What Is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) in BC?

If you are looking for a counsellor in BC, you will see the letters RCC after many names. You may wonder what those letters promise and who checks them. This post explains what the RCC designation is, what a counsellor has to complete to hold it, who watches over it today, and what changes on November 29, 2027.

What RCC stands for and who issues it

RCC stands for Registered Clinical Counsellor. The designation is issued by the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC), which describes itself as the largest professional association for clinical counsellors and psychotherapists in BC. BCACC says the designation shows that its members have met the education and training criteria the association sets.

An association is a membership body. A college is a regulator that the provincial government has set up by law. Physiotherapists in BC register with a college, the College of Health and Care Professionals of BC (CHCPBC). Counsellors do not register with a college yet, so the RCC is the designation you will meet most often when you look for one.

What a counsellor must have done to earn the RCC

BCACC's eligibility page lists the requirements. You can read them as the minimum a counsellor with an RCC has already finished:

• A master's degree in clinical counselling, psychotherapy or a closely related field. BCACC does not accept a letter of completion in place of the transcript.
• At least 100 hours of clinical supervision, with at least 25 of those hours as direct supervision.
• At least two references.
• A course in professional ethics.

Counsellors in BC can have different backgrounds. Foundry BC, a provincial health service for young people, notes that clinical counsellors can hold anything from a diploma to a doctoral degree, and advises you to look for the RCC designation. A counsellor with an RCC has a master's degree and supervised practice behind the name. A counsellor without it may have strong training too, so ask what the person has completed.

How you can check a counsellor today

You can check a title before you book. BCACC keeps an RCC Register that the public can search to confirm that a counsellor is registered. BCACC says the register is updated in real time and also shows any consent agreements or undertakings that a member has signed with the association. Looking a name up takes a few minutes.

BCACC also holds its RCCs to a code of ethical conduct. If you believe a member has broken that code, you can complain to the association, and BCACC says it will receive and investigate the complaint. That is the protection you have today. It comes from a professional association.

Counselling will be regulated from November 29, 2027

Clinical counselling is not regulated by a college in BC at the moment. BCACC's protection of the public page says regulation will start on November 29, 2027 under the Health Professions and Occupations Act. The College of Health and Care Professionals of BC gives the same date in its 2026 notice about psychotherapy, and says the college will be the regulator.

After that date, BCACC says complaints about counsellors and psychotherapists who are licensed by the college will go to the college. Neither organisation has said yet which title counsellors will use after regulation, so this post makes no promise about whether "RCC" will remain the name. If you are choosing a counsellor in the next year, the RCC Register is the check that exists now, and the college's register becomes the check afterward.

How an RCC differs from a psychologist, a social worker and a doctor

Several professions offer talking therapy in BC, and each one has its own training and its own register.

A registered psychologist has graduate training in psychology and is regulated by CHCPBC. Foundry BC says psychologists can provide a diagnosis and cannot prescribe medication. A registered social worker is regulated by the BC College of Social Workers, and Foundry BC notes that social workers, who hold a Master of Social Work, can provide counselling as well. For the full comparison with psychologists, including when formal assessment matters, see our post on clinical counselling versus psychologist.

Foundry BC states that counsellors are not able to diagnose mental illness. It also says that only medical doctors, including psychiatrists, can diagnose a mental illness and prescribe medication. If you need a formal diagnosis, for example for a disability form or an insurance claim, ask your family doctor or a psychologist where to start. If you want regular sessions to work through anxiety, low mood, burnout, grief or the stress of a long injury, an RCC is a common choice, and a formal diagnosis is not a requirement for starting.

What a first call looks like at Launch Rehab

Launch Rehab offers clinical counselling at the Coquitlam, Richmond, New Westminster and North Burnaby studios and online. The rates page lists the session lengths and fees. When you contact the studio, ask the questions in this post: whether the counsellor holds the RCC designation, what the person has trained in, which approaches they use, and what a session costs. Our clinical counselling page and the guides on cognitive behavioural therapy and trauma-informed somatic therapy describe how our counsellors work.

If your counselling follows a car accident, ICBC lists counsellors among the providers with 12 approved treatments in the first 12 weeks, as set out on its first 12 weeks page. Our post on ICBC counselling after a crash explains the pre-approval step.

This article is general information, not personal medical advice. A regulated practitioner can confirm whether the patterns described apply to you.

Sources

• BCACC: Who we are
• BCACC: RCC eligibility requirements
• BCACC: Protection of the public
• CHCPBC: Ministry of Health public consultation on psychotherapy, July 10, 2026
• Foundry BC: Types of health care professionals
• ICBC: Accessing treatment during your first 12 weeks of recovery

Frequently asked questions

What does RCC stand for, and who gives a counsellor the designation?

RCC stands for Registered Clinical Counsellor. The BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC) issues the designation to members who meet its education, supervised-hours and ethics requirements. BCACC is a professional association, so the RCC is an association designation, and the association also receives complaints about its members.

How do I check that a counsellor is an RCC?

Search the RCC Register on the BCACC website. BCACC says the register is updated in real time, so it shows the current status of a member, including any consent agreements or undertakings the member has signed. Checking takes a few minutes and is worth doing before the first session, particularly if you found the counsellor through an advertisement.

How much education does an RCC need?

BCACC requires a master's degree in clinical counselling, psychotherapy or a closely related field, shown by an official transcript. The counsellor also needs at least 100 hours of clinical supervision, of which at least 25 hours are direct supervision, two references and a completed ethics course. Foreign degrees must be evaluated by an approved agency.

Can an RCC diagnose depression, anxiety or PTSD?

Foundry BC, a provincial health service, says counsellors are not able to diagnose mental illness and that registered psychologists can provide a diagnosis. Many people start counselling without a diagnosis. If you need a formal diagnosis for a claim, a work form or a medication decision, your family doctor or a registered psychologist is the place to start.

What happens to RCCs when counselling becomes regulated?

BCACC and the College of Health and Care Professionals of BC both give November 29, 2027 as the date regulation starts under the Health Professions and Occupations Act. After that date, complaints about counsellors licensed by the college go to the college. BCACC has not confirmed which title counsellors will use, so check the college register after that date.

Does ICBC pay for counselling with an RCC?

ICBC lists counsellors among the provider types with 12 approved treatments in the first 12 weeks after a crash, and you need your ICBC claim number. At Launch Rehab, ICBC counselling needs pre-approval and carries no charge for the 50-minute sessions, according to our rates page. Treatments past the first 12 weeks follow ICBC's extension process.

Is a registered social worker the same as an RCC?

No. A registered social worker holds a Master of Social Work and registers with the BC College of Social Workers, while an RCC holds a designation from BCACC. Foundry BC notes that social workers can provide counselling too. When you choose between the two, compare the training, the approaches offered and the register each person belongs to.

What should I ask a counsellor on a first call?

Ask whether the person holds the RCC designation and under what name to search the register, which therapy approaches they use for your concern, how long a session lasts, and what happens if the fit is poor after one or two visits. You can put these questions to the studio when you book, before your first session.