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L.I.F.E. Solutions and Counselling

RSW vs. RCSW

Who's who in the social work zoo

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🛠 Under construction — kind of like therapy: Messy in the middle, but totally worth it.

Have you ever noticed a therapist’s name with a string of letters after it and thought, “What do all those actually mean?”. You’re not alone. Let’s break down the difference between Registered Social Workers (RSW) and Registered Clinical Social Workers (RCSW) in British Columbia.

Registered social worker

RSW

The reliable Swiss Army knife of support. They know the systems, the resources, how to walk with you through life’s ups, downs, and paperwork avalanches.
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registered clinical social worker

RCSW

Take everything about the RSW and add rocket boosters. That’s an RCSW.
Find Out More

 


A Reality Check – Counselling in BC is Not Regulated (Yet) 

 

Here’s the Twist:

In British Columbia, anyone can legally call themselves a counsellor or therapist. You could meet a “counsellor” who has years of graduate-level training… or one who took a weekend workshop and bought a crystal. Wild, right?

That’s why the letters after someone’s name matter. RSW and RCSW? Protected titles. Real accountability. Real training. Real oversight.

 

Want to Explore More Letters?

Curious about RCCs, psychologists, or psychiatrists? Click here to check out the rest of the alphabet soup.

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