What You Need to Know Before Starting Therapy in Fort McMurray in 2025
Deciding to start therapy is a significant decision. Whether you're struggling with anxiety, dealing with a life transition, or simply looking to understand yourself more deeply, therapy can provide valuable support. However, starting therapy can feel overwhelming, especially if it's your first time. It’s natural to have questions about what to expect.
In this guide, we’ll explore some essential things to know before beginning therapy. From understanding types of therapy, therapist credentials, direct billing, and finances, these insights will help demystify the process and set you up for success. All information provided is specific to Fort McMurray and the health regulations governing the province of Alberta.
Counselling vs. Therapy
While the terms therapy and counselling are often used interchangeably, there are subtle differences.
Counselling is typically shorter-term and focused on specific issues or challenges in a person's life. Counselling might address situations like career changes, relationship difficulties, stress management, or personal growth. The goal of counselling is often to help a person develop coping strategies, improve decision-making, or gain clarity on specific problems. It’s generally more problem-focused and solution-oriented.
Therapy tends to be longer-term and addresses deeper, more complex emotional or psychological issues. Therapy often involves working through past trauma, addressing mental health disorders like anxiety, depression, or PTSD, or exploring long-standing patterns of behaviour and thought that impact a person’s well-being. Therapy is insight-oriented and involves a deeper exploration of a person’s emotions, thoughts, and unconscious processes.
Types of Therapy
Every therapist practices differently. While you don't need to dive deep into clinical theory, understanding some basics can be helpful.
For example, CBT might be a good fit if you want coping skills that can help you change negative thinking patterns. If you’re looking to manage emotions and tolerate distress, DBT may be right for you. If you’re seeking family therapy, you may value working with a family therapist who can help you strengthen boundaries and learn healthy communication.
If you know you have a specific mental health condition, it may be helpful to review some of the main approaches used to treat those symptoms. For example, exposure therapy is often recommended for OCD. ACT and EMDR are frequently utilized to treat post-traumatic stress disorder.
If you want to learn more about various therapeutic models, Psychology Today offers a comprehensive review.
Understanding Therapist Designations
Alberta’s Health Professions Act
In Alberta, the Health Professions Act (HPA) sets out the legal framework for the licensing, practice standards, and professional conduct of certain health professionals (these health professionals are called “regulated health professionals” or RHPs). Every RHP in Alberta is held accountable to a specific provincial college/regulatory body.
The HPA ensures that RHPs have met specific educational and certification requirements, passed licensing exams, follow standards of practice and a code of ethics, and complete yearly continuing education to ensure continued proficiency in their field.
Because the HPA sets standards to protect the public, you can report any RHP to their college/regulatory body if you think they have engaged in malpractice. These regulatory bodies have the legal authority to investigate complaints and take disciplinary action (up to and including suspending or revoking licenses).
Key takeaway: regulated health professionals receive significant provincial oversight, are deemed competent to practice, and are legally accountable to a framework that prioritizes public safety.
Therapists and the Health Professions Act
Regulated Therapists
In Alberta, “therapists” and “counsellors” are not included in the Health Professions Act and are not regulated health professionals. This means anyone in Alberta (regardless of their qualifications or training) can call themselves a “counsellor” or "therapist.”
Fortunately, the Health Professions Act includes several regulated health professions that provide counselling and therapy. These include:
Registered Psychologists (regulated by the College of Alberta Psychologists)
Registered Social Workers (regulated by the Alberta College of Social Workers)
Registered Clinical Social Workers (regulated by the Alberta College of Social Workers)
Registered Psychiatric Nurses (regulated by the College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Alberta)
Non-Regulated Therapists
Some counselling and therapy practitioners choose to register with external organizations that are not regulated by Alberta’s Health Professions Act. These organizations have set approval standards and ensure that the professionals who successfully register have met specific education requirements.
Here are the unregulated professionals offering counselling and therapy in Alberta:
Canadian Certified Counsellor (overseen by the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association)
Canadian Certified Addiction Counsellor (overseen by the Canadian Addiction Counsellors Certification Federation)
Registered Professional Counsellor (overseen by the Canadian Professional Counsellors Association)
Master Practitioner in Clinical Counselling (overseen by the Canadian Professional Counsellors Association)
Importantly, the Government of Alberta has recognized the need for a counselling and therapy profession within the Health Professions Act. For this reason, on March 1, 2024, the Government of Alberta announced that the College of Alberta Psychologists will “assume responsibility to develop a potential pathway for the regulation of graduate trained counselling therapists in Alberta.” Once implemented, this regulation will add ‘counselling therapist’ to the Health Professions Act. At present, there is no timeline as to when this will occur.
Choosing a Therapist
There isn't a perfect formula for choosing a therapist. Everyone has different needs, and sometimes finding the right provider can mirror a trial-and-error process. Research shows that, regardless of what you intend to address in therapy, the therapeutic relationship is one of the most reliable predictors of treatment success. Feeling safe and supported by your therapist is paramount.
However, knowing that anyone can call themselves a counsellor or therapist in our province, we would like to offer one sound piece of advice: do not see a therapist with no professional affiliation.
When choosing a therapist, you should always be able to ask a therapist questions about their credentials, training, and education. You should be able to request proof of these qualifications. Look elsewhere if the person you are considering is evasive or unwilling to answer your questions.
Please see the charts below for a comprehensive review of all counselling and therapy professionals noted above (both regulated and unregulated).
Direct Billing to Benefit Providers
Understanding Direct Billing
Therapists can choose whether to offer direct billing. While some practices (ours included) offer direct billing, others will require you to pay upfront and submit your receipts for reimbursement.
Importantly, some benefit providers will not allow practices to direct bill (even if the practice wants to). At the time of this writing, we can confirm the following benefit providers do not allow direct billing for mental health care:
GroupHEALTH
GroupSource (benefit provider for the RMWB)
Manion
RWAM Insurance Administrators
Sunlife (benefit provider for Suncor)
UV Insurance
For these providers, you will be required to pay upfront and submit your receipts for reimbursement.
Check (and Double Check) Your Benefit Plan!
Before beginning therapy, please check your benefit plan! While most benefit providers offer coverage for therapy, the coverage amount varies (as do the credentials that benefit plans will accept). As an example, a benefit plan may cover $3000.00/year for therapy if the therapy is provided by a registered psychologist or registered clinical social worker. If you overlooked the credential requirement and booked with a registered psychiatric nurse, your coverage would not be valid, and you would be left with an out-of-pocket payment.
Remember, benefit entitlements typically reset on January 1 each year!
Understanding Coordination of Benefits
Coordination of benefits is a standard practice among benefit providers in Canada and allows people with more than one plan to maximize their benefit coverage. Adults (18+) must always submit claims to their own benefit plan first (this is the primary benefit plan). Once that claim is processed, the remainder can be submitted to a secondary benefit plan (eg: a spouse's benefit plan). For adults who do not have their own benefit plan (but do have benefit coverage through another person's benefit plan), that person's benefit plan is the primary benefit plan.
In the case of children age 17 and under (or dependent adult children), the benefit plan of the parent/caregiver with the earliest birthday in the calendar year is the primary benefit plan. For instance, if one parent/caregiver has a birthday on February 1 and another has a birthday on October 15, the benefit plan belonging to the parent/caregiver with the February 1 birthday is the primary benefit plan. Once that claim is processed, the remainder can be submitted to the other parent/caregiver's benefit plan (the secondary benefit plan).
Evaluate Your Finances
It's important to consider the cost of therapy before beginning treatment. Therapy is a significant investment, but it shouldn't jeopardize your financial well-being. If you choose to work with a therapist in private practice, you can expect to pay anywhere between $200.00-$235.00 per session. Effective January 1, 2025, the College of Alberta Psychologists is recommending a rate of $235.00/hour. Remember, many benefit plans cover at least a portion of treatment.
Private Practices in Fort McMurray
If you’ve made it this far, you have learned about various therapeutic approaches, therapist credentials, direct billing, and financial investment. With this information, it’s up to you to decide which practice will best meet your needs. Below is a list of private practices in our community!
Note: All practices are listed alphabetically. If we have missed a clinic or made any errors in our list, please email us at info@borealtherapycollective.ca, and we will make the corrections.
Boreal Therapy Collective
(therapy for children, teens, adults, couples, and families)
BT Psychology Services
(therapy for children and families)
Family Life Psychology and Wellness
(therapy for children, teens, adults, couples, and families)
Flourish Psychology YMM
(therapy for older teens and adults)
Mannell Psychological Consulting
(therapy for children, teens, adults, and couples)
Monarch Child and Family Therapy
(therapy for children, teens, adults, couples and families)
New Horizon Counselling Services
(therapy for children, teens, adults, couples, and families)
O’Reilly Therapy
(therapy for children, teens, and adults)
Pathways Consulting
(therapy for adults)
Psychsmith
(therapy and psychological assessments for children, teens, and adults)
Sauret Psychological Services
(therapy for teens and adults)
Stillwater Therapy
(therapy for children, teens, adults, couples, and families)
Therapeutic Intervention Psychotherapy Services
(therapy for adults)
TLC Therapy
(therapy for children, teens, adults, couples, and families)
Wood Buffalo Therapy
(therapy for teens, adults, couples, and families)
YMM Collaborative Practice
(therapy for children, teens, adults, couples, and families)
Free & Low-Cost Therapy Options in Fort McMurray
FREE OPTIONS:
Waypoints
(short-term individual counselling supporting those who have experienced sexual trauma, including family members, partners, and friends)
Wood Buffalo Addiction and Mental Health Services
(therapy for children, youth, and adults - walk-ins welcome from Monday-Friday, 8:00am-6:30pm)
Wood Buffalo Primary Care Network
(therapy for children, youth, and adults - referral by family physician required)
LOW-COST THERAPY (WITH AN INTERN THERAPIST):
Boreal Therapy Collective
(options available for teens and adults, $90.00/90-minutes, $60.00/60-minutes)
Wood Buffalo Therapy
(options available for children, teens, and adults, $75.00/60-minutes)
SLIDING SCALE FEES (FEES ARE DEPENDENT ON YOUR INCOME):
Legacy Counselling Centre
(therapy for children, youth, and adults)
Some Other Solutions
(therapy for children, youth, and adults)
Starting Therapy in Fort McMurray
If you're struggling with your mental health or want more support working through a specific issue, connecting with the right therapist can be a transformative experience. We hope this guide has equipped you with the information you need to begin your therapeutic journey.
If you would like to start therapy with Boreal Therapy Collective, you can book your initial assessment here.
