Applying to CRPO

Who Needs to Register?

If your work falls within the scope of the practice of psychotherapy and you are not already registered with another Ontario regulatory college whose registrants can practise psychotherapy (those that regulate psychologists, social workers, nurses, occupational therapists and physicians), you should consider becoming a registrant of CRPO.

Not sure if this includes you? Use the self-assessment tool to ascertain whether your clinical practice necessitates registration with CRPO.

Anyone using the title “Registered Psychotherapist” must be registered with CRPO.

Registration Requirements

Direct Client Contact and Clinical Supervision

For all application types, zero direct client contact (DCC) and clinical supervision hours will be required to apply. There are requirements for DCC and clinical supervision once registered in order to transfer from RP (Qualifying) to RP and for RP independent practice (i.e. practice without clinical supervision) – see Clinical Experience for Registration Policy. Applicants should be aware of the documentation requirements to report hours once registered – see Supporting Documents Checklist.

Jurisprudence E-learning Module (all application types)

Applicants must have completed, no earlier than two years before the date of their application, the Professional Practice & Jurisprudence e-Learning (JRP) Module. Completion of the module is the first step in the application process: you must successfully complete the module before you can access the application form.

The module is a series of brief videos followed by a multiple-choice quiz. To complete the course, you must achieve a passing score of at least 15 correct answers out of 20 (75%) on the quiz. You can retake the quiz as many times as needed to pass. Applicants are not required to complete the module in one sitting.

Applicants are strongly urged to read the Professional Practice & Jurisprudence e-Learning document before enrolling in the online module. The document, which includes practice questions, is available as an accessible PDF or an interactive webpage.

Language (all application types)

An important registration requirement for all regulated health professionals in Ontario is reasonable fluency in English or French (i.e. the ability to speak, read and write proficiently in either English or French). Client records must be maintained in either English or French, and registrants must be able to communicate effectively with other health care practitioners in either English or French.

Language fluency can be demonstrated if English or French is:

• your first language; or
• language of primary, secondary, or post-secondary education; or
• the language you use in delivering services to clients.

Successful completion of a psychotherapy bridging program also indicates English or French language proficiency.

If you have had no education or practice experience in English or French, you will be required to submit evidence of successful completion of a language proficiency test; acceptable tests can be found in the Supporting Documents Checklist.

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Professional Liability Insurance (all application types)

Registrants are required at all times to maintain professional liability insurance coverage in the amount and in the form required under CRPO’s by-laws, either individually or through an employer/institution. The insurance must be effective from the day on which the Certificate of Registration is issued.

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Conduct and Disclosure Obligations (all application types)

An applicant’s previous conduct must afford reasonable grounds for the belief that they will practise psychotherapy in a safe and professional manner.

Applicants are required to disclose a variety of information including:

• findings of guilt for any criminal offence;
• offence resulting in a fine over $1000 or imprisonment;
• outstanding criminal charges;
• current or past proceedings for professional misconduct;
• current and past registration with any regulatory body;
• refusal of registration with any regulatory body;
• anything that may call into question an applicant’s ability to practise psychotherapy safely and professionally; and
• physical or mental conditions that currently impair the applicant’s ability to practise psychotherapy.

Applicants are expected to disclose instances of serious impropriety such as fraud or having sexual contact with clients.

Applicants should also report information about practicum placement withdrawals or failures.

The College will evaluate the significance of such disclosures. It is possible that a past event no longer reflects significantly on an applicant’s suitability to register with CRPO. Alternatively, the College may place a term, condition or limitation on their Certificate of Registration or refuse to issue a Certificate of Registration. If an application for registration is refused, there is a process to allow for an appeal before an independent body.

If applicants misrepresent themselves, their conduct or their qualifications in the registration process, and are found to have done so, their application will be refused or their registration revoked.

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Currency

All applicants must be “current”, or up-to-date, in the practice of the profession. Currency hours can be accumulated anywhere in the world.

Applicants who apply through the application type CRPO recognized/accepted program, non-recognized program, or Indigenous registration pathway will be required to demonstrate currency in one of the following ways:

• Education and training program completed within the past 12 months from the date of application
• Currently completing education and training program and one or more of the following apply:
  • in final semester;
  • completed 90% of the program; or
  • completed the program with the exception of a thesis.
• Completed 450 direct client contact and 100 clinical supervision hours within the past 12 months from the date of application
• Completed 750 currency hours within the three years immediately prior to the date of application. Currency hours includes any activity related to psychotherapy – see Definitions. There is no requirement that a certain portion of the 750 currency hours be for client work.

Applicants who apply through the labour mobility application type will be asked to describe the nature of their psychotherapy practice within the three-year period prior to submitting their application.

Applicants who apply through the temporary application type will be required to demonstrate currency in one of the following ways:

• Education and training program completed within the past 12 months from the date of application
• Completed 750 currency hours within the three years immediately prior to the date of application. Currency hours includes any activity related to psychotherapy – see Definitions. There is no requirement that a certain portion of the 750 currency hours be for client work.

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Education and Training

Applicants who apply through the temporary or labour mobility application type will not be required to provide detailed information about their education and training.

Applicants who apply through the application type CRPO recognized/accepted program, non-recognized program, or Indigenous registration pathway will be required to demonstrate they have either completed or substantially completed:

• a CRPO recognized/accepted program;
• a program that is substantially equivalent to a CRPO recognized/accepted program; or
• other education and training, which must include one or more programs in psychotherapy, together with any further education or training, or combination of education and training, that when taken together is substantially equivalent to a CRPO recognized/accepted program.

Applicants should submit their application for registration once they have substantially completed their education and training in psychotherapy. Substantial completion means that you:

• are in your final semester prior to graduation;
• have completed 90% of your program*; or
• have completed your program with the exception of a thesis.

*CRPO is aware that many students are delayed in completing their clinical placements as part of their psychotherapy program due to the pandemic. At this time, CRPO will accept applications from students who have substantially completed their coursework (i.e. 90% done classroom courses) even if they have not started or substantially completed clinical placements.

To confirm eligibility for the CRPO recognized/accepted program application type, see here. On the application, applicants will be able to select from a drop-down menu the recognized/accepted program completed or substantially completed.

Applicants who are not eligible for the CRPO recognized/accepted program application type will select the non-recognized program application type. On the application, applicants will provide detailed information about their education and training and complete the Mapping Tool. CRPO cannot pre-assess whether an applicant will meet the education requirement prior to an application being submitted. For more information about non-recognized programs and frequently asked questions, see here.

Applicants who have completed or substantially completed education and training in traditional Indigenous practices should select the Indigenous registration pathway application type. Applicants who have completed a CRPO recognized/accepted program and who also wish to report their training in traditional practices can contact CRPO at info@crpo.ca to bypass the Mapping Tool in the application.

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