MHNIG Members
As you may know, the issue of psychotherapy has been an item of keen interest for sometime with our MHNIG membership. Below is a letter sent to us from Deborah Adams, Registrar fro the Collage of Psychotherapists, which includes some information regarding recent legislative changes as well as a link to a survey regarding the new legislation. We are asking that our members please take sometime to complete the survey and have your thoughts regarding psychotherapy included in the discussion.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Aaron Clark
April 16, 2018 Dear members and stakeholders, On December 30, 2017, the government of Ontario proclaimed into force the controlled act of psychotherapy with a two-year transition period to allow the mental health sector a period of time in which individuals may become registered with one of the appropriate colleges or restrict their services so that they do not perform the controlled act. In conjunction with the proclamation, the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care directed the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) to provide more clarity on the meaning of the controlled act of psychotherapy and what practices would not be considered to be part of the controlled act. In developing this regulation, CRPO is working under authority drawn from section 11 of the Psychotherapy Act: the "Council may make regulations prescribing therapies involving the practice of psychotherapy, governing the use of prescribed therapies and prohibiting the use of therapies other than the prescribed therapies in the course of the practice of psychotherapy." By law, the language of the regulation must be aligned with this authorizing statute and so uses the term "prescribe" in the legal sense ("to state") rather than in the clinical sense ("to order.") This regulation applies to all psychotherapy performed by RPs, both in the provision of the controlled act as it is embedded in psychotherapy and the broader scope of practice. This regulation does not apply to Indigenous Healers or those treating by spiritual means. Such practitioners can operate under exceptions or exemptions available through the Regulated Health Professions Act. Specifically practitioners who are:
- 29 (1) (c) "treating a person by prayer or spiritual means in accordance with the tenets of the religion of the person giving the treatment";
- 35 (1) (a) "aboriginal healers providing traditional healing services to aboriginal persons or members of an aboriginal community."
- Cognitive and Behavioural therapies
- Experiential and Humanistic therapies
- Psychodynamic therapies
- Somatic therapies
- Systemic and Collaborative therapies