BCACC's Registered Clinical Counsellors (RCCs) surpass the 10,000 mark, strengthening access to professional mental health care across BC

RCCs comprise 90% of the province's clinical counsellors and play an important role in BC's mental health landscape.

VICTORIA, BC, Aug. 12, 2026 /CNW/ -- In a significant milestone for mental health in British Columbia, the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC), BC's largest association for clinical counsellors and psychotherapists, recently recorded 10,000 Registered Clinical Counsellors (RCCs).

RCC Logo

This news comes at a time when the demand for mental health care continues to rise across the province. It also reflects the growing role of clinical counsellors and psychotherapists in providing quality, timely, and accessible mental health care to 5.7 million British Columbians. With RCCs comprising approximately 90% of BC's clinical counsellors and psychotherapists, the profession continues to play an important role in the province's mental health landscape.

BCACC CEO, Michael Radano, says "Reaching the 10,000 mark is not just a milestone for the association, but also for the profession and for British Columbians. With nearly 1 million BC residents reporting a mental health issue and roughly 47% of BC's adults seeking mental health support in a year, this news couldn't come at a more important time. We are grateful to our members, staff, stakeholders, and the public for their trust and support."

What does the RCC designation mean?

Since 1988, the BCACC's 'Registered Clinical Counsellor' (RCC) designation has become a stamp of confidence in the world of mental health care. The designation is widely recognized by federal and provincial governments, mental health stakeholders, and community partners. RCCs provide clinical counselling and psychotherapy services in a wide range of work settings and therapy approaches. They offer support for a broad range of issues, including anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship challenges, grief, stress, and life transitions. They serve across BC and Canada and in remote communities that face barriers to accessing services.

For people seeking clinical counselling, the 'RCC' designation provides a clear way to identify a qualified mental health professional who has completed a graduate-level degree, met rigorous requirements to join the association and who has committed to practicing under a code of ethical conduct and according to standards of practice. The designation gives the public confidence that they are choosing a counsellor who is accountable to high standards of responsible, ethical, and quality care.

In addition to maintaining and improving its standards, the BCACC also maintains a public RCC Register in pursuance of its mandate for transparency and public protection. This register allows the public to verify whether an RCC is currently registered and to check if there is any disciplinary information related to them.

The public can search for Registered Clinical Counsellors (RCCs) via the Find a Counsellor (FAC) tool. As individuals and counselling needs vary, the tool allows the public to filter by language, modality, location, accessibility, and more to find the right counsellor suited to their needs.

The way forward: Ensuring increased coverage and access to mental health care

BCACC actively advocates for expanded access to RCC services through their inclusion on extended health benefit plans. On August 4, 2026, the BCACC reported an 83% increase in the number of BC municipalities that added RCCs on plans.

"Mental health is health, and increasing the number of Registered Clinical Counsellors (RCCs) means greater choice and fewer barriers to accessing care in B.C.," says Mike Roberts, CEO of the BC Municipal Safety Association (BCMSA). "Reaching 10,000 RCCs is a significant milestone and reflects the increasingly important role these professionals play in supporting the health and resilience of communities across the province. Through our partnership with BCACC, BCMSA is proud to have played a role in contributing to this success. We look forward to continuing our work together to support the growth of the RCC profession and expand access to quality mental health services for B.C.'s municipal workforce and the communities they serve."

Building on this progress, the association plans to engage with public-sector organisations, HR leaders, insurers, and policymakers to advocate for wider inclusion of RCCs, thereby reducing access barriers, wait times, and ensuring more British Columbians have access to mental health support.

Free public mental health resources from the BCACC:

• Find a Counsellor tool: https://bcacc.ca/counsellors/ 
• Matters of the Mind – Free public presentations on various topics: https://bcacc.ca/matters-of-the-mind/ 

BCACC: Founded in 1988, the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC) is a nonprofit provincial professional association representing more than 11,000 members. BCACC advocates for the clinical counselling and psychotherapy profession and for improved public access to mental health services. Its regulated members, Registered Clinical Counsellors (RCCs), are held to rigorous standards of practice and a strict code of ethics in service and protection of the public. More information available on their website: https://bcacc.ca

SOURCE BC Association of Clinical Counsellors

For media inquiries, contact Joshua Karunakaran, Manager - PR & Communications, [email protected].