The moment you get in touch with Arete to access counselling support, know that we’ve got you. Our highly effective intake team is trained to listen with empathy and ask questions that will help get you connected with the counsellor that is best suited to you and your needs.
The counsellor you’re matched with may have any number of titles—psychotherapist, social worker, marriage and family therapist, counsellor, clinical counsellor, sex therapist or psychologist to name just a few. This is due to the fact that the larger umbrella of counselling is overseen by professional associations within each province. Depending on the counsellor’s education and any specialty courses, their title will vary from province to province and even within a province, depending on how things are organized within their jurisdiction.
Despite the variation in the titles based on province or work setting, counsellors in the Arete Network share similar standards of practice and scope of care, including:
- Being attentive and responding to diversity and inclusiveness;
- Working in the best interest of individuals, couples, families, groups and organizations;
- Working in the domains of thoughts, feelings, emotion, expression, learning, behaviour and development;
- Promoting mental health by developing and enhancing:
- personal, relational, sexual, career and spiritual growth and well-being,
- personal awareness and resources,
- decision-making and problem-solving;
- Providing treatment for disorders in cognitive, behavioural, interpersonal and emotional functioning; and
- May also include supervision, education, training, consultation, research and referrals to community resources as needed.
In addition, all counsellors within the Arete Network must have at least a master’s degree in their field of practice, a minimum of five years post-graduate counselling experience, provide annual proof they are a member in good standing of a relevant professional registering body and provide annual proof of professional practice insurance. And our independent research tells us that these standards have ensured counsellors in our network—regardless of their title or designation—are effectively helping clients resolve the issues they sought help for as well as building their resilience to navigate other life challenges that may crop up in the future.
At Arete, we pride ourselves on making great counsellor-client matches with counsellors who are top notch in their field(s) of practice. When you call us (or request services online), you can trust we have the resources necessary to ensure the support you receive will be just right for you.