MA/MS How to become a psychotherapist in Canada?

[Healthinfo104]

I know psychotherapy is largely unregulated in Canada, and the term "psychotherapist" is unprotected, but that's changing.

But my question is can anyone enter training to be a psychotherapist regardless of their professional background?

I know there are five professions who's professional bodies independently regulate the practice of psychotherapy for their practitioners in Canada and those are Nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, psychologists and psychiatrists.

But can someone from outside of those fields with a background in let's say marketing, train to be a psychotherapist?

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[Healthinfo104]

anyone?

 

[ConfusedChemist]

Uhh what?
Sure you can.....by training in one of the disciplines you mentioned?

 

[deleted343839]

I know there are five professions who's professional bodies independently regulate the practice of psychotherapy for their practitioners in Canada and those are Nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, psychologists and psychiatrists.

But can someone from outside of those fields with a background in let's say marketing, train to be a psychotherapist?

No, it doesn't really work that way. Psychotherapy is an activity. The term "psychotherapist" is unregulated not because anyone can be one but because it is non-specific. You become competent to provide psychotherapy (among other things!) through professional training in a mental health-related field.

To use an imperfect analogy, you don't become a "prescriber." Even if writing scripts is what you do most of the day, in order to do this competently you need the broader foundations that training in medicine, advanced nursing, etc. would provide.

 

[thewesternsky]

"Psychotherapist" is now a protected term in Ontario, at least. You can find all the answers to your questions on the College of Psychotherapist website here:

http://www.crpo.ca/

Basically, yes you can train even if you aren't already a healthcare professional. It generally requires a formal education or training program. Some of these programs that are cropping up are predatory and expensive.

 

[WisNeuro]

Basically, yes you can train even if you aren't already a healthcare professional. It generally requires a formal education or training program. Some of these programs that are cropping up are predatory and expensive.

Are Alliant and Fielding going international?

 

[InfoNerd101]

No, it doesn't really work that way. Psychotherapy is an activity. The term "psychotherapist" is unregulated not because anyone can be one but because it is non-specific. You become competent to provide psychotherapy (among other things!) through professional training in a mental health-related field.

To use an imperfect analogy, you don't become a "prescriber." Even if writing scripts is what you do most of the day, in order to do this competently you need the broader foundations that training in medicine, advanced nursing, etc. would provide.

Are you from Canada? And are saying you agree with the idea that its unregulated or no?

 

[deleted343839]

I'm not from Canada, but I have colleagues in Canada and I know a little about the regulatory issues there. Like in the US, regulation of mental health professionals is a state/provincial issue. Most of the Canadian provinces do not currently regulate the practice of psychotherapy. That is changing, and there are some exceptions. In fact, Ontario's law went into effect this year.

Here is a quote from the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association's web site:

"Regulations in Canada vary across the provinces.

There is currently no regulation regarding counselling in British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Yukon, North-West Territories, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland or New Brunswick . This means that you do not need any specific qualifications to be able to practice in these provinces. Some employers do, however, require certain qualifications before they hire you, for example our CCC designation, but that is at their discretion.

There is regulation in Quebec, Nova Scotia and Ontario and you may need to join the appropriate college in order to be able to practice. Information on the specifics of the regulation in Quebec and NS can be found at http://www.ccpa-accp.ca/profession/regulation-across-canada/. In Ontario, proclamation of the title of Registered Psychotherapist occurred on April 1st, 2015. The controlled Act has not been proclaimed. The regulatory body is the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario."