners?

Advanced Counselling Practitioners and Counsellors overlap in several ways. Both apply psychological concepts and techniques to alleviate clients’ personal distress. Differences between the two disciplines are primarily based on severity of the client’s symptoms; length of treatment; and level of the practitioner’s training and experience.

Advanced Counselling Practitioners complete the advanced level of education and training required to treat clients with minor to moderate emotional and/or behavioral issues.  ​Counsellors typically treat mental health issues less severe and shorter in duration than those that require advanced interventions. .

Other types of mental health professionals such as psychotherapists, psychologists, social workers, and psychiatrists, require advancededucation and training to treat severe psychological disorders.  Provinces may require these practitioners to obtain a license to practice.Check with your home province for regulations that apply.

Scope of Practice of an Advanced Counselling Practitioner

The entry-to-mid level Advanced Counselling Practitioner uses advanced techniques and in-depth knowledge to treat disorders of thought, cognition, mood, and perception causing low to mid-level impairment of judgement, behavior, and/or social functioning.

What you will learn in the Advanced Counselling Practitioner program

Although not a training program for psychotherapy, the advanced courses in KCPC’s Diploma program correlate with the scope of practice used by psychotherapists. Upon successful completion of 16 courses required for training as an Advanced Counselling Practitioner, graduates include the following:

Professional Portfolio of Job Skills.

  • Understanding the personal and professional challenges of a therapy practice.
  • Awareness of the impact of therapist’s personality, insights and judgment on the therapeutic relationship and the efficacy of treatment.
  • Ability to integrate major theories techniques into the evidence-based practice of advanced counselling.
  • Ability to evaluate the efficacy of your therapeutic orientation
  • Basic knowledge of assessment, strategic treatment planning, and psychopharmacology applied to mental health disorders classified in the DSM.
  • Awareness of ethics, multiculturalism, and research as applied to clinical practice.
  • Understanding diversity in the context of sex, gender, social and developmental stages when working with couples and individuals.
  • Ability to write professional correspondence and case reports consistent with APA guidelines.
  • Ability to research and measure the efficacy of your own therapeutic approach.

What are the requirements for Graduation?

  • Complete 16 required courses; fulfill the volunteer position requirement. Advanced Counselling Practitioner specialization Course Details
  • Pass each course with a minimum of 65%.
  • Compile a portfolio of job skills required for entry-to mid-level practice.
  • Demonstrate competency in all core concepts by passing a comprehensive proficiency exam at the conclusion of the program.
  • A total of 984 hours of coursework are required for completion of the Diploma program.
  • Complete the volunteer requirement.

Note: Credit for KCPC courses may be transferable to other colleges and universities at the discretion of their admissions departments.

What about employment?

Educational requirements in the mental health field are shifting from conventional academics toward a competency-based model. Employers are looking to hire therapists who are competent and prepared to treat clients struggling with disorders of thought, mood, and behavior.

Although KCPC can’t guarantee employment outcomes, graduates of the Diploma program with a specialization as an Advanced Counselling Practitioner, will acquire the skills required for entry-to-mid-level mental health positions in private practice, and a variety of community agencies.

Provinces such as Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia require additional registrationfor other types of practitioners such as psychotherapists, social workers, psychologists, and  psychiatrists.  To determine types of practice in Ontario that are  permitted without registration, see: https://www.crpo.ca/activities-outside-the-controlled-act/ .

Professional Designation

NOTE: KCPC is an Associate member of the CPCA and the CCPCP.We encourage all graduates to seek professional designation with a recognized National association.

Graduates can apply to the Canadian Professional Counsellors Association for designation as a Registered Professional Counsellor, (RPC). Therapists with additional training, supervision and experience may qualify for designation as a Master Practitioner in Clinical Counseling (MPCC)Most Canadian provinces permit the advanced practice of counselling with the RPC or MPCC designation, or affiliation with other professional associations.

For information about application requirements and benefits of membership in the Canadian Professional Counsellors Association go to – https://thecpca.ca/

For information on membership in the Canadian College of Professional Counselling Practitioners go to  – https://ccpcp.ca/criteria-for-membership/

NOTE: The Diploma specializing in Advanced Counselling Practitioner is offered through KCPC’s Diploma in Applied Psychology and Counselling program. This program conforms to ethical guidelines and competency standards established by the Ministry of Advanced Education in BC; the Canadian Professional Counsellors Association, (CPCA); Association of Cooperative Counselling Therapists, (ACCT); and the Canadian College of Professional Counselling Practitioners (CCPCP).