for the first year that you are a certified mem- ber, a savings of $170!


The transition from first to second year of graduate studies in counselling is often when students prepare for their first practicum placement and to start working with “real” cli- ents. Finding a counselling placement can be an onerous – and sometimes competitive – process! There are important considerations to keep in mind when seeking a practicum placement. As much as a practicum supervi- sor is vetting students for the position, the student is also vetting the supervisor and placement for their own educational needs. Be an informed consumer and ask potential practicum sites important questions about the workplace, expectations, and qualifications of your supervisor. The answers to these ques- tions can have important implications not only for eligibility to graduate, but also for eligibility for professional designations and licensure. While a university program may review and provide approval for practicum sites, this does not mean that the placements will nec- essarily satisfy the requirements of profes- sional bodies such as CCPA or a regulatory college.


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Regarding CCPA certification requirements, be sure to ask your supervisor the follow- ing questions. If the answer is “no” to any of these questions, your practicum may not satisfy CCPA certification requirements, and you may not qualify to obtain the C.C.C. des- ignation:


• Would your placement be in a counselling role, where you will have the opportu- nity to provide direct, clinical services to clients?


• Would you likely be able to obtain a combined total of at least 150 hours of client contact hours at the practicum site, including individual, couples, family and/ or group counselling?


• Would you receive on-site supervision from a supervisor who works at the practi- cum location?


• Would your on-site supervisor have a graduate degree in counselling?


• If not, would he or she hold a graduate- level degree in a counselling-related field with a shared scope of practice?


• Would your on-site supervisor have at least four years of full-time counselling experience?


• Would your on-site supervisor hold a membership, designation or licensure in counselling, binding them to work under a code of ethics?


• If not, would he or she hold a member- ship, designation or licensure in a coun- selling-related field with a shared scope of practice and equivalent code of ethics?


VOL. 46 NO. 2 | SPRING 2014


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