About

What is FACTBC?

Federation of Associations for Counselling Therapists in BC (FACTBC) is a society of 11 professional associations that collectively represent counsellors and therapists practicing throughout British Columbia. Originally organized informally in 1997 as the Task Group for Counsellor Regulation (Task Group), the Federation was registered under BC’s Society Act in March 2014.

Mission

FACTBC is pursuing regulation and protection of the title Counselling Therapist under the Health Professions Act to serve the needs of British Columbians.

Vision

FACTBC desires to promote and ensure public protection, accessibility, and accountability within the counselling therapy profession.

FACTBC Board

FACTBC is composed of 11 member associations that, in addition to member services, also provide voluntary self-regulation. On the Board are representatives from each association.

Many counselling therapists whose clinical practice focuses on particular populations, psychological issues, and practice modalities are also represented at the FACTBC table. Among others, dance therapists, drama therapists, play therapists, and music therapists are active members of FACTBC member associations. It is more common than not for counselling therapists to belong to multiple associations, one for their particular area of practice, and another for general practice standards and regulation.

Learn more about FACTBC’s member associations »

History of FACTBC

The Task Group for Counsellor Regulation was formed in late 1997 in response to the Health Professions Council (HPC)’s recommendation in its February 1997 report to the Minister of Health that counselling not be designated under the Health Professions Act (HPA) but some other form of regulation be developed.

The Task Group’s founding professional associations collectively represented approximately 2,500 counsellors throughout BC at that time. They included the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors, BC Art Therapy Association, Music Therapy Association of BC, Canadian Counselling Association, American Association of Pastoral Counsellors, the Canadian Professional Counsellors Association, and the BC Association for Marriage and Family Therapists.

Since it was formed, the Task Group completed a number of major projects in support of designation under the Health Professions Act, including the 2007 Entry-to-Practice Competency Profile for Counseling Therapists. that was adopted by some other provincial regulatory Colleges. The Task Group worked on many other projects that will be needed when counselling therapy becomes a fully regulated health profession in BC.

From Task Group to Federation
Over the years, the Task Group has welcomed other associations to attend the Task Group meetings so that all counsellors, therapists and potential members of the new College would have a voice in the ongoing dialogue about the regulation of counsellors in BC. The Task Group members approved the creation of the Federation of Associations for Counselling Therapists in BC in early 2014 to consolidate our long-standing association and consensus