JOIN A THRIVING COMMUNITY
of Clinical Counsellors & Psychotherapists receiving
Advanced Training in Clinical Assessment
ASSESS+ is Canada’s first dedicated clinical assessment training pathway designed specifically for practicing counsellors.
Led by Dr. Erinn Bailey-Sawatzky (Doctor of Psychology, RCC, C.T.), these programs build the confidence, clarity, and assessment literacy counsellors need to practice at an advanced level—without stepping outside their scope. Our courses are aligned with competency-based continuing education standards.
If you have always wanted assessment to be your specialty, or to increase your knowledge and ability to use assessments- ASSESS+ training is for you!
Dr. Erinn Bailey-Sawatzky, Psy.D, R.C.C., R.T.C, C.T
American Psychological Association Award Winning Researcher
Canadian Psychological Association National Conference Presenter (2025 & 2026)
Association of Psychological Sciences Global Conference Presenter (2025)
American Psychological Association National Conference Panel of Experts Presenter (2026)
Counsellor Educator. Clinician. Supervisor.
ASSESSMENT FOUNDATIONAL COURSES
Consider your university course in assessment as foundational. This course teaches you advanced clinical assessment skills that you can utilize in your practice to elevate client care and services you offer in the area of clinical assessment, without diagnosis. 10 Hours of CE/PD credits Online/Self Paced- 115 days access Multiple Downloadable Handouts Exam (multiple attempts accepted) Certificate of Completion Registration requirements: Current registration in good standing with a counselling/psychotherapy college or association in your province of practice. Upon Completion: You can unlock further courses!
After your successful completion of Level 1, you are eligible to purchase this assessment battery toolkit- which comes with information on over 3000 assessments utilized for different presenting concerns. This toolkit has itemized over 3000 assessments, what the assessment is constructed for, appropriate age and use, and strengths and limitations section- all organized into treatment area such as anxiety/depression, relationship/family, eating disorders, insomnia, neurodiversity, menopause, medical and health, self esteem and many more! In order to purchase this comprehensive battery identification starter pack, you must have passed Level 1.
Write clinical reports that stand with any clinical discipline that conducts assessments. Strong assessment work requires strong reports. Dr. Erinn will go into detail on report writing, provide multiple sample reports for you in this course specifically focused on advancing your professional report writing skills! You will experience Dr. Erinn working through case examples and how that information is specifically written into reports. This course gives the next step of data integration and advances your ability to use professional assessment reports for your clients. Prerequisite: Advanced Clinical Assessment Course Level 1
Mental health isn't just psychological. Assessment that ignores potential biological considerations may be incomplete and lacking important referrals to medical providers. Increase your knowledge in the Biological domain of BioPsychoSocial considerations when providing assessment and/or psychotherapy services to your clients. Dr. Erinn will teach you how neurobiology, physiology, and systemic factors inform clinical impressions and case formulation- without stepping outside of scope. Prerequisite: Advanced Clinical Assessment Level 1
You are not a diagnostician, but you do need to understand what is in front of you to know when to make ethical referrals, and to increase the efficacy of your case conceptualizations. In this course, Dr. Erinn will increase your diagnostic knowledge so that you can treat and refer with increased confidence. Should diagnostics become advanced practice for counsellors in Canada one day (as it is for most counsellors in the US), you will want to be prepared and have access to this advanced training. Prerequisite: Level 1
Our clients many times enter our office on medication and/or supplements, or they are in therapy with us while titrating medication with our medical providers. This impacts your work in therapy with them in ways you need to be aware of, and, in relation to assessments. Prerequisite: Level 1
This course provides comprehensive information on ADHD, ASD, and other neurodevelopmental disorders for the non-diagnosing counsellor who is treating, identifying and/or referring/collaborating with other healthcare professionals. Prerequisite: Level 1
Does the idea of learning about projective assessments such as the Rorschach Test, House-Tree-Person & Thematic Apperceptiono Test interest you? If so, this is a course you do not want to miss! Dr. Erinn will walk you through the history and development of projective testing, and the most common tests used by qualified clinicians. Prerequisite: Level 1
Clinical Assessment Supervisor
Training Pathway
Specialized Assessment Intensives
COURSE RECOMMENDATIONS
START WITH LEVEL 1 COURSE
Level 1 teaches the essential clinical assessment skills counsellors must master to practice at an advanced level.
You will learn how to:
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Gather and structure assessment data ethically and confidently
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Use behavioural, cognitive, emotional, relational, and psychophysiological lenses
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Understand Level A, B & C assessment categories and how to access them
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Formulate cases with clarity utilizing your advanced assessment skills
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Build assessment protocols you can use immediately in your practice
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Integrate assessment without stepping outside your scope
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Communicate assessment findings with precision
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Reduce liability through accurate clinical reasoning and appropriate referrals
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Write high quality reports This is the required course before proceeding to further ASSESS+ programs. Your assessment training starts with Level 1. Begin your path toward advanced, confident, ethical assessment practice.
UNLOCK FURTHER TRAINING AFTER PASSING LEVEL 1
Once you complete Level 1, you gain access to advanced courses and services including:
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Advanced Assessment Batteries for Counsellors
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Advanced Report Writing Skills
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Biological & Psychophysiological Considerations in Assessment
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Psychopharmacology for Counsellors
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Diagnostic Literacy for Counsellors
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Clinical Assessment Supervisor Training
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Access your own supervision needs for new assessment use, and more!
Designed for counsellors who want to practice with elevated assessment precision and confidence — to their full scope of practice.
PROFESSIONAL OUTCOMES
After completing ASSESS+ Level 1, counsellors often report:
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Greater assessment clarity
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More structured sessions and progress tracking
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Highly aligned treatment planning
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Readiness to take on complex clients and make appropriate referrals
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Increased referrals for your unique assessment skillset
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Development of new revenue streams in assessment
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A stronger professional identity and interprofessional respect
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A readiness to enroll in the Assessment Supervisor training to add an another new revenue stream- supervision of counsellors in advanced assessment!
MEET YOUR LECTURER
"Assessment is not reserved for one profession. It is a fundamental counselling skill — and it is within a counsellors scope"
Ongoing Support & Professional Development
ASSESS+ is more than a course — it is a professional growth pathway.
Graduates may request a consultation meeting with Dr. Erinn (or a trusted colleague) to explore supervision as they begin integrating new assessment competencies into practice. If supervision fit is not aligned, appropriate referrals are provided.
Both ASSESS+ courses and supervision services include documented CE/PD credits and supervision records where applicable. (Participants should confirm requirements with their regulatory college or association.)
Once you complete Level 1, you are eligible to enroll in many other assessment related courses on this platform!
Position yourself ahead of regulatory change and clinical complexity — register for ASSESS+ now.
ASSESS+ COURSE REGISTRATION
insights and updates
blog/drerinn
WHY COUNSELLORS CHOOSE ASSESS+
Training that allows you to confidently conduct assessments that elevate your care and your business
Counsellors across Alberta, BC, and the rest of Canada are being asked to do increasingly complex clinical work—yet most university programs provide minimal structured assessment training. As a result, many counsellors feel under-prepared, undervalued, or hesitant to engage in assessment at all.
ASSESS+ was created to change that. Designed by a doctoral-trained counsellor specializing in assessment — ASSESS+ delivers advanced, practice-ready clinical assessment training built specifically for counsellors, by a counsellor.
This training empowers you to:
Work confidently within your full scope of practice
Apply structured, ethical, research-aligned assessment methods
Strengthen case formulation and intervention planning
Increase clarity and structure in sessions
Improve referral quality and collaboration
Enhance client outcomes
Expand specialized service offerings and income potential
ASSESS+ is intentionally designed for Canadian practice contexts — particularly Alberta and British Columbia, where counselling regulation developments are increasing the demand for ethically grounded, defensible assessment skills. This training elevates your competence, strengthens your professional identity, and helps prevent scope atrophy — without engaging in diagnostic or out-of-scope work.