Anyone in Ontario, with or without credentials, can hang up a shingle
and call him/herself a psychotherapist. One group of psychotherapists
belongs to a regulatory college, such as psychologists, psychiatrists,
and social workers. They are required to adhere to certain standards of
education and qualification, must demonstrate continuing competence,
and are subject to a complaints and disciplinary process. However, even
some regulated professionals, such as GP psychotherapists, can practice
psychotherapy without formal training. A second group of Toronto psychotherapists
has one or more university degrees and specialized training in
psychotherapy but belongs to an unregulated association, such as art or
music therapists, marriage and family therapists, pastoral counselors,
and addiction counselors. A third group is made up of unregulated
practitioners who are in private practice without formal training,
professional affiliation or accountability.
This situation is about to change. In order to protect the public from
the risk of harm from psychotherapists who are unqualified, the Ontario
Government recently passed the Psychotherapy Act, a section of the
Health System Improvements Act. Under Royal Assent (June 4, 2007), the
name of the new College of Psychotherapists was proclaimed, as well as
a transition period before the other provisions come into law. One of
the provisions not yet proclaimed is the "Authorized Act", which is
defined, in part, as the authorization "to treat, by means of
psychotherapy technique delivered through a therapeutic relationship,
an individual's serious disorder of thought, cognition, mood, emotional
regulation, perception or memory that may seriously impair
the
individual's judgment, insight, behavior, communication or social
functioning." Another provision not yet proclaimed is the "Restricted
Titles" provision, which restricts the title of "psychotherapist" to
members of the new College of Psychotherapists.
If the "Restricted Titles" provision is proclaimed, psychologists,
psychiatrists and social workers who have been authorized to provide
psychotherapy by their regulatory colleges will no longer be able to
call themselves psychotherapists. According to Mr. Gilbert Sharpe, a
partner at the law firm of Fasken Martineau DuMoulin, and someone who
has played a major role in the development of health law in Ontario for
over 30 years, it would have been too confusing to require
psychotherapists who were already a member of a profession to be part
of the new College of Psychotherapists. The new college was aimed at
those who were unregulated but were calling themselves
psychotherapists. However, the original intent was that such
professionals should be able to use the restricted title in addition to
those who were going to be part of the new college. He believes that
was an oversight that should be addressed and corrected in the next
round of amendments to the legislation. Many psychotherapists agree
with him. If psychologists will be allowed to refer to themselves only
as "psychologists who provide psychotherapy services" and not simply as
"psychotherapists", the public will only be more confused. The new
legislation is essential to protect the public from unregulated
psychotherapists, but it requires some adjustments to offer people a
full and clear range of options when seeking a competent psychotherapist in Toronto.
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