The College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) regulates its registrants in the interests of protecting the public.

CRPO fulfills its mandate to protect the public interest by:

Mission, Vision and Values

Mission
To develop standards and procedures to regulate psychotherapists in the public interest, striving to ensure competent and ethical practice within a professional accountability framework.

Vision
Leadership in professional self-regulation, dedicated to the principles of excellence, fairness, openness, responsiveness and respect for diversity.

Values
Leadership, Excellence, Accountability, Equity, Integrity, Teamwork, Respect, Openness

Governance

CRPO is governed by a Council of both professional and public members. The Council and its committees make decisions related to registration requirements, standards of practice, continuing professional development and the professional conduct of registrants, along with developing and monitoring regulations, policies and business systems for CRPO. Council’s duties are supported by a number of statutory and non-statutory committees, as well as by CRPO staff.

There are two pieces of provincial legislation that CRPO gets its authority from: the Psychotherapy Act, 2007 and the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 (RHPA).

Read more about CRPO’s Council and Committees.

Click here to read CRPO Strategic Plan 2023 – 2026

CRPO Regulatory Objectives

#1 Serve and protect the interest of the public.

#2 Promote confidence in professional regulation.

#3 Regulate in a transparent, principled, proportionate, unbiased, proactive manner.

#4 Promote equality, diversity and inclusion in the provision of psychotherapy services.

#5 Promote access to psychotherapy services within the system.

College Performance Measurement Framework

CRPO, along with other Ontario health regulatory colleges, has completed its first College Performance Measurement Framework (CPMF) Report, as required by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. Click here for the full report and more information.

Controlled Act of Psychotherapy

The Psychotherapy Act, 2007 was proclaimed on April 1, 2015 and the controlled act of psychotherapy was proclaimed into force on December 30, 2017.

Proclamation included authorization for members of six colleges to perform the controlled act of psychotherapy in compliance with the acts, regulations and by-laws that govern each of their professions. It also included the provision permitting members of the other colleges who are authorized to perform the controlled act of psychotherapy to use the title “psychotherapist,” in compliance with certain conditions. In addition to members of CRPO, this includes members of College of Psychologists of Ontario, Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers, College of Nurses of Ontario, College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario, and College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.

The proclamation included an amendment that provides for a two-year transition period, ending December 31, 2019, so that individuals may become registered with the appropriate colleges or change their practices so that they do not perform the controlled act of psychotherapy. By the end of the two-year transition period, anyone performing the controlled act of psychotherapy must be registered with one of the six colleges whose members are eligible to do so.

For more information about the controlled act, see the Controlled Act page.

Registered Mental Health Therapist (RMHT) Category

In early 2013, Council decided to defer further consideration of the RMHT category of membership until after proclamation of the Psychotherapy Act, 2007. This decision came shortly after the transitional Council was informed by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) that it did not agree that practitioners proposed as members in the RMHT category should be regulated by the new College.

Watch this video below to understand more about the role of health regulatory colleges in Ontario.