The month of December is filled with various festivals, religious events, national days and a multitude of celebrations that bring people together for food, fun, and frolicking. This may include Festivus, Winter Solstice, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, Independence Days for Kenya, Qatar, Bahrain, Libya, Mongolia, Finland, Tanzania, Portugal, and many more.
Though these are just a few significant dates people may celebrate or take time off to take care of themselves, friends or family, there are many different traditions associated with each holiday or significant day. Learning about the significance, stories and histories of various holidays can help broaden our perspective beyond the holidays we celebrate year after year.
As active, retired and student psychotherapists, we know that there are many for whom this time of year is uncomfortable, lonely, isolating or riddled with thoughts of traumatic experiences, grief and loss. We are aware of the tumultuous emotional rollercoaster of this season for many. As we continue through this month of December, we may wish to use inclusive language in how we greet each other and not make assumptions about how people are getting through this time. In addition, we might consider providing our clients and loved ones with a crisis line number/website and other culturally responsive community resources to help get through this time safely.
We might practise asking open-ended questions of each other first, so we are not making assumptions. For example, “What are you doing over these next few weeks?” This question does not assume someone will be on holidays because they may choose to or must work; it doesn’t assume they will be with family members; and it doesn’t assume they celebrate a specific holiday.
Another open-ended question might be, “How do you spend your time in these winter months?” This example invites discussion without imposing a specific belief, expectation, mood, or pattern of behaviour. Once we’ve learned more about the person we’re talking to, we can then decide how to wish them well.
May all OSRP Members find showers of positivity, pockets of joy and prosperity in HEALTH, WEALTH, and WISDOM in 2024!!!
We’re kicking off a new feature in this newsletter to cheer and clap for OSRP members who are doing great things for the profession and in the community. Please submit suggestions about yourself or other OSRPers to mail@psychotherapyontario.org. Don’t be shy!
We’re starting with a note from our surprised Board Chair, Kimberly Cato, who was nominated without her knowledge for the Charity Village (Canada’s top not-for-profit clearinghouse/resource site) Best Individual Contribution to DEI in the workplace award. This is for the Race-Based Data Collection Initiative. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of Kimberly and the EDI Committee, and to everyone who participated by providing their data, OSRP is on the finalist list.
As our final seminar of an inaugural year to which we have attracted 170 individuals to join us and learn together, we are thrilled to share with you the wisdom of the delightful Dr. Krissy Thomas-Doyle for a special, Zoom-only, interactive event on November 26 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. To find out more, or to register, please click here.
Dr. Thomas-Doyle, a Medical Neuroscientist, is not only an expert in brain-related medical conditions and mental health, she is also a sparkling communicator who has a way of explaining the nuts and bolts of self-care from a brain health perspective, and making it fun and relaxing to learn more.
The Protect Subcommittee, chaired by Alethia Cadore, with members Kusum Dole, Rachel Fulford and Maria Wallis, has been working with Dr. Thomas-Doyle to create a unique, experiential and unforgettable trip through your own brain. We know you will find it invigorating.
Participants on Sunday, November 26 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Zoom will learn how to generate a daily D.O.S.E. – Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin and Endorphins – from our own experiences and worlds, and how to help our clients do this as well.
The focus is on you, the therapist, retiring therapist or therapist-in-training, and how to enhance your own brain health, vitality, and longevity in this demanding profession.
Three previous PS Videos are also available to members till the end of 2023. All videos are $20 each for members; those who purchased a “Flex Pass” prior to June 1 already have access to all materials and live/online seminars.
We look forward to sharing this experience with you at a comfortable, insightful and bonding event for all members.
The OSRP is proud to re-launch a streamlined, accessible and updated website which includes a translation option, our social media feeds, a moving image wall spotlighting important new initiatives on the home page, and cleaner menus to help you get the most out of your membership.
We are also thrilled with improvements to our “Find a Therapist” directory (Click here for more information.)
Thank you to OSRP office staff for their hard work on this new website, designed to welcome our members with calming images of the natural world and community building that embody the spirit of the OSRP.
Please visit your website and let us know your thoughts! Email us at mail@psychotherapyontario.org
Thank you to every member who has already registered to attend the AGM or chosen a proxy for:
Friday November 24 1-3 p.m. ET on Zoom
Click here to register.
Click here to choose a proxy.
Let’s keep up the momentum so that we can achieve quorum, meet as peers, and vote on important changes to OSRP’s Constitution and By-Laws, which you can read all about in the ANNUAL REPORT - both in your inbox, and available here.
Click here to view the Annual Report.
Your 2023 Board of Directors, in conjunction with our Ethics Committee, has developed proposed By-Law changes which, should they be approved, will usher the OSRP into a frontrunner position of Advocates for Advancement in Psychotherapy. Come out and let your voice be heard!
Q: How do I register to attend, or assign a proxy?
A: Click HERE to register/assign a proxy today.
Q: What if I registered, but then something happens and I can’t attend?
A: For those who have registered, we are counting on you to attend. But, we understand that emergencies happen. If something does, please click here to assign a proxy as soon as you can, and before November 22.
Q: Will I get a chance to review and vote on the By-Law changes?
A: Yes. The only way we can evolve as an organization is with your support and participation. All proposed changes are in the Annual Report, so please take a moment to read, review and consider.
At the AGM, these proposed changes will be reviewed, along with an explanation of why they are necessary.
Q: Why do I need to attend or send a proxy?
A: OSRP Quorum currently requires 10% of members – so we will need 100+ members to attend or select proxies.
Q: What are the results from the Race-Based Data Collection Initiative?
A: At the AGM, we will present the results of this initiative that puts OSRP at the forefront of Race-Based Data Collection in Psychotherapy in Ontario with 1000+ members completing the survey upon renewal. OSRP has established a benchmark we can now use to measure improvement and target membership recruitment to fill the identified gap of representation in the survey.
We are also really excited about the Door Prizes available for those who attend this AGM, including gift certificates generously donated by Caversham Booksellers.
The PS: Protect Seminar group is so proud to announce that 165 individuals have joined us already for at least one seminar since April; many of you have participated in more than one. We’re even prouder to be working with Dr. Krissy Thomas-Doyle on a very special last seminar of the year.
Dr. Thomas-Doyle, a Medical Neuroscientist, is not only an expert in brain-related medical conditions and mental health, she is also a delightful communicator who has a way of explaining the nuts and bolts of self-care from a brain health perspective, and making it fun to learn more.
The Protect Subcommittee, chaired by Alethia Cadore, with members Kusum Dole, Rachel Fulford and Maria Wallis, has been working with Dr. Thomas-Doyle to create a unique, experiential and unforgettable trip through your own brain.
Participants on Sunday, November 26 from 4-5:30 p.m. on Zoom will learn how to generate a daily D.O.S.E. – Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin and Endorphins – from our own experiences and worlds, and how to help our clients do this as well. But the focus for this last seminar of 2023 is on you, the therapist or therapist-in-training, and how to enhance your own brain health, vitality, and longevity in this demanding profession.
To register (you won’t want to miss this), please visit the OSRP website under Events.
Three previous PS Videos are also available to members till the end of 2023. All videos are $20 each; those who purchased a “Flex Pass” prior to June 1 already have access to all materials and live/online seminars.
We look forward to sharing this experience with you at a comfortable, relaxed and bonding event for all members.
All members in good standing with OSRP are entitled to a free membership with Perkopolis, a club for people who like discounts. And who doesn’t like discounts?
You could save the cost of your membership many times over with up to 30% off on 5,000+ everyday items such as:
These are not off-brand items. A quick visit to https://www.perkopolis.com/ will show you an array of brands you already know. Their website is super easy to search and to make your choices online. You can also contact the retailer directly with questions and, as long as your purchase is made through perkopolis.com, your discount applies.
Perkopolis is a 100% Canadian-owned-and-operated company, and it’s easy to sign up. You only have to register once.
This is win-win for all our members and their families who want to save on everyday goods and services. The OSRP is proud to offer “perks that work” with Perkopolis.
Instructions on how to sign up are on the OSRP website under Member Benefits.
Did you know that CRPO registrants must mark invoices and receipts for missed sessions accordingly? This issue came up in a recent Advocacy Committee meeting, where a member asked that the OSRP highlight this in our newsletter, since it’s not always emphasized by educational programs.
The CRPO standard re: Issuing Accurate Documents indicates that it is not appropriate to issue an invoice for services not provided, EXCEPT when it is clearly reflecting an established fee for a cancelled appointment (e.g., a cancellation fee). What does this mean for you?
If you have an established cancellation policy to which your client has provided informed consent, for example that you charge the full fee without 24 hours notice of a cancellation and/or rescheduling, you can provide a receipt for that payment, but you must indicate that it’s a fee for a session that didn’t happen.
Why? Most insurers will not reimburse for a missed session. So, if you provide a receipt for the cancellation fee paid to you, but you don’t indicate that this fee is for a session cancelled and/or rescheduled and paid according to your policy, the client could inadvertently submit it to their benefits plan and be fraudulently reimbursed, based on false information you provided.
Even clients without a benefits plan, or without coverage through a spouse or parent, may submit their receipts with their taxes as “Uninsured Medical Expenses,” so the documentation must be accurate.
Some clients can become (understandably) upset to discover that you need to mark the cancellation fee as such rather than as a fee for a session that was actually delivered, since this means they will be paying out of pocket. You really don’t want this to come as a surprise to a client, as it could affect the therapeutic alliance or cause a termination of services if it comes out of the blue.
This is why it is crucial to be clear and upfront, ideally in writing and verbally, about not only your cancellation/rescheduling policy, but how you will need to provide accurate receipts. Making sure your clients understand your policy before proceeding is essential; don’t assume prior knowledge of your business practices.
If you work at a clinic or for another provider, it’s important to make sure their invoice/receipt policy follows this standard, and that you inform your clients in advance of any policies related to cancellation/rescheduling fees and how such fees will be documented. Even if you don’t personally create or issue the invoice or receipt, you are responsible for its accuracy.
The CRPO asks registrants to demonstrate this standard, standard 5.2, by:
I am a Therapist-in-Training with the Gestalt Institute of Toronto. What led me to join OSRP was that it was the only Canadian association for therapists that mentioned anything about collecting race-based data, and this was important for me as a Black man. I am also the founder of the Black Daddies Club (BDC), a grassroots organization based in Toronto that works with Black men, Black fathers and their families. BDC will be celebrating its 16th anniversary in November 2023.
What led me to therapy over six years ago was my separation and divorce, in which I realized I wanted to support myself to heal and reach my higher self (whatever this means). I found myself bouncing around from therapist to therapist trying to locate the right fit. Initially, I was looking for a Black male therapist. However, this was a harder task than I expected – like finding a needle in a haystack. A statistic shared at a Black Male Therapists conference in Chicago that I attended in February 2023 indicated that less than 1% of therapists identify as Black men. I assume that this percentage is lower in Canada, but I cannot confirm this as we do not keep statistics by race in this country.
As I reflect on my own experience as a Black male training to become a Gestalt therapist in Toronto, I have seen only one Black man who was a student at my school over the past five years. I often wonder if this profession is for me because of the lack of representation of other Black men doing this therapeutic work.
I also realize that there is a lack of spaces for Black and racialized therapists or students (of all genders) to connect and learn from each other. Now is a better time than ever to co-create a community for Black and racialized therapists in Canada.
Black Daddies Club will be doing our 16th anniversary event entitled Finding a Partner after 40: A Conversation with Black Folks, at Evergreen Brick Works on Saturday, November 25, 2023. The event will feature Black folks and Black therapists talking about the realities of Black people finding a partner after the age of 40. The BDC event will also be a quarterly networking series, for Black and racialized therapists to connect with and learn from each other, this networking and knowledge sharing series will begin in March 2024 in Toronto, Canada.
You can find out more about the the Black Daddies Club at our website: https://theblackdaddiesclub.com/ or on our instagram @theblackdaddiesclub
Regards, Brandon Hay (MES, Business) Founder of the Black Daddies Club Therapist-in-Training at the Gestalt Institute of Toronto
Good news: MP Stephen Ellis’ Bill C-323 went to the floor for its Second Reading, and moved on to the next step, with 327 “yes” votes and zero “no” votes. Click HERE for a list of which MPs voted in favour of exempting our work from this unfair tax. (Some of the “yes” voters include: The Finance Minister, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Labour and the incoming Minister of Mental Health, among other Cabinet Ministers; and every party leader from the Greens to the Conservatives.)
What Does this Mean?
The Bill now moves forward to the next phase: it goes to the Finance Committee for further review. This is the same Committee that, this past March, recommended psychotherapy be exempt from GST/HST.
What Are the Coalition’s Next Steps?
Coalition members from the CCPA have already requested the opportunity to testify to the Finance Committee about this Bill. We sincerely hope and expect that this Bill should come out of Finance and go to a third reading and a new vote in Parliament in the next few months.
Our Lobbying firm, Impact, will continue to meet with members of the Finance Committee individually to make our case.
What Can I Do Next?
To learn more about how a Bill becomes a Law, click here.
Thank you for your continued support to remove HST from our services and removing a barrier to access when so many Ontarians need psychotherapy.
- Rachel Fulford & Dr. Natasha Tuletta-Bowman, Co-Vice Chairs, OSRP Board of Directors, Co-Chairs, Advocacy Committee of the OSRP
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