Membership & Benefits

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There are many reasons why you should join the BC Psychological Association: we offer exclusive benefits to members and affiliates, as well as access to educational resources and job postings. We issue the quarterly publication: the BC Psychologist, and we are the only association advocating for psychologists in British Columbia.

You can join BCPA as a member or as an affiliate. Membership is open exclusively to psychologists, defined as current registrants of the College of Psychologists of BC. Affiliation, on the other hand, is open to students, retired psychologists, and university or college faculty. Please keep in mind that membership or affiliate status with BCPA, past or present, does not allow you to call yourself or offer practice as a psychologist. This ability is strictly defined by your registration status with the College of Psychologists of BC. If you are uncertain about your registration status, please contact the College.

If you are in the registration process of the College of Psychologists of BC, you can join BCPA as a provisional member. Please download the form, complete and mail this form to BC Psychological Association.

You can find out more detailed information about BCPA membership and affiliation categories by following the appropriate links to the right. 

Summary of Benefits 

Both members and affiliates enjoy:

  • Discounts on BCPA-sponsored Continuing Education events, and member rates for events organized by the Psychologists’ Association of Alberta, the Psychological Society of Saskatchewan, and Washington State Psychological Association;
  • Discounts on goods and services purchased through our BCPA Rewards program;
  • A free yearly subscription to the BC Psychologist;
  • Professional development and networking opportunities;
  • Access to our job board.

Members enjoy these additional benefits:

  • Discounts on liability insurance, with average savings of 77% over non-discounted rates;
  • Discounts on property insurance plans;
  • Access to Association  health, dental and disability insurance;
  • Access to the e-mail forum, which allows you to discuss with and learn from other psychologists.
  • The satisfaction of knowing that you are contributing to the development of the profession and services available to the people of British Columbia.

Continuing Education

The BC Psychological Association organizes Continuing Education workshops; workshops usually last six hours, and they provide continuing education credits towards your College registration requirements. Our Continuing Education program is audited annually, and it is accredited by the Canadian Psychological Association.

Past workshop presenters include:

  • Dr. Muriel Lezak, a neuropsychologist best known for her text Neuropsychological Assessment, widely accepted as the standard in the field;
  • Dr. Leslie Morey, the author of the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI);
  • Dr. James Butcher, one the foremost researchers on the use of the MMPI and MMPI-2;
  • Dr. Stephen Behnke, Director of the American Psychological Association (APA) Ethics Office
  • Dr. David Ballard, Assistant Executive Director for Corporate Relations and Business Strategy at the American Psychological Association and the APA Practice Organization. Dr. Ballard spearheads the Psychologically Healthy Workplace Program.

As a member of BCPA, you will be able to contribute to the direction and growth of our Continuing Education program through the Continuing Education Committee.

Professional Development

The BC Psychological Association strives to develop opportunities for professional development. You can easily access tools and information as a member or an affiliate through our job board, and our Career Corner.

We also offer publicly available information on education in psychology in our Graduate and Post-graduate Education section.

Advocacy

Changes in the legislation and in the mental health care system require your engagement through the BCPA Advocacy Committee. Through the efforts of this Committee, BCPA advocates for the professional interests of psychologists in all settings. Learn about important advocacy efforts, and support us by becoming a member and getting involved in the Advocacy Committee.

Advocacy Topics

  • Implications of the application of the Agreement for Interprovincial Trade (AIT) to the practice of psychology in British Columbia and Canada;
  • Medical Services Plan reimbursement & access;
  • Reimbursement by third-party payers (insurance, Veterans Affairs, ICBC, etc.);
  • Advocacy for publicly employed psychologists  working in hospitals & other public mental health care delivery systems through the Health Sciences Association of BC and The Professional Employees Association
  • Prescriptive authority;
  • Contribution to the Ten Year Mental Health Plan drafted by the Mental Health Commission of Canada;
  • Scope of practice of Registered Psychologists, and how that differs from other mental health professions.

Legislation

Do you have questions regarding the legislation that regulates the practice of psychology, and that is responsible for title protection in British Columbia? Please refer to this information gathered by the College of Psychologists of BC.

Community Engagement & Outreach

The Community Engagement Committee and the Psychologically Healthy Workplace Collaborative spearhead our drive to engage and inform the public about psychology and its role in supporting mental health and wellness, both at home and at work. As a member, you will have an opportunity to contribute to these intitiatives.

Outreach Efforts

Publications

The BC Psychological Association issues a quarterly publication, the BC Psychologist, which is freely available to BCPA members and affiliates online and in print. The BC Psychologist is a venue for discussion regarding the future of the practice and science of psychology in BC. In it, you will find reviews of books and recent research findings, discussions about professional ethics and current affairs, as well as information on our activities. If you are interested in writing for our publication, please refer to our Volunteer section. If you are interested in advertising, please follow this link.

Are you ready to join?

Find out which membership or affiliation category is right for you by following the links to our membership and affiliation categories to the right. Once you have decided which category is best for you, click on “Join”

If you have any additional questions regarding membership and affiliation, please contact us.