Joining our profession

 

Clinical Membership (the standard for independent practice)

The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) sets the standards and requirements for Clinical membership. Once you achieve membership in AAMFT, you automatically become a member of your local area division – BCAMFT is the division for residents of British Columbia.

For information regarding AAMFT membership, please visit the following page:

 

BC training resources

We're sorry. This part is still under construction

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Membership benefits at a glance

All members receive

  • Publications:
    • subscription to the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, (4 issues per year)
    • subscription to Family Therapy Magazine, (6 issues per year)
  • Guidance on Ethical Practice:
    • AAMFT Code of Ethics
    • Consultation with Canadian-informed Ethics specialists, regarding ethical dilemmas
  • Exclusive access to services:
    • Professional Liability Insurance from McFarlan Rowlands (Clinical Members and Student and Associate Members working under direct supervision of an Approved Supervisor of Supervisor-in-training)
    • Office Insurance and Commercial General Liability Insurance from McFarlan Rowlands
    • Insurance clients have access to 30 minute free legal consultation
    • AAMFT members-only website
    • Legislative/regulatory advocacy
  • Significant member discounts:
    • AAMFT Annual Conference registration
    • AAMFT Institutes registration
    • BCAMFT sponsored Conference registration
    • AAMFT on-line training (discounts vary by event)
    • at some workshops and conferences with joint BCAMFT sponsorship
    • BCAMFT website advertising
  • Clinical members also receive:
    • membership in the Registry of Marriage and Family Therapists in Canada
    • free listing in TherapistLocater.net, the AAMFT based referral directory
    • opportunity to list in the BCAMFT on-line referral directory (nominal fee) - optimized for local searches
    • access to Supervisor training workshops and courses
    • access to AAMFT and BCAMFT logos for use in practice marketing
    • rebate on YellowPages Trademark advertising
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What is required to work as an MFT in BC?

At the current time, BC does not license or regulate the counselling professions, including Marriage and Family Therapists. Many members of BCAMFT are cross-registered in professions which are regulated at the provincial level, such as Psychology, Social Work, Nursing and the other Health Professions.

In our view, the best way to practice as an MFT in BC is to have clinical membership (or approved supervisor) status with AAMFT. Your professional fees go to AAMFT and the divisional portion of those fees supports BCAMFT.

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What is happening about future Regulation?

BCAMFT and several other counselling organizations are trying to formalize the status of the counselling professions to give the public greater protection. As a group we are lobbying the provincial government to become a regulated College of Counselling Therapists, probably with specialist designations. The participating organizations are (alphabetically):

  • The American Association of Pastoral Counsellors (BC chapter)
  • The BC Art Therapy Association
  • The BC Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
  • The BC Association of Clinical Counsellors
  • The Canadian Counselling Association (BC chapter)
  • The Music Therapy Association of BC

A College of Counselling Therapists will likely be formed, but the timeline remains frustratingly vague. The group has developed a proposed "Scope of Practice" and a carefully designed and validated Competency profile for the entry-to-practice counsellor. Several regulatory models have been considered. BCAMFT is committed to obtaining specialist designation (and title protection) for Marriage and Family Therapy as a distinct profession within the College.


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