Who are we?

The Association of Counselling Therapy of Alberta (ACTA) is a new association, which will carry on the work that began with the Federation of Associations of Counselling Therapists in Alberta (FACT-Alberta).

FACT-Alberta was established in January 2016, to advocate for regulation of the profession in Alberta. Members of FACT-Alberta are practitioner associations, and the Steering Committee is comprised of representatives from these 12 associations. FACT-Alberta spent 4 years advocating the government and educating the public about the need for regulation. The result of these efforts was that on December 11, 2018, Bill 30, The Mental Health Services Protection Act, was passed. As a result, the professions of Counselling Therapy, Addictions Counselling and Child and Youth Care Counselling were officially included in the Health Professions Act (HPA). A new College of Counselling Therapy of Alberta (CCTA) will be formed to provide oversight and accountability, and protect the public when receiving mental health and addiction services.

In order for a college to be established, FACT-Alberta was asked by the Alberta government to create a single association, ACTA, which upon proclamation, will become the College of Counselling Therapy of Alberta (CCTA). Unlike FACT-Alberta, ACTA will be comprised of the individual practitioners, who will follow the Expedited route into the new College. ACTA is currently working on establishing the foundation for the new college. There is much to be done! One of our priorities at this time is the application process for the Expedited Route, to ensure practitioners have an opportunity to enter the college in this manner.

Who is doing the work of ACTA? All of the Steering Committee members of FACT-Alberta now sit as the Directors for ACTA, thus ensuring ongoing representation for all of the practitioner associations that are members of FACT-Alberta. An Executive has been elected and these individuals, along with other newly elected members and public representatives, will also form the first Council of the new College.

What will happen to FACT-Alberta? The steering committee of FACT-Alberta is working on a new mandate - one that will focus on maintaining the positive working relationships already established between the various associations to advocate for the professions post regulation. Stay tuned to the FACT-Alberta website for updates on its mandate, noting that most activity will happen within ACTA until CCTA is proclaimed.

Notice to the Public

Please be advised that ACTA is not a professional regulatory college under Alberta’s Health Professions Act (the “Act”) and members of ACTA are not regulated members under the Act.  

What does this mean? In Alberta, most health professions are organized into regulatory colleges under the Act.  These colleges are responsible for protecting the public and they carry out this mandate by developing, maintaining and enforcing professional regulations, standards of practice and codes of ethics.  A major responsibility of professional colleges is to investigate complaints about regulated members and impose disciplinary sanctions if appropriate.

Since ACTA is not a professional regulatory college under the Act, it doesn’t have the power to develop, maintain or enforce professional regulations, standards of practice or codes of ethics. Likewise, ACTA’s members are not subject to professional regulations, standards of practice or codes of ethics. ACTA also does not have the authority to investigate complaints about its members or impose disciplinary sanctions under the Act.

 Will this change? ACTA will eventually transition to become a professional regulatory college under theAct. When this occurs, ACTA will become the College of Counselling Therapy of Alberta (the “CCTA”) and the CCTA will have all of the responsibilities and powers set out under the Act. More information about this transition can be found here.

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