Kennedy has been practising psychotherapy for the past 10 years. She started as an addiction counsellor in 2010, which she found very interesting but it felt like something was missing…the approach felt like a Band-Aid for the trauma that was underneath the symptoms. So she decided to pursue her education at Yorkville University and obtain her Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology. She now utilizes Psychodynamic, Relational, PACT, and RLT as her main modalities, and her practice areas of focus are trauma, addiction, and couples counselling.

Kennedy is also a new mother to 10-week-old Tyler who slept soundly during our conversation. I asked her about her self-care practices, and she mentioned that she does yoga several times a week, and loves to delve into detective shows and work-related reading. She’s currently reading “in each other’s care” by Stan Tatkin.

Kennedy has learned that being a real person in the sessions is important. She takes a soft and gentle, yet no-nonsense approach in her practice. I could feel her realness during our chat too.

She is accepting new clients in her exclusively virtual practice and can be found here

Would you like to be featured in the next Member Spotlight? Just fill in our quick survey and tell us about yourself. If chosen, your spotlight will also be shared on OSRP's social media platforms.

I look forward to learning and sharing about members all over Ontario, especially the ones working in the more remote regions, and ones with diverse approaches, or serving diverse and marginalized populations.

With love,

Mahshad Aryafar, RP

Connect Committee Chair

Adam is a Registered Psychotherapist and is the founder of First Step Men’s Therapy Clinic in Ottawa. He began his therapy journey in 2016 after returning from Dubai. Life had hit a crisis point and he felt lost. He happened upon a conversation with a psychologist on a panel discussion on TV and felt an inkling to contact the therapist. In therapy, he found the healing power of vulnerability and decided to create the same space for other men. He started First Step Men’s Therapy to create a safe space for men to open up, feel supported, and challenge the stigma and shame they can feel about mental health and therapy. The clinic has 17 practitioners of diverse backgrounds and modalities. They offer individual and couples counselling, low cost, and pro bono sessions to make this service accessible to as many men as possible and serve all of Ontario virtually.

Adam shared that at the beginning of his practice, he wanted to fix his clients’ problems, relationships, and emotions. He now understands that he can best serve his clients by holding space and trusting the process. In his practice, he uses Narrative, Emotion-Focused, Attachment Theory, Motivational Interviewing, CBT, CSAT, and Person-Centered therapeutic modalities. 

 He's passionate about his work and is in the process of opening more clinics across Ontario and starting group therapy for men this year.

Adam has allocated Mondays as self-care days and loves to exercise, spend time in solitude and in nature, and has recently been inspired by the author and Hindu priest Dandapani’s talks.

Contact Adam: adam@firststepmenstherapy.com

And the clinic https://www.firststepmenstherapy.com/

Thank you, Adam, for the inspiring chat. I wish you the best in expanding your purpose and practice!

Would you like to be featured in the next Member Spotlight? Just fill in our quick survey and tell us about yourself. If chosen, your spotlight will also be shared on OSRP's social media platforms.

I look forward to learning and sharing about members all over Ontario, especially the ones working in the more remote regions, and ones with diverse approaches, or serving diverse and marginalized populations.

With love,

Mahshad Aryafar, RP

Connect Committee Chair

 

If you love to write about psychotherapy, please contact me at connect@psychotherapyontario.org, and let’s chat about the possibility of adding your voice to this amazing community.

With love,

Mahshad Aryafar, RP

Connect Committee Chair

Since 2021, OSRP has provided Perkopolis as a member benefit, allowing our members discounts on a wide variety of products and services. Perkopolis is a 100% Canadian-owned-and-operated company.

Gifting season is right around the corner and Perkopolis is the best place to save. Whether it is for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, graduation, or wedding season, you can find the perfect gift on Perkopolis.

Perkopolis is our perks provider with over 5,000 exclusive offers on everything including travel, retail, and tickets.

Some of the many products and services offered at discounted rates through Perkopolis include:

• Clothing, footwear, jewellery, handbags
• Gifts, hair and body care, skincare, men’s grooming
• Items for the home (furniture and décor, kitchen, mattresses and bedding, electronics)
• Moving services/storage
• Nutrition
• Entertainment (e.g., dance, Cirque du Soleil, comedies, musicals, concerts and festivals)
• Home, auto and pet insurance
• Travel discounts on flights, car rentals, hotels and cruises
• And services such as tax returns, cell phone service providers and home security

To register for Perkopolis you’ll need your OSRP membership number. Log in to osrp.ca and click on View profile. You will find your membership number beside User ID/Membership Number.

Accessing Perkopolis is easy. Go to perkopolis.com. Your Perkopolis membership number is OSRP plus your membership number. (E.g., OSRP123456.)

Detailed information on how to register for Perkopolis can be found on the Member Benefits page once you log in to osrp.ca. You will also find a link to a short video showing you how to register.

We recommend periodically checking your online profile to ensure that your information is accurate. This includes changes to your name and practice information. Maintaining accurate information allows clients to find you when they are searching for a psychotherapist.

If changes are needed, you can update this information directly in your OSRP user account by going to your “Profile” page.

Please note, if you are a Clinical or Qualifying member and wish to have your name appear on our online referral service, you must provide permission. Go to the Privacy tab under your member profile and click the “Show profile to others” box.

You can then choose which information to make public and which to keep private. Remember to save your changes.

OSRP held a Special Session of the Members on April 12 to vote on proposed changes to our constitution and by-laws.

The following motions were approved:

1. Electronic voting
2. Proxy voting

Electronic Voting

We can now implement electronic voting to ensure we hear from all members. You have the option to have your voice heard! The platform will allow members to cast their votes through secure and verified means.

Electronic Voting By-law

9.2 Electronic Voting Implementation - The Corporation shall adopt electronic voting methods for By-laws, elections of new slates, and the election of new Board of Directors members. The electronic voting platform shall allow members to cast their votes remotely through secure and verified means, ensuring a fair and transparent voting process.

9.3 Pro-Democracy Measures - The introduction of electronic voting aligns with the Corporation's commitment to democracy, inclusivity, and member engagement. This contemporary approach aims to provide every member with a direct say in the decision-making process.

9.4 Interim Board of Directors Elections - The adoption of electronic voting also enables the Corporation to conduct elections for new Board of Directors members in between Annual General Meetings without the necessity of convening a special meeting of the members. This facilitates the timely filling of vacant Board of Directors positions and the continued effective governance of the Corporation.

Proxy Voting

The process of proxy voting shall be revised to ensure that members are fully informed about how their proxies will be voted. Members shall be required to indicate their voting preferences on the proxy form, specifying how their proxy shall cast their vote on each matter.

Proxy Voting By-law

9.1 Proxy Voting Process - The process of proxy voting shall be revised to ensure that members are fully informed about how their proxies will be voted. Members shall be required to indicate their voting preferences on the proxy form, specifying how their proxy shall cast their vote on each matter.

Thank you to all members who attended or submitted their proxy votes, allowing us to vote on these important by-laws.

The meeting was recorded. Click here to access the link to the video.

The OSRP is growing and developing as an organization representing a diverse group of 1,300+ RPs across Ontario. To do so, we need your voices. Please let us know what we can do to make joining our Board a good fit for you.

If you are Board-Curious and interested in learning more about becoming part of the OSRP Board, you are invited to an Open House on Friday, May 24, with Dan Sileshi, Chair of the Nomination Committee.

Scheduled Zoom Meeting Date & Time:
DATE: Friday, May 24, 2024
TIME: 12-1 p.m. EDT

Click here to register.

At our Annual General Meeting in November, resolutions to change our constitution and by-laws were presented to the membership for approval. These were included with the materials for that meeting in accordance with our by-laws.

Unfortunately, we did not get to voting on most of the proposed changes at the Annual General Meeting. In recognizing that our members had a number of questions about the changes, we scheduled an "Ask me Anything" open house event in December to allow for more dialogue on this. Thank you to those who were able to attend and for your thoughtful questions.

We are now looking to schedule a Special Session of the Membership to proceed with voting on these changes.

Please take some time to review the below document, with particular attention to the "rationale" with which these proposed amendments were decided. Where a pre-existing by-law exists, we have provided a side-by-side comparison for you.

Click here to view the by-law rationales.

Understanding that you may have questions with respect to each of these proposed amendments, we have created a portal for you to submit these in advance of the meeting. This is in hopes that we can provide responses prior to the meeting, allowing us to get through the voting process in the allotted two hours for the meeting. The link below will take you to a survey where can enter questions as they pertain to each by-law. We will be responding to these a week prior to the Special Session of the Membership.

Please note we will not be responding directly to questions posted on the listserv about these by-laws. 

Click here to submit your questions.

This meeting will be recorded.

As a member in good standing of the Ontario Society of Registered Psychotherapists, you have the privilege of voting and having your voice heard. One way to do this is to attend our Special Session of the Membership and use your vote there. However, if you are unable to attend in person, you may still weigh in by assigning someone else to vote for you by proxy.

We need your votes!

Quorum for our Special Session of the Membership is 130 members, so it is important that you register to attend the meeting or assign a proxy to vote on your behalf.

Click here to register for the Special Session of the Membership

How do I assign a proxy?

Assigning a proxy is easy. First, make sure the Ontario Society of Registered Psychotherapists member you are assigning as your proxy has registered to attend the Special Session of the Membership and let them know you wish to assign your proxy vote to them. Then, enter their name on the proxy application form. We have also provided the option to choose from your Executive committee as they are guaranteed to attend.

Click here to fill in the proxy form.

My name is Dan Sileshi.  I am a registered psychotherapist with the qualification of Diplomate Clinician in Logotherapy.

In July 2010 I joined the OSRP.  In 2017, after participating as a regular member for seven years, Ms. Kimberley Cato, being Chairperson of the Professional Development Committee, invited me to join her Committee.  Several training seminars were organized by the Committee; these include the 30-hour, two-part supervision training program, which was well received.  

My experiences in the Committee sharpened my focus on the bigger purpose behind the work of the OSRP as it serves the interests of psychotherapists in Ontario, and informed my decision to accept Ms. Cato’s invitation to join the Board of the OSRP in 2022. I currently hold the role of Vice-Chair.

Membership on the Board has been a valuable opportunity for personal and professional growth for me. I see possibilities for significant, positive impact on this profession and on its members, through the collaborative work that takes place at the Board level. I would, therefore, strongly encourage you, my fellow members of OSRP, to join us on the Board as we commit ourselves to the overall vision of this organization.  We seek to be accountable, and to work towards goals that will be beneficial for the work we do as psychotherapists. 

I warmly invite you to join us as we put systems in place to make the OSRP a stronger, safer home for all.

Live outside of the GTA?

Don’t let that stop you from joining our Board! Our Board meetings are held via Zoom.

Click here to view the Board roles and responsibilities.

Click here to view Board member expectations

Click here to submit your nomination for the Board.

Did you know:

• you can invite a colleague to join OSRP at any point in their career
• if this is their first time with OSRP, you will receive $50 off your membership renewal in July, and:
• They will get $50 off their first year?

April 1 is a terrific start date for a new member, with a minimal financial commitment up front.

Use this handy INVITE TEMPLATE, which you can address to your colleague.

Please find a list of membership benefits – including health insurance, discounts on many products and services, access to the ListServ, and so much more – HERE.

Thank you for welcoming new members, and making OSRP the professional home for over 1,300 Ontarians…and rising!