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."
Registered Psychotherapists (RPs) will be competent to use a treatment approach or modality that is part of one or more of the categories, or to use them in an integrative approach.
The five categories in the regulation draw on the history and recent developments in the field of psychotherapy. CRPO's position is that all RPs will be able to find the origins of their practice in one of these broad categories.
Practitioners who are not able to trace their modality back to one of the prescribed categories are likely not working within the scope of psychotherapy and so would not need to be registered with CRPO or one of the other colleges whose members are authorized to provide the controlled act. Those who do see their modality reflected may need to seek registration or restrict their practice to refrain from performing the controlled act of psychotherapy before the end of the transition period on December 31, 2019. The CRPO is developing a policy on
Activities that are Not Part of the Controlled Act of Psychotherapy and a Self-Assessment Tool for Unregulated Practitioners
to assist individuals in determining if they are working within the scope of psychotherapy and if they are providing the controlled act.
Consultation to date
The proposed regulation on which you are being asked to comment has already been circulated as part of a broad stakeholder consultation undertaken by CRPO to seek input on a suite of documents and resources (including the regulation) which aim to provide further clarity on the controlled act of psychotherapy. This consultation involved a survey that was sent to approximately 7,500 stakeholders, including members of the public, RPs, representatives of professional associations and service providers, practitioners who are registered with other colleges whose members are authorized to perform the controlled act of psychotherapy and government.
The feedback received from the consultation to date was reviewed and deliberated upon by the CRPO's Controlled Act Task Group (CATG). The CATG used the feedback to inform the development of the proposed regulation as well as the other supporting documents and resources.
This 60-day circulation is being done as required by section 95 of the Procedural Code that comprises Schedule 2 of the Regulated Health Professions Act.
Draft Regulation: Categories of Prescribed Therapies Involving the Practice of Psychotherapy
Ontario Regulation
1. The following are the categories of prescribed therapies involving the practise of psychotherapy:
- Cognitive and Behavioural therapies
- Experiential and Humanistic therapies
- Psychodynamic therapies
- Somatic therapies
- Systemic and Collaborative therapies
Feedback must be received by June 15, 2018.
There are various ways you can provide feedback to the CRPO:
Email
:
info@crpo.ca
(be sure to include 'Regulation Consultation' in the subject line)
Fax
: 416-639-2168
Mail
: CRPO
375 University Ave., Suite 803
Toronto ON
M5G 2J5
