How to apply

Application Procedure

1. Documentation

I. General membership:

1. Fill in the universal application form downloadable from HKPCA official website https://www.hkpca.org.hk/membership/how-to-apply/
2. Prepare photocopies of related graduation certificates and/or transcripts. All of the above support your academic qualifications and related work experiences and post master practicum work. If the institution granting the academic award is outside Hong Kong, kindly provide programme details, e.g. course descriptions and graduation requirements in hardcopy format.
3. Counselling related work employment letter proof from employer showing years of related counselling work experience.

II.Professional membership (include Certified Counsellor “CCoun” and Approved Counselling Supervisor “ACounS”):

1. Must have obtained the general membership status such as Fellow, Associate Fellow or Member as precondition. Must possess a local master’s degree in counseling or in a counseling-related field, with theory and practice components. Otherwise, applicant has to apply for general membership at the same time and follow the steps of general membership application. 
2. Fill in the universal application form downloadable from HKPCA official website https://www.hkpca.org.hk/membership/how-to-apply/
3. Prepare post master practicum supervision contract before supervision starts, full set of supervised contact hours and supervision hours summary tables (applicable to certified counsellor application only) signed / endorsed by HKPCA listed Approved Counselling Supervisor(s).
4. Useful standard template forms can be downloaded from HKPCA website under Resource Corner–>download area–>resource guide –>appendix. Applicants of CCoun has to submit at least appendix 3, 7 and 8. Other template forms can also be used for applicant’s own records.

Note that “supervised practice” has three important aspects:

1. “Practice” refers to the broad array of remedial, developmental, and preventive intervention performed by counsellors in multiple settings, with identifiable goals and a mechanism (e.g., qualified counselling supervisors) to monitor and evaluate the attainment of goals.
2. “Supervised practice” refers to an arrangement where the “counsellor-in-training” is accountable to a person in a supervisory role.
3. Supervision is used primarily as a process to facilitate the professional competence and development of the counselor.

Reminder notes: Applicants are strongly recommended to keep a full set copies at applicants hand for own record before you send all important documents to us. 

2. Application Fees:

1. For General Membership or membership upgrade, submit a crossed cheque of HK$100 application handling charge.  It is not refundable due to any result of application. Cheque is payable to “The Hong Kong Professional Counselling Association Limited”. This Non-refundable Application fee, however, remains HKD100 for whenever application time throughout the year.
2. For Certified Counsellor, submit a cheque of HK$700 for Professional Membership application in which HK$500 will be converted to first year certification fee if the application is approved. If he/she has not been a general member, please apply for general membership in the same time and pay for HKD 100 application handling fee.
3. Note that for professional membership renewal, he/she has to be a listed general members as pre-condition. This implies he/she has to renew and pay for general membership fee every year if he/she wants to continue professional membership. The renewal will be reminded at the end of fiscal year  by post and/or email.
4. For Approved Counselling Supervisor, there is currently NO application fee charged provided that he/she is a general, listed member of the association. Otherwise, applicant has to apply for general membership in the same time and pay for HKD 100 application handling fee.
5. All crossed cheque is payable to “The Hong Kong Professional Counselling Association Limited” or “香港專業輔導協會有限公司”. Send all to HKPCA by postal mail (detail postal address refers to https://www.hkpca.org.hk/about/contact/) attention to HKPCA executive secretariat.
6. The membership fiscal year is from 1 January to 31 December. Membership approved on or after 1 July of a year requires only half of the annual membership fee.

Reminder: Please make sure the postage stamp value is sufficient to cover the postage service. HKPCA is not responsible for any mis-posted or time delay in postage due to above condition.

3. Application lead time

An application will be processed only after the application fee and full set supporting documents are fully received. The processing time of application is at least 10 weeks from the date of letter received by HKPCA. Final process time depends on the complication and completion of supporting documents provided by the applicant. The Association will notify applicant by email once the application is officially approved. Please note that all general and professional memberships are counted valid only after the current fiscal year membership fee are fully paid.

 

4.  Renewal of membership 

After being a member for  no matter how long,  he/she has to renew their membership  in end of current or in beginning of next fiscal year.

Members will receive invitation by direct mail.  They need to settle their new year membership fee within first quarter of next year so that their names will be listed online.

Professional Membership can only be sustained provided that member has to renew with general membership at the same time.

HKPCA reserves the right of dis-listing members names online if they have not completed full payment of upcoming year membership without further notification.

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For general enquiry, please contact our executive secretariat at: (852) 2334 7172 or email at enquiry@hkpca.org.hk

 

5. Application of HKPCA member titles and HKPCA logo:

Members are allowed to print their membership title on their personal business cards. Titles should be those approved by MPSC in normal membership approval procedure.

However, in all circumstances, HKPCA members are NOT permitted to print the HKPCA company logo on their personal business cards or use the logo in any other means of communication for self introduction.

General Membership Annual Fees (HKD)
Fellow	$450
Associate Fellow	$400
Member	$300
Associate Member	$250
Student Member	$100
Affiliate	$150

Professional Membership Annual Fees (HKD)
Certified Counsellor	$500
Approved  Counselling Supervisor	$750

# Certificate admin. fee：$50 per piece (optional)

# First time application fee: HKD 100 (General Membership); HKD 700 (Professional Membership)