Members of the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers may perform the controlled act of psychotherapy AND use the title “psychotherapist,” provided they do so in compliance with the Social Work and Social Service Work Act (SWSSWA), the regulations and the bylaws.
A provision of the SWSSWA (s. 47.2) permits College members authorized to perform the controlled act of psychotherapy to use the title “psychotherapist” if the member complies with the following conditions, as applicable:
- When describing them self orally as a psychotherapist, the member must also mention that they are a member of the College or identify themselves using the title restricted to them as a member of the College.
- When identifying themselves in writing as a psychotherapist on a name tag, business card or any document, the member must set out their full name, immediately followed by at least one of the following, followed in turn by “psychotherapist.”
- Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers,
- the title that the member may use under the SWSSWA.
The controlled act of psychotherapy
The Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA) sets out the controlled act that relates to psychotherapy as follows:
“Treating, by means of psychotherapy technique, delivered through a therapeutic relationship, an individual’s serious disorder of thought, cognition, mood, emotional regulation, perception or memory that may seriously impair the individual’s judgement, insight, behavior, communication or social functioning.”
To determine if they are competent to perform the controlled act of psychotherapy, College members should review the Practice Guidelines for Performing the Controlled Act of Psychotherapy. The Guidelines are intended to assist members in applying the Standards of Practice and to alert them to the issues to consider when assessing their competence to perform the controlled act of psychotherapy.
College members are not required to become members of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) in order to practise psychotherapy.
For more information, please the College’s psychotherapy webpage. Members and employers may also wish to contact our Professional Practice Department at practice@ocswssw.org.