Is counselling covered by MSP in British Columbia?

No. Counselling provided in private practice is not covered by BC's Medical Services Plan. Reimbursement comes from extended health benefits obtained through an employer, a school, or purchased individually.

Do Alberta insurance plans cover a Canadian Certified Counsellor?

Coverage for CCC-credentialed counsellors exists across a range of Alberta plans, but it depends on your specific policy wording rather than on the insurer generally. Alberta Blue Cross, for example, treats counsellor eligibility as policy-dependent. Confirm directly with your provider rather than assuming.

What should I ask my insurer about counselling coverage?

Ask four questions: whether your plan covers counselling or psychotherapy; which provider credentials are eligible, specifically whether an RCC or CCC qualifies; your annual maximum and percentage covered per session; and whether a doctor's referral is required. Note the reference number for your records.

What if my insurance doesn't cover counselling?

Options include asking your HR department to amend the plan to include RCC/CCC coverage, checking whether your workplace has an Employee Assistance Program with free sessions, asking about reduced rates directly, or looking into church-based biblical counselling, which is often offered at little or no cost.

Does Insurance Cover Biblical Counselling in BC and Alberta?

Q: Does insurance cover biblical counselling?

Often yes, but not because it is biblical counselling. Extended health insurance covers counselling based on the counsellor's credentials, not the approach used. No insurer has a 'biblical counselling' category — they reimburse specific provider designations such as Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) or Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC).

Jason Chang
Jul 17
3 min read

Short answer: often, yes --- but not because it's biblical counselling specifically. Insurance covers counselling based on your counsellor's credentials, not the approach they take with you.

That's honestly the single most useful thing to understand here, so let me say it plainly: no insurer has a "biblical counselling" category on their books. What they have instead is a list of provider designations they'll reimburse. If your counsellor holds one of those designations, you're likely covered. If they don't, you're likely not --- regardless of how warmly or accurately the counselling gets described to you.

I hold two of them myself: Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) through the BCACC, and Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) through the CCPA. Both appear on many extended health plans, which is genuinely good news if you're trying to make this work financially.

How coverage actually works

Counselling in private practice isn't covered by BC's Medical Services Plan, and provincial health plans generally don't cover private counselling in Alberta either, unfortunately. So reimbursement has to come from extended health benefits instead --- the plan you might have through an employer, a school, or one you've purchased yourself.

Plans vary a great deal from one to the next. Typically you'll find:

An annual maximum in dollars
A percentage of each session that's covered, often up to that maximum
A requirement that your provider hold specific credentials

That last one is genuinely where people get caught out, so let me help you avoid it. The question to ask isn't "does my plan cover counselling?" --- it's "which credentials does my plan actually cover?"

In British Columbia

Many extended health plans list Registered Clinical Counsellors (RCC) as eligible providers. Some also list Canadian Certified Counsellors (CCC). And some, unfortunately, only cover psychologists or registered social workers --- in which case my services wouldn't be reimbursed under that particular plan, and I would genuinely rather you know that before your first session than find out after.

In Alberta

Coverage for CCC-credentialed counsellors does exist across a range of plans in Alberta, but it's less uniform than the RCC picture in BC, and it depends heavily on your specific policy wording rather than on the insurer as a whole. Alberta Blue Cross, for instance, treats counsellor eligibility as policy-dependent rather than universal across all their plans.

This is genuinely worth checking properly rather than assuming either way --- Alberta's counselling regulation is still mid-transition, and insurer practice hasn't fully settled alongside it yet.

Exactly what to ask your insurer

Call the number on your benefits card, and ask these four questions, in this order:

"Does my plan cover counselling or psychotherapy?"
"Which provider credentials are covered? Specifically, is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) or a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) eligible?"
"What's my annual maximum, and what percentage per session?"
"Do I need a doctor's referral first?"

Have your plan and member numbers ready before you call. Ask for the answer in writing, or at least note down the reference number --- front-line answers aren't always right, and having a paper trail genuinely helps if something goes wrong later.

If your plan doesn't cover it

You have real options here, and I would truly rather you use one of them than go without care altogether:

Ask your HR department. Plans do get amended over time. Employers can add RCC/CCC coverage, and a simple written request sometimes actually works. I'm happy to supply a supporting letter if that would help.
Check for an EAP. Many workplaces include an Employee Assistance Program with a number of free sessions, separate entirely from extended health benefits.
Ask me about a reduced rate. I hold back part of my schedule specifically for clients without coverage. My standard rates are $150 individual and $175 couple, fifty minutes each; the initial fifteen-minute consultation is always free.
Look into church-based counselling. Many biblical counsellors serve through local churches at little or no cost. That's a genuine option, and I'll gladly point you toward it if it turns out to fit you better than my practice does.

Receipts

I provide receipts with all the information your insurer needs for reimbursement. In most cases, you'll pay at the session itself and claim it back afterward.

Counselling fees may also be claimable as a medical expense on your tax return --- it's worth checking with the CRA or your own tax preparer, since conditions do apply.

Still not sure?

Bring whatever questions you still have to the free fifteen-minute consultation. If it turns out your plan won't cover this, and the rate genuinely doesn't work for you, I'll tell you honestly what else is out there.

You can also see my full rates --- and where your fee goes, because I don't take a salary from this practice.

Book online