Welcome to Advanced Assessment for Canadian Counsellors/Psychotherapists
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Your specialization pathway.
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ASSESS+ Training by Dr. Erinn Bailey-Sawatzky, Psy.D
Counsellors in Alberta and British Columbia are increasingly expected to demonstrate strong clinical assessment skills if using assessments. Given both provinces are working hard towards regulation of the profession, it is imperative that counsellors ensure they are practicing to their full scope of practice- which includes assessments!
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At the same time, other mental health professionals often send mixed messages about what counsellors can and cannot do when it comes to assessment. This creates unnecessary confusion, hesitation, and professional self-doubt.
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ASSESS+ was created specifically to support counsellors in AB and BC by providing the practical, ethical, and clinically sound assessment training to ensure they continue to practice to their full scope of practice to ensure counsellor assessment skills don't atrophy and that counsellors who are looking for advanced training can access it!
Scope
Counsellors may often wonder:
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“How can I utilize assessment in my scope?”
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“Can I use structured tools if I’m not diagnosing?”
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“What exactly is allowed in my province?”
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Assessment is not the same as diagnosis.
Mental health needs are high in both provinces and counsellors are highly trained. Counsellors can and should be practicing to their full scope of practice with assessment if that is of interest to them.
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Additionally, there is confusion about assessment, with inconsistent messaging leaving counsellors unsure at times how to practice with assessments.
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ASSESS+ provides advanced training in assessments for counsellors while providing clarity grounded in:
✔ ethics
✔ research
✔ provincial contexts
✔ counsellor-specific scope
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Until now, there has been no specific training pathway for counsellors in AB, BC, or across Canada to access advanced training in assessment specific to counsellors.
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Dr. Erinn is an APA Award Winning Researcher focused on Mental Health Scope of Practice. She is a SOP Research Expert & Advocate
in Canada and Internationally.
ASSESS+ is the first clinical assessment training pathway in Canada created specifically for counsellors.
It is counsellor-focused, created by a counsellor with a doctorate in clinical psychology and assessment specialty, is scope-aligned, and practice-enhancing. Designed and taught by Dr. Erinn Bailey-Sawatzky, Psy.D
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ASSESS+ courses support counsellors in:
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obtaining assessment interview skills
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improving clinical reasoning
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making defensible decisions
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clarifying complex clinical presentations and making referrals
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communicating findings clearly
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increasing practitioner confidence
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reducing fear around “assessment”
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knowing exactly what is in and out of scope
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providing them not only training, but options of supervision once Level 1 is completed so they can put their investment to work
Start with
Level 1
Counsellors in Alberta and BC consistently report feeling unsure, undertrained, or hesitant about assessment.
Level 1 addresses this by providing:
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✔ clear boundaries between assessment and diagnosis
✔ structured frameworks you can apply immediately
✔ evidence-based assessment methods
✔ Level A/B/C tools
✔ case formulation models
✔ ethical and scope-safe decision-making
✔ increased confidence in your professional judgment
Access Advanced Training Options After Level 1
After passing Level 1, you will be able to:
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Request supervision services from Dr. Erinn or one of her colleagues to meet your standards of practice requirements of training + documented supervision
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Enroll in other assessment courses offered including the Advanced Practice Hub
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Become a trained assessment supervisor enabling you to supervise other counsellors new to assessment and seeking supervision.
Why ASSESS+
Works for Counsellors in AB, BC & all of Canada
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Scope-aligned for non-diagnosing counsellors
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Designed for real practice scenarios
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Doctoral-level instruction by a counsellor specialized in assessments
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Addresses province-specific challenges
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Moves counsellors beyond outdated fear narratives
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Builds true assessment literacy for counsellors
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Offers graduates of the course supervision opportunities to meet education + supervision requirements to gain competencies in new areas.