As a counselling therapist, I work with a lot of clients who are curious about getting into the mental health field. Whether you’re drawn to therapy, psychology, or social work—these are some of the questions I hear most often at Canada Career Counselling:
Q: What’s the difference between a counsellor and a psychologist?
Counselling therapists (or psychotherapists—the title depends on your province) support people with emotional, relational, career identity, and everyday struggles. The work is insight-oriented, focused on growth, getting clarity on career or personal identity, and connection (to the human and non-human world). Psychologists, on the other hand, are trained to diagnose mental disorders, conduct assessments, and often work in more clinical or research-based settings. Counselling therapists can also work in research or in hospital settings, but it depends on what kind of training and supervision you’ve received.
Q: What other roles are out there?
You could also explore social work, psychoeducation (a regulated profession in Quebec), or psychiatry (which requires a medical degree). Each path offers something unique—ranging from therapy and casework to diagnosis and medication management. Social services work is another paraprofessional option where you’d only need a community college (~ 2 years) degree and you’d work alongside therapists, doing counselling-related work but cannot be a licensed therapist.
Q: Can you make your own hours? What’s the lifestyle like?
It depends on the setting. Therapists can work in schools, hospitals, community agencies, private clinics, or government settings. In private practice—either solo or by contracting with a clinic—you usually have the most flexibility and can set your own schedule.
Q: What kind of education do you need?
In most provinces, psychologists need a PhD—except in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, Yukon, and Northwest Territories, where a Master’s (+ supervised clinical hours) is enough to apply for licensure. To become a counselling therapist or psychotherapist in Canada, you need a Master’s degree from an accredited program with clinical training. Be cautious with international or online programs that don’t meet Canadian standards.
For social services professionals, training is usually a 2-year community college degree, suitable for someone who can’t afford the time or money to do university – once again, this wouldn’t set you up to be a therapist but rather be a case worker in the mental health field.
I trained at McGill University doing a Master’s in Counselling Psychology. The program was intense—in-person, practicum-based, and full of real-world experience. Programs that have lots of opportunity for clinical work, supervision and feedback built into the Master’s degree tend to be the most robust as they set you up as a candidate for immediate licensure.
Q: Isn’t it heavy work? Don’t you burn out?
Yes, it can be. You’re holding space for emotional pain. But we’re trained to set boundaries, use peer consults, and care for ourselves. Learning not to carry what isn’t ours is a skill and an ongoing practice.
If you’re considering this path, know that the work is demanding—but also deeply fulfilling. And if you want to explore whether it’s the right fit for you, I offer career counselling to help you map it out. Book your initial consult call with us today.
