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Response to Globe and Mail: Why is Psychotherapy MIA?

Registered Psychotherapists: a huge untapped resource for addressing mental heal needs  

On April 22, the Globe and Mail posted an article called "Psychiatrists shouldn’t have a monopoly over psychotherapy" in which the writer mentions a number of mental health alternatives to psychiatry, none of which were psychotherapists!

Our president, Claire Watson, sent in a response, which we've included below. Only an abridged portion of her response was published on the Globe and Mail. Below is the full response:

It's heartwarming to hear from Dr. Zaretsky that psychiatrists do not have a monopoly on providing effective psychotherapy, nor that there are only one or two proven methods of psychotherapy. In fact, mental health providers who are able to work in diverse modalities are far more adept at matching the needs of the client with the most effective intervention.

What wasn't pointed out in the article is that there already exists an entire profession dedicated exclusively to providing psychotherapy. In Ontario, these practitioners are called Registered Psychotherapists (RPs),numbering approximately 6700, and regulated by the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO). In other provinces, these practitioners may be called psychotherapists or counselling therapists.

Becoming registered to practice in Ontario involves several years of training at a recognized psychotherapy training institute or University program plus hundreds of hours of supervised practicum. Five main categories of psychotherapies are prescribed by the College resulting in the fact that RPs have the expertise among them to work with any kind of issue from depression to trauma to addiction to relationship conflict, and many others.  

Mental health issues affect 1 in 5 Canadians and impact people of all ages, education backgrounds, cultures and income levels. Registered Psychotherapists are a huge untapped resource for addressing this public health need.  

Psychotherapy is not well understood and we must do a better job of explaining what it is.  Some psychiatrists practice psychotherapy, some psychologists practice psychotherapy and some social workers practice psychotherapy. But all psychotherapists practice psychotherapy.  

What we need is to become fully integrated partners in the provision of mental health services both government-funded and covered by employee benefit plans. Given the size and scope of our profession, psychotherapy should be accessible to all who all who reach out for this kind of help.  

Claire Watson, Registered Psychotherapist

President, Ontario Society of Registered Psychotherapists

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Advocacy: OSRP letter to CRPO re posting registration history

Letter to the CRPO about the new proposed by-law regarding posting registration history

Advocacy is paramount to our work at the OSRP. When we read in the CRPOCommuniqué of March 11 about the proposed by-law to post members’ registration history on the public register, we swung into action.

The CRPO by-law information
At the March 1, 2019 CRPO Council Meeting, it was proposed that the by-law pertaining to posting registration history on the public register be amended. The amendment proposed that past suspensions for non-payment of annual fees be published and left on the register indefinitely. The CRPO claims that this publication of past arrears helps to protect the public interest.

The CRPO put out a 60-day consultation to the public. This consultation asked CRPO members and other stakeholders for their feedback on this by-law amendment. This and other stakeholder consultations are required when a by-law is being amended.

The OSRP’s advocacy on this proposed by-law amendment
We feel that what goes on the public register needs to be balanced with the circumstances and testimony of Registered Psychotherapists. The good news is that the CRPO is looking for front-line experiences from RPs to guide them in how to administer this and other by-laws. If you sent your individual thoughts, questions and concerns on this by-law to the CRPO via the Survey Monkey link they sent out, you can be sure that your opinions will be documented and considered by the by-law task group and eventually posted on the CRPOwebsite.

In addition to your individual comments, the OSRP worked with The Partnership of Registered Psychotherapist Associations (PRPA) to draft a letterto the CRPO with questions and concerns about this proposed by-law. The letter is linked here for your reference. Submitting our feedback collectively adds strength and influence on behalf of all RPs in Ontario.

We would love to hear your feedback on our work with the CRPO about this proposed by-law. We invite you to start or join a conversation on our group email, OSRP Connect. If you have not yet joined OSRP Connect, click here to join. Or send your responses to our president, Claire Watson, at president@psychotherapyontario.org. Or make a comment below in the comment boxes.

 

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Advocacy: Getting RPs Covered

OSRP's work with RPIC (Registered Psychotherapist Insurance Committee)

"Are you covered?"

That is one of the first questions a client asks when they reach out for therapy. Unfortunately, it's not a question RPs can answer because it's not our choice who covers us. That coverage decision belongs to insurers and employee-benefits programs. And most employee-benefits programs don't cover psychotherapists. The reasons for our exclusion are historical, not rational.

Although psychotherapy is not a new field, it has not yet received recognition from insurers and employee-benefits plans that social workers and psychologists get. Clients who may benefit enormously from psychotherapy might not be able to afford it if their benefits plan does not cover it.

Thankfully, that landscape is changing due to the tireless work of RPIC, along with the equally tireless work of OSRP Board member, Bill McLaughlin, who sits on an RPIC committee that's in discussion with the WSIB (Workplace Safety & Insurance Board).

What RPIC is undertaking currently

  • RPIC is expanding its strategic approach to include social media; This approach expands access to workers and key decision makers to promote the inclusion of psychotherapists in benefits packages
  • RPIC has also been attending conferences sponsored by insurance companies by HR professionals
  • The RPIC website is being updated and translated into French

OSRP's work with RPIC and the WSIB

OSRP's Board member, Bill McLaughlin, and OCCAAP's, Natalie Haynes, are representing RPIC in working  toward getting RPs registered as providers with the WSIB. The WSIB insures 5.2 million workers in Ontario, all of which are exposed to varying degrees of mental health risks associated with work. From experiencing harassment, to first-responder PTSD, the WSIB now has policies and programs in place to support workers.

For the past two years, Bill and Natalie  have been in discussions with the director of health services and his team at WSIB to find where to incorporate RPs into WSIB's mental health programs. Bill and Natalie have developed an excellent rapport with the WSIB, leading to continued meetings and, hopefully, exciting news in the near future.

References

Below are three key PDF documents that Bill and Natalie provided to the WSIB to help them understand the nature and power of psychotherapy. Please feel free to use these for your own purposes as well.

  1. WSIB meeting document in which RPIC answers questions about psychotherapy and its efficacy.
  2. APA Resolution Recognition of Psychotherapy Effectiveness
  3. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry: Mental Disorder Symptoms Among Saftey Personnel in Canada

We would love to hear your thoughts on the OSRP's/RPIC's work with the WSIB! You can post a comment in the comment boxes below.

 

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APRIL IS FOR ADVOCACY (and so much more!)

Consultations with the CRPO

Advocacy is one of the cornerstones of our OSRP mission.

One of the most important pieces of advocacy we undertook in 2019 was to write a letter to the CRPO regarding the Proposed Regulation Barring Sexual Contact with Former Clients for 5 Years.

OSRP President, Claire Watson, authored a letter on behalf of the PRPA, (Partnership of Registered Psychotherapist Associations) regarding this proposed regulation. We have posted the letter below for your reference. And we will let you know the CRPO response later this month. 

We’d love to hear your feedback, either in the comments section at the end of this post, or you can send your thoughts to membership@psychotherapyontario.org

To make comments: click first on the April is for Advocacy title and then scroll down to the bottom of the page where you'll see the comment box.

February 11, 2019

Deborah Adams
Registrar
College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO)
375 University Avenue, suite 803
Toronto, ON M5G 2J5

Re: Proposed Regulation Barring Sexual Contact with Former Clients for 5 Years

Dear Ms. Adams,

We are delighted to be writing to you as the now officially established “Partnership of Registered Psychotherapist Associations” (PRPA).   We formalized our Terms of Reference on February 2, 2019 with our mission to respond to and advocate for issues pertaining to the practice of psychotherapy. The Member Groups are listed at the end of this letter.

We are writing in response to your invitation for stakeholders to comment on the Proposed Regulation “Extending Definition of Patient/Client in Relation to Sexual Abuse” as well on the related document “Policy on Sexual Contact with Former Clients within 5-years Post Termination of Care.”

We have chosen to do this in letter format rather than via Survey Monkey in order to offer more elaborate feedback with the benefit of combining comments and questions from our many associations.

Sexual abuse is an issue we take very seriously as helping professionals and particularly as psychotherapists whose work involves creating safe relationships within which growth and healing can take place.  We agree with your Policy statement that RPs “owe a duty of care to their clients and the general public to safeguard client well-being.” Therapist-client boundaries need to be made clear and be well maintained.  Unfortunately, violations of those boundaries will occasionally happen, thus we understand the need for Regulation to protect clients based on tenets of safe, effective and ethical care.

We acknowledge the work done by the CRPO to get the proposed Regulation this far and for sending it out for consultation.

CONTEXT FOR OUR FEEDBACK

We recognize that CRPO’s Regulations and Policies on sexual contact with former clients must adhere to the Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA), revised in 2017 to prohibit romantic or sexual relationships between clients and members of any RHPA College for one year after termination of treatment – “or a longer period of time as may be prescribed.”  We recognize that the CRPO has proposed a 5-year post therapy period which we have questions about as you will read below.

We also acknowledge that the CRPO’s definitions of Sexual Abuse are those prescribed in the RHPA. As such, we have no issues with how the CRPO addresses Sexual Abuse during active therapeutic relationships. Our comments and questions pertain strictly to the proposed five year post care period.

Opinions on the length of the post therapy period vary considerably. From the survey feedback you’ve reported on the CRPO website, opinions range from a few months, to a few years, to never.  This range is also represented in the opinions and policies of our PRPA members. We are also aware anecdotally that the views of RPs on post therapy sexual contact vary by cultural background, modality, urban vs rural context, gender, sexual orientation and so on.

In general, our impression is that post therapeutic therapist-client romantic relationships are rare,

thus the majority of RPs have little firsthand experience of post therapeutic sexual relationships. Nor do we have any research information or training in this area. In fact, the proposed 5-year regulation is making us think for the first time about what this could look like.

Thus, we are not able to give you a collective “yes” or “no” to the 5-year time frame, as associations have varying policies.  Instead, we’re coming to you with questions that will help us better understand the proposed regulation. We believe that knowing more will help us understand the CRPO’s intentions, give us more information for discussion, and hopefully reduce anxiety about the disciplinary aspect of this regulation.   

OUR QUESTIONS

  1. Can you share your thinking on what influenced your determination of a 5-year post therapy period?
    • What is CRPO’s experience with post-therapy complaints regarding sexual contact?
    • Can you share any research that informed the establishment of this cooling off period?
    • Can you share how other psychotherapy regulating bodies in Canada and elsewhere address this situation?
  2. Given that the proposed new Mandatory Penalty will be a significant 5-years revocation of licence, we’re wanting to know what the CRPO might take into consideration when investigating a complaint of sexual abuse.

a) How might the CRPO account for the nuances of the therapist-client relationship, transference and power dynamic based on the therapy which took place?  Do you view that the power differential may vary greatly depending on modality and length of time with the therapist, for example:

  • Long-term in depth therapy vs single-session solution-focused therapy
  • Parent-child therapy
  • Group sessions vs one-on-one sessions
  • Couples counselling
  • On-line therapy

b) Has the CRPO sought opinions from practitioners in small towns or remote areas, LGBTQ practitioners, male vs female perspectives, culturally diverse perspectives?

3. Can you help us understand what is meant by “the mandatory penalty will be a reprimand and revocation of the member’s certificate of registration for five years, regardless of the circumstances?”

  • What “circumstances” are you referring to?
  • Will the circumstances be determined before any penalty is imposed?
  • Will an Appeal Process still be available?

FOLLOW UP

As you can see, the PRPA is asking CRPO to help us become more informed on therapist-client relationships post therapy in light of the proposed regulation.  Your response to our letter will help us move this discussion into our respective associations with more understanding and clarity.

Secondly, are you open to continuing this exchange with PRPA on this matter?  We understand that your deadline for stakeholder feedback was February 8 and that unfortunately we only recently came together to give you our input. Once we receive your reply and have another round of discussion among ourselves, will there be time before the new regulation is passed for us to send you additional thoughts?

Again, to you Deborah and the CRPO Sexual Abuse committee, thank you for inviting our input and we hope to continue this discussion as you refine the regulation. There’s a lot to consider and we appreciate that you’re listening to RPs.

We look forward to receiving your reply and continuing the discussion.

Respectfully,

Claire Watson

President, Ontario Society of Registered Psychotherapists

president@psychotherapyontario.org

On behalf of

PRPA signatories (in alphabetical order)  

  • Canadian Art Therapy Association (CATA)
  • Canadian Association for Sandplay Therapy (CAST)
  • Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC)
  • Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA)
  • Canadian Humanistic and Transpersonal Association (CHTA)
  • Music Therapy Association of Ontario (MTAO)
  • Ontario Art Therapy Association (OATA)
  • Ontario Association of Consultants, Counsellors, Psychometrists and Psychotherapists (OACCPP)
  • Ontario Association for Marriage & Family Therapy (OAMFT)
  • Ontario Expressive Arts Therapy Association (OEATA)
  • Ontario Society of Registered Psychotherapists (OSRP)
  • Professional Association of Canadian Christian Counsellors and Psychotherapists (PACCP)
Support Groups
  • Alliance of Psychotherapy Training Institutions (APTI)
  • CREATE Institute
  • The Living Institute

Click here for a PDF of the Letter to CRPO

Meet the other half of our board members!

We are ten passionate and inspired board members at the OSRP, working to bring you a stronger, more connected, more supportive professional association! We gave you five board members in our first blog post and now we give you the other five.

Sharlene Friedman, BFA, RP, Acting Treasurer

I have been treasurer on the board since I joined OSRP (then OSP)  in 2013. The funny part is, I often say: “I hate numbers.” I’m channeling my mother when I say that, who was a bookkeeper. It has taken me a while to accept this role as it is and to do so without grumbling.

I am often referred to as a renaissance woman who does many things. The arts in one way or another dominate my life - as an artist and Art Therapist. In my creative life, I have created hand-built ceramics, jewelry, mosaic, felting, painting, and I even knit once in a while. I also write poetry and will sometimes read at open mics. (For more about Sharlene’s professional background, please click here.)

Sonya Gotziaman, RP, Member-at-large

I have an enduring passion for learning. This draws me to the OSRP board, to the myriad issues we investigate on a regular basis. It also leads me to work on a Masters of Marriage and Family Therapy for "fun". Luckily, I also love flying, because I am currently travelling back and forth regularly between Winnipeg and Toronto, while I complete my Masters and see clients in both cities.

Since I do love to travel, I’ve been to China, Hong Hong, and many cities in Europe, with many future plans in the works. When I’m not catching up on my reading for my Masters or travelling, I relax with my husband by the fire at our cabin, preferably after canoeing or snowshoeing. In the city, I love music and art of any kind, but especially musical theatre, non-musical theatre and opera. (For more about Sonya’s professional background, please click here.)

William McLaughlin: MA, RP, Member-at-Large

I have been operating a private practice for eleven years, with a focus on providing trauma-informed psychotherapy to professionals diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. A long time student of anthropology, then psychoanalytic theory, I have been studying human consciousness for thirty-five years. In addition to being an accredited psychotherapist, I am a certified iRest instructor. iRest (integrative restoration techniques) is a meditation designed specifically to support people to manage and recover from PTSD. My current clinical and theoretical interest is applying the concept of ambivalence as a metric to examine both client and therapist resilience.

Beyond direct clinical work, I provide clinical supervision to psychotherapists. I am also a registered provider with the Ontario Medical Association. As a member at large, my work on the OSRP board has included working with the RPIC committee (Registered Psychotherapists Insurance Committee, currently in negotiations with the WSIB to make RPs registered providers), helping with strategy, and supporting board members with portfolios.

My hobbies include coaching rugby football, working out, meditating daily, and a deep love for the art form of the novel. Still enchanted by last year’s award winning Lincoln in The Bardo, I am looking forward to finding new enthralling reads. (For more about Bill's professional background, please click here.)

Eric Pierni, CSAT, RP Acting Member-at-Large

My initial childhood dreams were to be an architect or pilot.  Things quickly changed when I realized that mathematics and I were not the best of friends, nor was I a fan of heights.  I moved towards my other passion (business) and created a wonderful career for myself in the corporate world.

Always introspective, I became more and more fascinated by my interior world.  I learned how difficult the change process has been for me. Then I became more interested and curious about the interior world of men.  It began with long exploratory conversations with my father about our lives, and that of his father. That spurned the creation of Men Therapy Toronto which is a psychotherapy practice I created to support men.

My intention for being on the OSRP board is to help provide genuine value to Registered Psychotherapists in Ontario so that they have an additional resource to do their work successfully. (For more about Eric’s professional background, please click here.)

Richard Lowery, MSW, Ph.D. (ABD), RP, Acting Member-at-Large

I blew in to Toronto on a wind from the Prairie about 100 years ago, it seems; an introvert, dedicated to saving my dysfunctional family and myself, and, therefore, humanity. A cacophony of therapeutic methods, both professional and personal, brought me to a better and a more modest place! I continue to be excited and grateful about my work in private practice in The Beach in this complex, demanding and rewarding time. Beyond that, I look at my neophyte position with our OSRP organization and Board as a dynamic place for development - interacting with a group of colleagues who are not just open to change, but committed to it. The test is being proven by the experience. I find that the more we work together, the more it informs me in how we can best move forward in these times of  such uncertainty and opportunity. I need  to unwind, and I find that best in privacy. I find it in my deep love of any and all sorts of music, and in the constant writing and rewriting of a novel that tends to go on like War and Peace, without any of the assurance of its ultimate public recognition! (For more about Richard's professional background, please click here.)

To make comments: click first on the April is for Advocacy title and then scroll down to the bottom of the page where you'll see the comment box.

 

 

 

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WELCOME TO OUR NEW BLOG! OSRP Reflect

EXCITING GROWTH AT THE OSRP!

We keep hearing that RPs long for community: for professional and personal supports. We hear you. We’ve been working hard over the last few months to create a resource-rich community.

Our vision includes creating online spaces where members can connect with each other to exchange knowledge and expertise, to ask questions, to share referrals, and to get support. (More about offline supports in our April blog!)

Our new mission statement! Tell us what you think!

To guide our work in strengthening our offerings to our members, we have crafted a new mission statement. The board has approved the new mission statement and we will be asking for your vote on it in the coming weeks. Here it is!

The Ontario Society of Registered Psychotherapists (OSRP) is the professional voice of Registered Psychotherapists in Ontario. We believe that every Registered Psychotherapist needs to have a voice, along with a place to go to for information, connection, and support. We represent the diverse clinical, economic, social, and political interests of all psychotherapists. For RPs, by RPs.

A home base for Registered Psychotherapists

 The OSRP is the place with the people you can turn to for support in your work as a psychotherapist.

 

OUR NEW AND ENHANCED COMMUNITY SUPPORTS!

OSRP Reflect: our new blog!

You're reading it now!

This online format not only brings you relevant, thought-provoking articles more often and with minimum impact on the planet, but it also allows you to engage with content directly through your comments. The comment feature is at the bottom of this post. Try it now and tell us what you think! We want to know what you find engaging, and what you want to read more of to support you in your practice. We hope to bring you a new blog post every other month!  (OSRP Reflect replaces prOSPect)

Address: OSRP.ca

To make comments: click on the "Welcome to our new blog! OSRP Reflect" at the top of the page. It will take you into where this post lives. Then scroll down to the bottom of the page where you'll see the comment box.

OSRP Central: the main email!

We chose the word “central” to convey the importance of this email communication from us to you. These are vital missives, such as reminders of membership renewal, new developments at the OSRP, or in the field, and other things you need to know as an RP. We will do our best to respect your inbox, but this month we’ll be sending out more emails than usual (we’re sorry!) in order to connect you with important and beneficial OSRP resources. (OSRP Central replaces inBox)

OSRP Connect: our new group email!

This is our new listserve! A listserve is simply a peer-to-peer email group. It allows you to connect with each other about relevant issues, questions, concerns, events, and shared referrals. Every OSRP member will be invited to the listserve. Stay tuned for your invitation to the group!

OSRP Community: We’re on Facebook!

Facebook is another peer-to-peer online community that has the added bonus of dynamic features, such as the ability for our members to engage directly -- e.g. to post images, articles, etc. The OSRP will also share items of interest here. Facebook is a great way to engage with your community and feel supported in a pretty immediate way!

Address to join the OSRP Facebook group discussion page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842629169431883/

Or, search for Ontario Society of Registered Psychotherapists Groups in Facebook's search box.

OSRP Network: We’re on LinkedIn!

LinkedIn is a professional network that has become another place to go for profession-related news and other items of interest. We post information there regularly.

Address: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ontario-society-of-psychotherapists/

OSRP@psychotherapyon: We’re on Twitter!

Twitter is another quick way to get profession-related news. It’s short and sweet. Or, should we say, short and tweet?

Address: OSRP@psychotherapyon

Don’t know where to start? Email: Ted or Liz

Ted: vice-president@psychotherapyontario.org 

Liz: membership@psychotherapyontario.org

We've lowered our membership fees!

We sent out this announcement with your membership renewals, but just in case you missed it: We have reduced our membership pricing just in time for our April 1 membership renewals!

  • Clinical and Qualifying membership dues are now $195 plus HST
  • Friend of the Society dues are $125 plus HST
  • Retired membership dues are $50 plus HST
  • Student membership dues are now $95 plus HST

How do I renew my membership?
You will be sent an emailed reminder on March 1 with a link to renew by PayPal. To ensure that you receive your notification, please log in to our website by February 28 and make sure that your email address is up to date on your online record.

New membership invitations for even more discounts!
We are thrilled to announce our one-year membership-invitation pilot program. To build the OSRP into a strong-in-numbers professional association with a powerful voice for RPs in Ontario, we want to invite more more RPs to join us! But we need your help. And in return, you get a discount!

How do the member invitations work?

  • Every current OSRP member will be allocated a certain number of invitations to give to someone who has never before been a member of OSP or OSRP: the invitation gives new members a $50 discount on membership!
  • Clinical and Qualifying members will get four invitations to give out to new members
  • Friends of the Society and Retired members will get three invitations to give out to new members
  • Student members will get two invitations to give out to new members

That means, existing OSRP members will receive $50 off their membership for each invitation they give out to a maximum of their full membership dues for 2020/2021 (e.g., if you are a Clinical or Qualifying member and you give out your four invitations, you’ll have a free membership for 2020/2021!)

 

To make comments: click on the "Welcome to our new blog! OSRP Reflect" at the top of the page. It will take you into where this post lives. Then scroll down to the bottom of the page where you'll see the comment box.

MEET THE BOARD! We’re here to support you!

We are ten passionate and inspired board members at the OSRP, working on your behalf to ensure you have strong connections and support ! We'll introduce you to five board members now, and five in our April blog!

Claire Watson, President

I didn’t have any long-term goals to be President of OSRP. My leadership throughout my career has been in an educational, rather than a managerial capacity. Thus I felt very satisfied being Editor of prOSPect (whose name I chose, I love languages and word play) from 2004 – 2010. 

I’ve never aspired to be the boss in a traditional sense, but I do like to think I can make a difference through influence and I believe strongly in a collaborative approach. Being your President is an honour and a responsibility I embrace, but not in a vacuum. After being Board Secretary in 2015, I felt ready to take on more leadership. My vision in 2016 was to continue to revitalize our mission statement, our lagging membership, and to re-kindle OSRP (then OSP) as a beacon for psychotherapy. In the past three years, we’ve been doing this through our advocacy with governments and the CRPO as members of “one voice” officially now named the “Partnership of Registered Psychotherapist Associations (PRPA) and with our own OSRP Bold Move vision to restructure and expand the OSRP.

When not in my professional roles, I have a varied set of interests. I’ve been athletic all my life. Tennis is my favourite sport: I have a mean forehand. I cycled to work for 30 years in Toronto but switched 6 years ago to a Vespa Scooter and love the freedom! I began shooting pool at age 12 and my kids are now starting to beat me! I’m a vegetarian who is now learning to cook vegan and gluten free to accommodate my kids’ wonky diets. I love talking to friends about ideas and current events, going to movies, canning peppers with my neighbours, and disappearing into Canadian literature and BBC dramas on Netflix.

I’m the mother of 3 adult children. Rod Cohen and I met while becoming psychotherapists at the Toronto Institute of Relational Psychotherapists in the 90’s. So, hey, we have two OSRP Presidents in our family! We gave birth to Tabitha in 2000. We also have two late-20-something children from my previous marriage. Two of the three kids are still living at home! My life is rich and full and good. (For more about Claire's professional background, please click here.)

Ted Leckie, Executive Vice President

I grew up the middle child in a boisterous family of four kids. Although an introvert by nature, I find myself drawn to groups. As soon as I graduated from the Toronto Institute for Relational Psychotherapy and left that nest of social, intellectual, and emotional vigour, I longed to recreate those elements in my new professional life as a Registered Psychotherapist. To that end, Liz Phillips, Erin Griffin, and I started a group called Therapists Connect with the aim of connecting psychotherapists in private practice in Toronto. But still, it feels like so many of us are scattered about—we’re such a new profession in so many ways. So I joined the OSRP to see if I could help RPs find a single, connected professional home, too.

My childhood dog, Toby, was a Shetland Sheepdog. He was always trying to round us up into a group. I think I have some of Toby in me as I feel this pull to help round up Ontario’s RPs and bring them together. I want that kind of support for myself, but I also see how we as a group can all thrive professionally, socially, and politically by coming together. (For more about Ted's professional background, please click here.)

Christina Becker, Acting Secretary

I have been on the OSRP board for as long as I can remember. I have had a number of positions during the last six years. I am now the Secretary After Terms as past President.  My role on the board holds both of my skill sets - as a Jungian Analyst and as a consultant.  As such, I am working on changing the bylaws, which will bring the OSRP in alignment with the CRPO and the new Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act. 

When I am not seeing clients or volunteering, I love to golf in the summer. This winter, I took up curling for the first time and I’m having a wonderful time.  I am the owner of a pet family that includes Mina, a 2.5-year-old miniature schnauzer who has a ton of energy, and two cats - Tigger and Ellie - who don't have a ton of energy. Somehow we make it all work. (For more about Christina's professional background, please click here.)

Erin Griffin, Chair, Membership Support Committee

I had a dream the night Sandra, our blog editor, asked me to submit this bio for the OSRP blog post. I dreamt about my 7/ 8th grade teacher, who had really been there for me when I was struggling. He told me about the dark forest and the hero's journey. Decades later, here I am wanting to do the same with others: to walk alongside them for a little while when they feel lost and alone. I get fired up about the unique work that we, as psychotherapists, get to do. Joining the board of the OSRP gives me more opportunity to speak with, and learn from, my colleagues. My hope is to make some space for members to feel safe and supported in their work. (For more about Erin's professional background, please click here.)

Liz Phillips, Chair, Membership Development Committee

I joined the OSRP board because we are in an exciting time of change in the field! A time of consolidating the RP community with its unique needs. I wanted to be part of creating a safe home base for RPs, a place to go for connection with the people and resources that support us as therapists. When I’m not seeing clients, I can be found snuggling my hairless Chinese Crested dog, Shy, reading books on my passions (mostly theory), and, weather permitting, running long distances. If popcorn were a food group, it would comprise my entire food guide. Along with coffee. (For more about Liz's professional background, please click here.)

 

To make comments: click on the "Welcome to our new blog! OSRP Reflect" at the top of the page. It will take you into where this post lives. Then scroll down to the bottom of the page where you'll see the comment box.

Got any drawings, paintings, poems, or other creative projects to share?

We'd love to share your creative output on our blog! Please contact Liz at membership@psychotherapyontario.org