REGISTERED SOCIAL WORKER
The reliable Swiss Army knife of support.
They know the systems, resources, and how to walk with you through life’s ups, downs, and paperwork avalanches.
🛠 Under construction — kind of like therapy: Messy in the middle, but totally worth it.
Training
Usually a Bachelor’s (sometimes a Master’s) in Social Work
What they do
Counselling, advocacy, system navigation, emotional support… basically the friend who knows who to call, what form to fill out, and how to listen when it’s all too much.
Regulation
Here’s the spicy bit: RSW is a protected (a.k.a. guarded) title in BC. You can’t just wake up one day, buy a mug that says “World’s Best Social Worker,” and slap RSW after your name. Nope. Only folks officially licensed by the BC College of Social Workers get to use it. There is one important caveat: certain ministry roles may carry the title social worker without BC College registration. It’s a quirky loophole that often raises eyebrows… but that’s a story for another day.
In your life, they're like...
A sturdy backpack, which holds the tools you need, supports you on the climb, and makes sure you don’t get lost.
registered clinical social worker
RCSW
Therapy is one of those brave, meaningful decisions that can feel both exciting and intimidating. My goal is to make everything around it—like payments and logistics—simple, clear, and never the hardest part of your session. This way, you can focus on the important stuff – showing, being human, and maybe sharing the couch with Mali.