Diploma in Applied Psychology and Counselling Specializing in Counselling Therapy

The diploma in Applied Psychology and Counselling Specializing in Counselling Therapy is geared to post-diploma students, university graduates, and mental health professionals who wish to incorporate advanced counselling techniques into their scope of practice. (Undergraduate degree related to mental health, social work or psychology is required for admissions to this program specialization.)

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

Learn the skills to become a Counselling Therapist

The Diploma in Applied Psychology and Counselling specializing in Counselling Therapy is an accelerated, online program that can be completed in just one year.

What is a Counselling Therapist?

The Counselling Therapist is trained in the competencies required to assist clients with mental health issues that may seriously impact emotional, cognitive and/or behavioral functioning. While similar in scope of practice to a professional counsellor, a Counselling Therapist possess additional knowledge and skills as outlined in the Competency Profile for Counselling Therapy. (For a list of the competencies, refer to information listed here  Competency Profile for Counselling Therapists

Skills you’ll learn in the Counselling Therapy program

The skill training in this program correlates to specific areas of competency required to practice under this title.  Upon successful completion of 16 core courses, graduates include the following skills in their Portfolio of Clinical Skills.

• Administer clinical assessments & mental status exams.
• Ability to apply appropriate counselling techniques based on major psychological theories.
• Ability to develop and maintain a therapeutic alliance.
• Ability to demonstrate reflective use of therapist’s own personality, insights, perceptions, and judgments to increase efficacy of the therapeutic process.
• Treatment planning, case management & report writing.
• Crisis & suicide risk assessment and intervention.
• Specialized interventions related to assessment and treatment for addictions; abuse, trauma, and domestic violence; depression and anxiety disorders; couples and family dynamics; child, youth, and adult developmental milestones.
• Formulate speculative diagnoses; recognize classes of psychotropic medication related to DSM mental disorders.
• Ability to make appropriate referrals for medication evaluation.
• Identify culture-specific needs of clients.
• Awareness of legal, ethical, and provincial regulations.
• Ability to apply current research to clinical practice.
• Onsite experience in a mental health setting as a volunteer or in a paid capacity.

Required Courses comprise a mixture of entry-level and advanced courses

• Addictions and Recovery
• Abuse, Trauma, and Domestic Violence
• Introduction to Applied Psychology and Ethics
• Advanced Couples Therapy
• Application of Personality Theories
• Multi-Cultural Counselling
• Introduction to Clinical Psychopharmacology
• Conflict, Suicide and Emergency Interventions
• Assessment of Psychological Disorders
• Milestones in Psycho-Social Development
• Treatments for Depression and Anxiety
• Applied Counselling Skills I Case Management, Assessment and Listening Skills
• Applied Counselling Skills II Case Management, Goals and Interventions
• Applied Counselling Skills III Integrative Approach
• Challenges of Clinical Practice, I
• Challenges of Clinical Practice, II

Volunteer requirement

Elective Courses

Students who have completed the Diploma requirements listed above, may enroll in additional courses pertaining to their personal or professional interest. Additional tuition fees apply. For the list of electives click here.

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

Graduation Requirements

• Successful completion of the 16 required core courses. A total of 984 hours of coursework is required. For a list of required courses:  Counselling Therapy Diploma Courses
• Compile a portfolio of job skills required for entry-level practice as a Counselling Therapist.
• Pass the comprehensive proficiency exam at the conclusion of the program.
• Complete the volunteer requirement.

What about employment?

Although KCPC cannot guarantee employment outcomes, graduates of the Diploma program with a specialization in Counselling Therapy demonstrate proficiency in the concepts and skills necessary for entry-to-mid level mental health positions.

Graduates from the Diploma program have procured a wide range of employment opportunities in counselling settings, clinics, churches, schools, and private practice.

KCPC grads specializing in Counselling Therapy are prepared to assist clients with a wide range of mental health concerns such as:

• depression, anxiety, and symptoms of other mental disorders
• addictions: prevention, recovery and follow-up treatment
• family and couples’ issues
• suicide and emergency intervention
• youth and adult developmental milestones
• cultural assimilation
• abuse, trauma, and domestic violence
• referrals for psychotropic medication

Professional Designation:

In order to obtain liability insurance, an entry-level counselling therapist can apply for professional designation and/or certification as a candidate member of a professional association or regulatory college such as:

• Canadian Professional Counsellors Association to earn RPC designation, Registered Professional Counsellor.
• Association of Cooperative Counselling Therapists of Canada for the RTC designation as a Registered Therapeutic Counsellor.

• Canadian College of Professional Counselling and Psychotherapy, a national, self-regulatory college. CCPCPr designation.

Full membership in these associations typically requires a minimum of two years of supervised experience.

Provincial Regulations:

Because regulations that govern certain types of mental health services differ province-by-province, KCPC advises all applicants to review the Canadian Professional Counsellors Association (CPCA) website, and/or contact your home province for regulations and restrictions that may apply. https://thecpca.ca/regulatory-colleges~.aspx

NOTE: The Diploma specializing in Counselling Therapy 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 Competency Profile for Counselling Therapists; the Canadian Professional Counsellors Association, (CPCA); Association of Cooperative Counselling Therapists, (ACCT); and the Canadian College of Professional Counsellors and Psychotherapists (CCPCP).