A note about finding a Registered Psychotherapist:
As a regulator, CRPO’s role is to ensure that RPs provide safe, ethical and effective care. We are unable to find or make recommendations about particular Registered Psychotherapists (RPs) because we don’t have the ability to assess your needs or determine which Registered Psychotherapist might be the best fit for you.
We also don’t recommend particular RPs to member of the public because one of our functions is to investigate complaints made against RPs, and in some cases, discipline them. It’s important that we not get into a conflict of interest situation with an RP, which is a situation where we are not able to carry out an investigation in a fair and impartial manner.
How can you find a therapist?
What’s a good way to find an RP, other than using our Find an RP feature? If you have a trusted primary care provider, they may be a useful resource in understanding your options and referring you to Registered Psychotherapist or other mental health care provider. Some basic information about psychotherapy itself is available here.
Alternatively, if you have access to a computer or smartphone, you could search for RPs who are in your area or who do the kind of therapy you are interested in. A lot of therapists will publish an “about me” or “bio” page on their websites. This information will give you a sense of the therapist and might help you decide which one to go with.
Finally, if you don’t have reliable access to the internet, you could also contact the Ontario Mental Health Helpline at 1-866-531-2600 and https://www.connexontario.ca/en-ca/
How do you know a therapist is right for you?
Before you pick a therapist, make sure they are a member of a regulated health profession. Being registered with a regulator means that a therapist has met the requirements to practice and is accountable to their college. If you have concerns about the care you receive from a registered health care provider, you can make a complaint to the college and expect to have it addressed.
Therapists might be registered with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario or with another College (for example, the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers). If they are a member of a regulated health profession, they are required to display specific credentials next to their name, for example RP (Registered Psychotherapist) or RSW (Registered Social Worker).
As a final step to confirm they are a member of a regulated health profession and that they are in good standing, you can look up the therapist on the public register. You’d need to type in the name of the therapist to see if it matches against the registry. CRPO’s public register can be found at the top of this page.
When you do find a therapist who is taking clients, you can ask them these questions as a way of finding out whether you are a good fit.