Should you choose a Psychologist or a Social Worker?

When parents reach out for mental health support to our friendly Intake Team at Kids Reconnect, parents often ask:

• “Should I book with a Psychologist or a Social Worker?”
• “What’s the difference between a Registered Psychologist and a Registered Social Worker?”
• “Will my child get the same level of care?”

This blog post explains the differences and similarities in these professions in Alberta, and the qualifications of the therapists on our team.

Our child psychology clinic, Kids Reconnect, is based in Calgary, Alberta. We offer in-person and online counselling services for children, parents, and families in Alberta.

Our team’s Registered Psychologists and Registered Social Workers have training and expertise to support children, adolescents, and families who have mental health concerns. Although in each of their professions they are both specialized in child therapy and offer the same level of specialized care, their education and scope of practice are not completely identical.

Our child therapists have specialized training, advanced education, and extensive experience working with children, adolescents, and families. We are committed to providing developmentally informed, evidence-based support tailored to the unique needs of young people.

The Kids Reconnect team includes:

• Registered Psychologists, registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP)
• Registered Provisional Psychologists, provisionally registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists. Registered Provisional Psychologists at Kids Reconnect practice under the supervision of a Registered Psychologist, as described under the Health Professions Act.
• Registered Social Workers, registered with the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW).

In Alberta, the psychologist profession is a regulated health profession.

In Canada, a regulated health profession is one governed by provincial or territorial legislation, such as the Health Professions Act (HPA) in Alberta. This includes psychologists, social workers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, physicians, nurses, and others.

The College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP) is the regulatory body for the profession of psychology in the province of Alberta. CAP sets the standards for psychologists’ registration, practice, and professional conduct. This means that to practice psychology in Alberta, individuals must be registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP), which entails meeting specific education, practice requirements, licensing, ethical standards, and professional conduct guidelines, as outlined by CAP.

A Registered Psychologist in Alberta:

• Holds a master’s or doctoral degree in psychology. For example, a Master’s in Education (M.Ed.), a Master’s of Science (MSc) in Counselling Psychology, a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology (MACP), a PhD in Psychology, or a Doctor of Counselling Psychology (DCP) degree
• Is registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP)
• Offers psychological services that are covered by most insurance companies
• Can specialize in areas of assessments, diagnosis, and evidence-based therapy approaches. For example, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), emotionally focused therapy (EFT), Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, Play Therapy, Synergetic Play Therapy, AutPlayTherapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
• Can diagnose mental health disorders (e.g., ADHD, anxiety, depression)
• Often works in private practice, clinics, hospitals, the Alberta Health Services system, in public schools with the Calgary Public School Board and Calgary Catholic School Board, or private schools.

Psychologists are specialists in “the science of how people think, feel, and behave.”
(College of Alberta Psychologists, 2025)

In Alberta, the social worker profession is a regulated health profession. As such, it is regulated by the Health Professions Act (HPA), in a similar way to the psychologist profession.

The Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW) is the regulatory body for the profession of social work in the province of Alberta. The ACSW sets the standards for social workers’ registration, practice, and professional conduct. This means that to practice social work in Alberta, individuals must be registered with the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW), having met the education, practice requirements, licensing, ethical standards, and professional conduct guideline outlined by the ACSW.

A Registered Social Worker in Alberta:

• Holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree with clinical training
• Is registered with the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW)
• Uses therapeutic approaches to support emotional and mental well-being but requires specialized training in therapy approaches.
• Often takes a broader view of a child’s environment—looking at school, home, family, and community connections
• May offer case coordination, and support navigating social systems
• Insurance companies cover Registered Social Workers therapeutic services only if practitioner holds Master Degree in SW

In Alberta, there is no service that an RSW can provide that a Registered Psychologist cannot legally provide when it comes to therapy, mental health counselling, assessments, etc. But RSWs can provide specific social work services that are outside of a psychologist’s direct role, including:

• Child intervention services (involvement with Children’s Services or foster care planning)
• Case management for community support programs
• Housing, financial, and systems navigation (linking clients with external supports)
• Formal child welfare assessments (such as kinship care or home studies for Children’s Services)

While Registered Social Workers (RSWs) are highly trained professionals with clinical skills, the term “social worker” is often misunderstood by the public. Many parents associate social workers with:

• Child protective services or crisis intervention
• Government agencies or school supports
• “Fixing problems” rather than offering therapy.

This perception can lead families to assume that social workers only provide case management or are unqualified for emotional and mental health support. In reality, Registered Social Workers and Registered Clinical Social Workers in Alberta clinical social workers in Alberta have advanced training in therapy, and their scope of practice includes work with anxiety, grief, trauma, family conflict, and more.

Social workers are often the “unsung heroes” in the mental health world. While their title might sound practical, clinical social workers are deeply trained in emotional support, trauma healing, and relationship work.

Unlike psychologists—who often focus on internal processes (thoughts, behaviors, diagnoses)—social workers are trained to also zoom out and look at the whole environment:

• What’s happening at school?
• What’s going on at home?
• How is the child’s cultural background, family stress, or social support affecting their well-being?

At Kids Reconnect, our social workers are child-centred therapists first. Additionally, their social work training gives them tools to help families navigate real-life challenges, from school meetings to accessing community resources to improving home routines.

Registered Social Workers at Kids Reconnect:

• Hold a Master of Social Work (MSW) with a clinical focus
• Are trained and have informed practice in play therapy, narrative therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and trauma-informed care
• Offer emotional support, parent coaching, and system navigation
• Are registered and regulated through the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW).

Most private insurance (for example, benefit plans through work) cover both psychologists and clinical social workers, but the amount and type of coverage can vary. Every insurance policy is different.

Check your benefits under terms like:

• “Psychological services”
• “Registered psychologist”
• “Clinical social worker”
• “Mental health therapist”

Call your provider and ask:

• How much is covered per year?
• Is there a per-session cap?
• Do they require the professional to have a specific title?

In Alberta, psychologists are often listed explicitly in insurance policies, but many benefit plans now include Registered Social Workers as well. Registered Social Workers at Kids Reconnect are covered by most benefit plans.