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.

Applicants can follow these steps in order to apply to CRPO:

1. Create a CRPO account.
2. Pay for and successfully complete the Professional Practice & Jurisprudence eLearning Module. Review the handbook first to familiarize yourself with the contents of the module.
3. Pick your application type:

• • CRPO recognized/accepted program
  • Non-recognized program
  • Labour mobility
  • Indigenous registration pathway
  • Temporary

IMPORTANT: Please ensure you select the correct application type prior to submitting your application (i.e., CRPO recognized/accepted program, Non-recognized program, Labour mobility, Temporary). If you submit your application under the wrong application type you will be required to resubmit your application under the correct application type and pay the Application fee again. Fees paid to CRPO are non-refundable. If you are unsure what application type to select, please review the links above, consult your educational institution, or email info@crpo.ca for more information. If you have selected the incorrect application type, you must email info@crpo.ca and staff will change the application type.

4. Complete the application form for the application type you select, including all required documentation.

Important: Please retain copies of all documents submitted to CRPO for your records. You will not be able to view documents after you submit them in the Applicant Portal. You are also advised to save screenshots of your application pages, as you will not be able to view the application once it is submitted.

5. Pay the required fees. All applicants are required to pay the application fee. If you completed a non-recognized program, you will also be required to pay the mapping tool fee. Your application is automatically submitted once payment is made.

Information about fees and payment methods is available on the Fees Overview page. All fees paid to CRPO are non-refundable.

For more information about what happens after your application is received and how to track the status of your application, see the Assessment of Applications page.

Applicants who apply through the application type CRPO recognized/accepted program, non-recognized program, or Indigenous registration pathway are registered in the RP (Qualifying) category. Applicants who apply through the labour mobility application type are registered in either the RP (Qualifying) or RP category depending on their registration category in another Canadian province – to confirm eligibility see here. Applicants who apply through the temporary application type are registered in the RP (Temporary) category – to confirm eligibility see here.

NOTE: An applicant cannot perform the controlled act of psychotherapy or use a protected title or advertise they are a CRPO registrant, including even if they indicate “in progress,” until their application has been approved and their certificate of registration has been issued. CRPO can investigate unregulated individuals and may take legal action against them. For information about practising prior to registration, see here.

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. Applicants are strongly urged to read the Professional Practice & Jurisprudence e-Learning document before enrolling in the online module. The module is a series of 16 short videos followed by question sets. Each question set tests your understanding of the preceding video. A mark of 65 or higher must be achieved on each set. Applicants are not required to complete the module in one sitting.

Back to top

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.

Back to top

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.

Back to top

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.

Back to top

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.

Back to top

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.

Back to top