Practicum FAQ

Questions a clinic is likely to have, answered plainly.

What exactly are you asking for?

A 660-hour supervised counselling practicum, July 2027 through June 2028, in Metro Vancouver. It is a required component of the Master of Psychotherapy and Spirituality at St. Stephen's College, University of Alberta.

What are the hour requirements?

660 hours in total: 300 direct client contact, 300 indirect, and 60 supervision. The supervision splits 35 hours at the site and 25 hours through the course, so the site carries 35 of the 60 rather than all of them. The direct hours need to be relational counselling work — building alliance, delivering intervention, continuity across sessions — rather than intake and assessment alone.

Does the site have to be a psychedelic clinic?

No, but it is what I am looking for, and I would rather say so. Supervision quality matters more to me than modality; a site with excellent oversight and no psychedelic work is a better placement than a psychedelic site with thin supervision.

Who supervises, and what do they need to be?

A supervisor the College approves. Its published standard is a clinical master's degree in psychology, counselling, social work or creative arts therapies; at least five years of post-graduate clinical experience; and registration with a professional body that has a code of ethics and a complaints process. A master's in education or nursing also qualifies, with training specific to counselling psychotherapy. My College approves the supervisor against its own criteria, so that assessment does not fall to the site.

The supervisor can be on-site or external.

I am also working toward standards that require directly observed hours, so a supervisor willing to co-facilitate, sit in, or review recorded sessions is worth a great deal to me. Separately, the practicum itself requires video recording of individual sessions, with written client consent: two required course papers are based on video-recorded individual sessions, so a site needs to be able to allow recording.

Is there insurance?

Yes. St. Stephen's maintains professional liability insurance of five million dollars covering students engaged in the provision of counselling, and a Certificate of Insurance is available on request.

What can you legally do at our site?

Whatever you supervise me to do, within your scope and your standards. I am a student. I hold no protected title, I am not a psychotherapist or a registered clinical counsellor, and I would never represent myself as one to a client.

Do you have a police check?

Yes — I hold a current Police Information Check with Vulnerable Sector Search, and I will complete whatever additional screening your site or the College requires, to your timeline.

What about your pharmacy registration?

I am registered with the College of Pharmacists of British Columbia in the Full Pharmacist class, in good standing. That registration governs pharmacy practice. It does not authorise counselling, and it does not authorise anything to do with psychedelic medicines. I keep the two roles completely separate and would expect a site to hold me to that.

Can you provide references?

Yes. Several people have already agreed to act as referees and some have written letters, including faculty from the programme and colleagues from policy and volunteer work. A reference sheet is available on request.

When should we talk?

Any time between now and spring 2027, though earlier is better for both of us — a placement designed in advance is far better than one arranged in a hurry.

Email: mbonertz@ualberta.ca

Education, not medical advice.