We are pleased to present you with the candidates running in the CRPO Council elections. There are 5 Registered Psychotherapists (RPs) running for one available position in District 5 (Southwest). To learn more about the candidates, please read their candidate statements below.

Online voting opens on May 16, 2024, and continues until 12:00 noon on May 31, 2024. Please note that only RPs primarily practicing in District 3 or 4 and meet the eligibility criteria outlined in the by-laws can cast a vote in this election.

Eligible voters will receive their ballot by email from CRPO via Simply Voting, a web-based online voting system. Please direct any questions about voting in the election to elections@crpo.ca

 District 5 (Southwest)

Cayla Townes, RP

I strongly believe that acting in the interest of public safety protects not only the public, but also our members. Helping our members achieve high levels of service delivery builds public trust in our profession at a time when the public is increasingly seeking to engage psychotherapeutic services. 

My work in this field has included community mental health, crisis/emergency services, public and private schools, and private practice. I’ve had the privilege of practicing psychotherapy in different locations in both the US and Canada. I have seen the way different colleges and regulatory boards operate and what policies and practices seem most effective when it comes to protecting public safety and advancing member ability to provide care. Though I have been working as a psychotherapist for almost 13 years, I am new to Ontario. Going through the process of starting a private practice in the current climate has afforded me insight into some of the struggles facing both clients and psychotherapists in our province today.  

I believe the CRPO is well positioned to become the Canadian model for how a psychotherapeutic professional body sets a high standard of safety for the public. My broad experience will lend the CRPO valuable insights and give me common ground to draw upon when engaging with members and the public to learn what is working well and where change will be most effective. I want to help prepare for the future of the College by focusing on proactive solutions.  

I feel strongly about public safety and how this relates to the way we educate, train, and regulate professionals in our organization. I look forward to contributing to and challenging the way the CRPO goes about its mandate as a way to improve the safety and service it provides to the public and our members. 

Jason Stotts, RP

My name is Jason Stotts, M.A., and I am a Registered Psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, and private practice owner. I’ve been in practice for over 9 years, most of which has been here in Hamilton. I have broad experience spanning various clinical settings including in-patient, out-patient (including WSIB specialty), and private practice. This gives me a comprehensive understanding of the diverse needs and challenges faced by my fellow RPs and our clients. I am also an immigrant to Canada and a member of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, which informs my understanding of some of the challenges faced by equity-deserving RPs and clients. 

I am running to be your CRPO council member for District 5 (Hamilton, Burlington, St. Catharines, Niagara, and surrounding area). I want to become more involved and give back to our profession. If elected to the Council, I will bring a collaborative and forward-thinking approach to addressing the evolving needs of our profession and the public we serve. I am committed to promoting transparency, accountability, and inclusivity and will keep the College’s mandate of protecting the public interest at the forefront of all of my activities as council member. 

I am dedicated to continuing education and evidence-based practices. I believe that the public and our clients are best served when we engage in regular continuing education in evidence-based practices and utilize modalities and techniques that have been well-researched. I am also committed to our community and providing accessible care. My clinic does more than 50 hours of pro bono care per month and all of my practice’s clinical staff carry a sizeable caseload of significantly reduced or pro bono cases. 

I would be honoured to serve the College, and the public, in this role and I ask you to give me this opportunity by voting for me for Council. 

Kayleen Edwards, RP

I am a Registered Psychotherapist with 10 years’ experience in both agency and private practice settings. I currently own a group practice, Roots in Wellness, located in Hamilton, Ontario. I am a Validated Clinical Supervisor with the Ontario Association of Mental Health Professionals (OAMHP), and volunteer in their Validated Supervisor Certification program. 

I serve as Vice Chair on the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO)’s Quality Assurance Committee (QAC) and have been involved in work with the CRPO on the QAC since 2019. 

I am extremely passionate about furthering our field and am excited about the opportunity to contribute further if I am successful in this election for Council in the Southwest District. I have demonstrated competencies in leadership, risk management, diversity and inclusion, finance, and mentorship. In my day-to-day work as a Psychotherapist and Clinical Supervisor, I strive to be a therapist who balances professionalism and empathy, ensuring Safe and Effective Use of Self and best practices in all clinical work and supervision I provide. My time at the CRPO has allowed me the opportunity to further my governance knowledge, hone skills in risk management, and participate in training opportunities to increase my knowledge in diversity, equity and inclusion. If elected, it is my intention to use these skills to further the CRPO’s mandate for ensuring public protection and enhanced credibility for our profession. 

In short, I believe I have the knowledge, ethics, commitment, and passion that it takes to be an advocate for the work we do at the CRPO to serve our community. It would truly be an honour to serve as a CRPO Council Member for the Southwest District, and I sincerely thank you for your consideration for this position. 

Miranda Monastero, RP

Greetings, 

My name is Miranda Monastero, and I am a Registered Psychotherapist practising in Burlington, Ontario.  Over the past 14 years, I have established and sustained a Private Practice, primarily serving individuals aged 18-65.  Through comprehensive training in Ontario and a continuous dedication to expanding my expertise via workshops and ongoing education, I have recently completed extensive training in modalities such as IFS and Compassionate Inquiry, responding to the growing demand for trauma-informed therapy. 

I pride myself on operating a sole proprietorship characterized by a commitment to knowledge, proficiency, and ethical rigor, while maintaining a practice grounded in diverse knowledge and a commitment to ongoing learning.  My strengths lie in my unwavering integrity, capacity for compassionate and attentive engagement, and an adeptness in interpersonal communication – an acumen honed during my previous career in Marketing and Public Relations, where I also cultivated skills in organization, time management, and adherence to protocols and deadlines. 

Professionally, I have rigorously studied, internalized and adhered to the professional standards set forth by the College to safeguard public welfare.  Having served on the Council for the past two terms, I have found immense fulfillment and enrichment in this role, prompting my decision to see re-election.  My fervent dedication to mental health advocacy aligns seamlessly with CRPO’s commitment to exemplary standards, and I am eager to contribute my expertise and unwavering commitment to the continued elevation of professional standards and quality assurance. 

Thank you for considering my candidacy, and I eagerly anticipate the opportunity to contribute to CRPO’s mandate of safeguarding public interest and advancing professional excellence. 

Ryan Janssen, RP

I believe that the skills I have cultivated and the knowledge I have acquired would be well suited to advancing the work of the CRPO in the South West region, should I be the successful candidate to represent District 5 on CRPO Council.  I have gained a deep understanding of my profession through my experience in providing psychotherapeutic services in primary care, hospital-based, and community mental health settings over the past ten years of registration with the College.  My current work in health system transformation at the regional level affords me unique perspectives and competencies in working at the macro-level of the health system.  I believe that the fact of the diversity of my professional experience – with each context having unique challenges in delivering psychotherapy, but also unique opportunities to innovate and grow – is itself an incredible asset and one that informs my perspective about the CRPO’s role within this current health landscape.  I have a deep desire to see high quality and accessible mental health care be made readily available for those of my neighbours in the South West Region who need it.  Psychotherapists, under the effective regulation of the CRPO, play an essential role in meeting the challenges faced by the mental health sector specifically and the health system more broadly.  I truly hope I can lend my voice in a way that benefits my colleagues within the CRPO, the public who access our services, and the profession at the broadest level.