FAQs

  • Please refer to the certification process as described on our website. Please review the Application Form for details on what to include in your application.

     

  • No.  Membership is separate from CACBT certification. Please note that membership is required for CACBT certification. Membership conveys a number of benefits, including training activities, access to our listserve and networking opportunities, and discounts on leading CBT journals and CACBT conference activities (see Membership Benefits).

    However, being certified conveys that you have expertise in CBT. Refer to the Certification Process.

  • CACBT does not regulate the practice of psychotherapy in Canada. Regulation is determined by each province or territory. Therefore, to provide psychotherapy in Canada, you must become licensed or registered with the provincial or territorial regulatory body associated with your discipline. Also, each province/territory regulates which disciplines can provide psychotherapy.

    The requirements to become licensed/registered vary between provinces/territories so start with contacting the regulatory body for your discipline in the province or territory in which you plan to live and work.

    Once you have been licensed/registered by your province/territory, and assuming that this is in a discipline for which psychotherapy is part of your scope of practice, you are then eligible to apply for CACBT certification.

  • Please note that to become certified you need to licensed/registered (in your province/territory) in a discipline for which psychotherapy is part of your scope of practice.

  • CBT is not a regulated intervention as is the case for psychotherapy. As such, you do not need to be certified in order to provide CBT. Certification provides an indication to other clinicians, referral sources, consumers, relevant stakeholders, and the Canadian public that you have the expertise to practice as a cognitive-behavioural therapist.

    Note however, that to provide psychotherapy, you must be licensed/registered to do so in the province/territory in which you live and/or work.

  • CACBT does not approve specific training programs/courses.

    That said, there are a number of training programs listed on our website. We do recommend that in choosing your trainings, you look for those that are provided by CACBT-certified members (or those who are certified by another credible organization such as the Academy of Cognitive Therapy or the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies).

    It is also recommended that you review the curricula of the training program/course you are considering for their inclusion of the core knowledge and competencies as well as the training strategies outlined in CACBT’s National Guidelines for Training in CBT.

  • If a clinical supervisor is not available to write a letter (perhaps supervision was provided a very long time ago and your supervisors are no longer available), we will accept letters of support from CACBT-certified members who can speak to your CBT skills.

    CACBT provides a directory of certified members: Find a Certified Therapist. Many of these individuals provide consultation services, both virtually and in person. As such, this is a good place to start if you need to find someone who can provide CBT consultation and write a letter of support on your behalf.

    Please note that letter writers should make clear their own CBT expertise (which might include simply referencing their own certification status) and comment on how they evaluated your own CBT knowledge and skills.

  • As per the Application Form, please provide a detailed description that includes the following:

    • Names of programs and workshops;

    • Dates attended;

    • Names of faculty, supervisors, and instructors; and

    • Description of the CBT content

  • As indicated in the Application Form, please provide a detailed description of your CBT clinical experience and applicable dates. Make sure to include the following:

    • Presenting problems of clients seen;

    • Approximate number of therapy hours;

    • Specific treatment protocols used; and

    • Any supervision received.

    We suggest providing this in a table format using a sample of 12 clients (or groups) across a breadth of symptom presentations. Please note that even if you have been providing CBT for years to hundreds of clients, we are still looking for a sample of 12 clients.

  • In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, a great deal of therapy is now being conducted virtually. We are happy to accept recordings of virtual sessions. Should you have difficulty uploading your session to the website, please contact certification@cacbt.ca