Application Overview

Requirements for Applying to CRPO

Listed on this page are the requirements for all application types. This includes education/training, conduct disclosures, currency hours etc.

We are currently processing non-recognized program applications received in November 2024 and recognized program applications received in December 2024.

Who Needs to Register?

 

If your work falls within the scope of the practice of psychotherapy and you are not already registered with another Ontario regulatory college whose registrants can practise psychotherapy (those that regulate psychologists, social workers, nurses, occupational therapists and physicians), you should consider becoming a registrant of CRPO.

 

Not sure if this includes you? Use the self-assessment tool linked below to ascertain whether your clinical practice necessitates registration with CRPO.

 

Anyone using the title “Registered Psychotherapist” must be registered with CRPO.

Self-Assessment Tool

Do you need to apply to CRPO? Use this tool to find out.

  • Self-Assessment Tool

    This self-assessment tool is intended to assist unregulated practitioners in determining if they need to consider restricting their practice or apply to CRPO.

    Do I Need to Apply?

Colleges Whose Registrants can Practice Psychotherapy

  • Regulatory Bodies

    College of Psychologists of Ontario

    A part of the colleges whose registrants can practise psychotherapy.

    Read more here
  • Regulatory Bodies

    Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers

    A part of the colleges whose registrants can practise psychotherapy.

    Read more here
  • Regulatory Bodies

    College of Nurses of Ontario

    A part of the colleges whose registrants can practise psychotherapy.

    Read more here
  • Regulatory Bodies

    College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario

    A part of the colleges whose registrants can practise psychotherapy.

    Read more here
  • Regulatory Bodies

    College of Physicians & Surgeons of Ontario

    A part of the colleges whose registrants can practise psychotherapy.

    Read more here
Steps to Apply

Steps to Apply

Applicants can follow these steps in order to apply to CRPO

Step 1

Create a CRPO account.

Step 2

Pay for and successfully complete the Professional Practice & Jurisprudence eLearning Module.

 

Review the manual first (linked in Related Resources at the bottom on the page) to familiarize yourself with the contents of the module.

 

The fee for the Jurisprudence Module is $152 +HST

 

The module must be completed within one year of the date you pay for the module. If you do not complete the module within one year, you will need to pay for the module again and re-start the module from the beginning.

Step 3

Pick your application type:

 

  • CRPO recognized/accepted program
  • Non-recognized program
  • Labour mobility
  • Indigenous registration pathway
  • Temporary

 

Please ensure you select the correct application type prior to submitting your application. If you submit your application under the wrong application type you will be required to resubmit your application under the correct application type. If you are unsure what application type to select, please review the links above, consult your educational institution, or email info@crpo.ca for more information.

Step 4

Complete the application.

 

Complete the application form for the application type you select, including all required documentation. If your application type is a CRPO recognized/accepted program or Non-recognized program, you will not be able to submit your application until CRPO staff have received a transcript/letter/credential assessment directly from your institution. Please check the Supporting Documents section of the application form to verify if a document labelled “Transcript” has been added.

 

Please retain copies of all documents submitted to CRPO for your records. You are advised to draft and save responses in a document on your computer and copy and paste them into the application form. You are also advised to save screenshots of your application pages.

Step 5

Pay the required fees.

 

All applicants are required to pay the application fee. If you completed a non-recognized program, you will also be required to pay the mapping tool fee. Your application is automatically submitted once payment is made.

 

CRPO’s by-laws set out that fee increases occur every two years for inflation. CRPO’s fees were scheduled to increase in June 2020 and then in June 2022. Due to the pandemic, CRPO did not increase fees on either of these two periods. The fees will increase in June 2024.

Information about fees is available below. All fees paid to CRPO are non-refundable.

Application Fees

The fee for each application type is as follows:

  • Application Fees - Jurisprudence e-Learning Module (all applications)

    $152 +HST

     

    Fees must be paid by Visa or MasterCard directly through your user account. The alternative for individuals without credit cards is a prepaid credit card.

     

    Fees paid to CRPO are non-refundable.

  • Recognized Program Application Fee

    $168 +HST

     

    Fees must be paid by Visa or MasterCard directly through your user account. The alternative for individuals without credit cards is a prepaid credit card.

     

    Fees paid to CRPO are non-refundable.

  • Non Recognized Program Application Fees

    $168 +HST

     

    Mapping Tool Review Fee: $105 +HST

     

    Fees must be paid by Visa or MasterCard directly through your user account. The alternative for individuals without credit cards is a prepaid credit card.

     

    Fees paid to CRPO are non-refundable.

  • Labour Mobility Application Fee

    $168 +HST

     

    Fees must be paid by Visa or MasterCard directly through your user account. The alternative for individuals without credit cards is a prepaid credit card.

     

    Fees paid to CRPO are non-refundable.

  • Indigenous Registration Pathway Fee

    $168 +HST

     

    Fees must be paid by Visa or MasterCard directly through your user account. The alternative for individuals without credit cards is a prepaid credit card.

     

    Fees paid to CRPO are non-refundable.

  • Temporary Registration Application Fees

    $168 +HST

     

    Fees must be paid by Visa or MasterCard directly through your user account. The alternative for individuals without credit cards is a prepaid credit card.

     

    Fees paid to CRPO are non-refundable.

Applicant Fees Invoice Notice

Attention Applicants: Important fee invoice message.

  • Applicant Fees Invoice Notice

    It may take up to one business day for the registration fee invoice to become available in your account. You will receive an email once the invoice is available. To pay the invoice, please click the link in the email or log into the Application Portal and go to Fees & Receipts.

  • Applicant Fees Invoice Notice

    Once you pay the fee, it may take up to one business day for your registration to be finalized. You will receive an email once you are able to access the Registrant Portal to download your certificate of registration.

Application Assessment

 

Given the volume of applications being received, we are not able to respond to questions about when an individual application will be processed. Applications are processed in the order in which they are received. Applicants can check the sidebar of this page to ascertain which month of applications we are processing. We are not able to expedite the processing of an application for any reason.

 

The average times for approval of applications that clearly meet all registration requirements are as follows:

 

  • Recognized program applicants – up to 2 months
  • Non-recognized program applicants (using the Mapping Tool) – up to 4 months
  • Labour mobility applicants – up to 2 months (this includes the wait times for your previous regulator to provide a letter of good standing)

 

Staff cannot process applications until they are complete. This means that, until you have responded to any requests for further information from staff, your application is not considered to be a final submission and we will not be able to move your application through the stages of review. This ensures that you have the best chance of approval and so we encourage you to provide any needed information as soon as possible.

 

Applications that do not clearly meet the registration requirements are referred to a panel of the Registration Committee.  Applications that must be referred to panel take considerably longer since there is a requirement that applicants be given time to respond to the referral, the panel must meet and review the application and then decisions and reasons for the decision must be issued. Applicants who are being referred to panel are notified of this within eight months of applying. The average time to receive the panel’s written decision following the notice of referral is four months. If you have already received notification that your application is likely to be referred to a panel of the Registration Committee for their review, please refer to the timelines for response provided in that message.

 

Once an application is submitted, applicants can easily track the “Application status” on the “Welcome” page in their CRPO account. Please be mindful of the timelines above as you continue to track your “Application status” in your CRPO account. You can also check which month is under review in the sidebar of this page. We would ask that you refrain from repeat enquiries as responding to email and phone requests takes time away from processing applications.

Application Processing Times

See here to find out the current application processing times.

  • Application Processing Times

    CRPO registration staff are currently processing non-recognized program applications received in November 2024 and recognized program applications received in December 2024.

Application Statuses

What does each application status mean?

In your CRPO account, you can check your application status. See below what each status means.

Open

Your application has NOT been submitted. Please complete all pages of the application and pay the required fees. Once payment for the application fee and mapping tool fee (if applicable) have been made, your status will change to “Submitted”.

Submitted

Your application has been submitted successfully and is in the queue for processing; staff review has not yet begun.

Information / Documentation Requested

Information and/or documentation is required in order for the processing of your application to proceed. Please monitor your email inbox regularly and respond as quickly as possible to prevent delays.

 

To facilitate the processing of applications:

 

  • If staff has questions or information/documentation is required, staff will send a detailed email.
  • If more information/documentation is required after receiving the response to the initial email, staff will follow-up for a second and final time.
  • If we do not receive a substantive response and/or required documentation within two months of the date of the initial request, or the two attempts fail to result in satisfactory information, the application may then be referred to a panel of the Registration Committee for further consideration and possible refusal.

First Review

Review of your application is now underway. A detailed assessment is conducted to determine whether the application is complete, providing applicants with an opportunity to add further information if required.

Second Review

First-level review of your application is complete; a second, senior-level review is in process to ensure that your application clearly meets all entry-to-practice requirements.

Manager Review

First-level review and/or second-level review has identified a requirement that may not be met or disclosure that requires further review, such as Professional Conduct disclosures.

Approved

You have met the minimum requirements for registration; your application has been approved. You will be notified by email. Payment of the registration fee within 30 days is required prior to a certificate of registration being issued.

Approval Expired

Payment of the registration fee was NOT made within 30 days of application approval. Therefore, the approval has expired. You must submit a new application for registration, including paying applicable fees.

Referred to Panel

Applications that do not clearly meet the registration requirements, for one reason or another, are referred to a panel of the Registration Committee. This review panel includes professional members of Council (that is, practicing Registered Psychotherapists) as well as publicly appointed members. Professional members bring their clinical perspective and experience to the process and work with the other panel members to ensure that registration decisions are fair and appropriate.

 

The applicant receives a formal notice which identifies what provision(s) of the Registration Regulation staff has doubts that the applicant met. The applicant has 30 days to make written submissions to the panel. Once the submission deadline has passed, the panel meets to consider the application, including any submissions.

 

The panel may make an order doing any one or more of the following:

 

  • Directing that the applicant be issued a Certificate of Registration;
  • Directing that a Certificate of Registration be issued if the applicant successfully completes examinations set or approved by the panel;
  • Directing that a Certificate of Registration be issued if the applicant successfully completes additional training specified by the panel;
  • Directing that specified terms, conditions or limitations be applied to the applicant’s Certificate of Registration and specifying that a limitation on the applicant’s right to apply under subsection 19 (1) of the Health Professions Procedural Code (application for variation) be imposed; or
  • Directing that the applicant’s application be refused.

 

Once the panel has completed its review, the College will provide the applicant with a copy of the panel’s written decision and reasons for its decision.* An applicant has 30 days from receiving the decision to request a written review or oral hearing from the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board.

 

*If the panel directs the Registrar to issue a Certificate of Registration pursuant to s. 18(2) paragraph 1 of the Code, the panel need not provide any reasons.

Incomplete

The submitted application is incomplete in that there is significant information and/or documentation that is indicated as required in the application instructions and was not provided. You must submit a new application for registration, including paying applicable fees.

Refused

A panel of the Registration Committee has directed that the application be refused.

Appeal

Following a decision made by a panel of the Registration Committee, an appeal has been initiated with the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board.

Closed

An application has been voluntarily withdrawn or closed due to being incomplete after multiple follow-up requests. No fees are refunded.

Registration Requirements

Registration Requirements

The requirements for registration are outlined below. You will complete each section in your application.

Jurisprudence E-learning Module (all application types)

Completion of the Professional Practice & Jurisprudence e-Learning (JRP) Module is the first step in the application process: you must successfully complete the module before you can access the application form.

 

The module must be completed within one year of the date you pay for the module. If you do not complete the module within one year, you will need to pay for the module again and re-start the module from the beginning.

 

Once you complete the module, you must submit your application within two years of the completion date. If you do not meet the deadline, your account will be closed. You would need to re-pay the fee and re-complete the module if you wish to move forward with your application.

 

The module is a series of brief videos followed by a multiple-choice quiz. To complete the course, you must achieve a passing score of at least 15 correct answers out of 20 (75%) on the quiz. You can retake the quiz as many times as needed to pass. Applicants are not required to complete the module in one sitting.

 

Applicants are strongly urged to read the Professional Practice & Jurisprudence e-Learning document before enrolling in the online module. The document, which includes practice questions, is available as an accessible PDF or an interactive webpage.

Language (all application types)

An important registration requirement for all regulated health professionals in Ontario is reasonable fluency in English or French (i.e. the ability to speak, read and write proficiently in either English or French). Client records must be maintained in either English or French, and registrants must be able to communicate effectively with other health care practitioners in either English or French.

 

Language fluency can be demonstrated if English or French is:

 

  • your first language; or
  • language of primary, secondary, or post-secondary education; or
  • the language you use in delivering services to clients.

 

Successful completion of a psychotherapy bridging program also indicates English or French language proficiency.

 

If you have had no education or practice experience in English or French, you will be required to submit evidence of successful completion of a language proficiency test; acceptable tests can be found in the Supporting Documents Checklist.

Professional Liability Insurance (all application types)

Registrants are required at all times to maintain professional liability insurance coverage in the amount and in the form required under CRPO’s by-laws, either individually or through an employer/institution. The insurance must be effective from the day on which the Certificate of Registration is issued.

Conduct and Disclosure Obligations (all application types)

An applicant’s previous conduct must afford reasonable grounds for the belief that they will practise psychotherapy in a safe and professional manner.Applicants are required to disclose a variety of information including:

 

  • findings of guilt for any criminal offence;
  • offence resulting in a fine over $1000 or imprisonment;
  • outstanding criminal charges;
  • current or past proceedings for professional misconduct;
  • current and past registration with any regulatory body;
  • refusal of registration with any regulatory body;
  • anything that may call into question an applicant’s ability to practise psychotherapy safely and professionally; and
  • physical or mental conditions that currently impair the applicant’s ability to practise psychotherapy.

 

Applicants are expected to disclose instances of serious impropriety such as fraud or having sexual contact with clients.

 

Applicants should also report information about practicum placement withdrawals or failures.

The College will evaluate the significance of such disclosures. It is possible that a past event no longer reflects significantly on an applicant’s suitability to register with CRPO. Alternatively, the College may place a term, condition or limitation on their Certificate of Registration or refuse to issue a Certificate of Registration. If an application for registration is refused, there is a process to allow for an appeal before an independent body.

 

If applicants misrepresent themselves, their conduct or their qualifications in the registration process, and are found to have done so, their application will be refused or their registration revoked.

Currency

All applicants must be “current”, or up-to-date, in the practice of the profession. Currency hours can be accumulated anywhere in the world.

Applicants who apply through the application type CRPO recognized/accepted program, non-recognized program, or Indigenous registration pathway will be required to demonstrate currency in one of the following ways:

 

  • Education and training program completed within the past 12 months from the date of application
  • Currently completing education and training program and one or more of the following apply:
    • in final semester;
    • completed 90% of the program; or
    • completed the program with the exception of a thesis.
  • Completed 450 direct client contact and 100 clinical supervision hours within the past 12 months from the date of application
  • Completed 750 currency hours within the three years immediately prior to the date of application. Currency hours includes any activity related to psychotherapy – see the Updating Your Clinical Experience Hours page for more information. There is no requirement that a certain portion of the 750 currency hours be for client work.

 

Applicants who apply through the labour mobility application type will be asked to describe the nature of their psychotherapy practice within the three-year period prior to submitting their application.

 

Applicants who apply through the temporary application type will be required to demonstrate currency in one of the following ways:

 

  • Education and training program completed within the past 12 months from the date of application
  • Completed 750 currency hours within the three years immediately prior to the date of application. Currency hours includes any activity related to psychotherapy – see the Updating Your Clinical Experience Hours page linked in Related Resources at the bottom of the page. There is no requirement that a certain portion of the 750 currency hours be for client work.

Education and Training

Applicants who apply through the temporary or labour mobility application type will not be required to provide detailed information about their education and training.

 

Applicants who apply through the application type CRPO recognized/accepted program, non-recognized program, or Indigenous registration pathway will be required to demonstrate they have either completed or substantially completed:

 

  • a CRPO recognized/accepted program;
  • a program that is substantially equivalent to a CRPO recognized/accepted program; or
  • other education and training, which must include one or more programs in psychotherapy, together with any further education or training, or combination of education and training, that when taken together is substantially equivalent to a CRPO recognized/accepted program.

 

Applicants should submit their application for registration once they have substantially completed their education and training in psychotherapy. Substantial completion means that you:

 

  • are in your final semester prior to graduation;
  • have completed 90% of your program*; or
  • have completed your program with the exception of a thesis.

 

CRPO will accept applications from students who have substantially completed their coursework (i.e. 90% done classroom courses) even if they have not started or substantially completed clinical placements.

RP (Qualifying) registrants are required to make their first attempt at the Registration Exam within two years of the date they submitted their application. The exam is only offered twice a year – in the spring and fall.

 

To be eligible to write the exam, CRPO must have received documentation as outlined in the Supporting Documents Checklist confirming successful program completion about 10 weeks prior to the exam date.

 

Applicants need to be mindful of this requirement and consider how outstanding course, thesis, or practicum requirements at the time they apply to CRPO could impact their ability to meet exam deadlines once registered in the RP (Qualifying) category. If you are uncertain when to apply or the implications of your circumstances, please contact CRPO.

 

To confirm eligibility for the CRPO recognized/accepted program application type, see Recognized/Non-recognized Program page linked in Related Resources at the bottom of the page. On the application, applicants will be able to select from a drop-down menu the recognized/accepted program completed or substantially completed.

 

Applicants who are not eligible for the CRPO recognized / accepted program application type will select the non-recognized program application type. On the application, applicants will provide detailed information about their education and training and complete the Mapping Tool. CRPO cannot pre-assess whether an applicant will meet the education requirement prior to an application being submitted.

 

Applicants who have completed or substantially completed education and training in traditional Indigenous practices should select the Indigenous registration pathway application type. Applicants who have completed a CRPO recognized/accepted program and who also wish to report their training in traditional practices can contact CRPO at info@crpo.ca to bypass the Mapping Tool in the application.

Direct Client Contact and Clinical Supervision

For all application types, zero direct client contact (DCC) and clinical supervision hours will be required to apply. 

 

There are requirements for DCC and clinical supervision once registered in order to transfer from RP (Qualifying) to RP and for RP independent practice (i.e. practice without clinical supervision) – see Clinical Experience for Registration Policy linked in Related Resources at the bottom of the page.

 

Applicants should be aware of the documentation requirements to report hours once registered – see Supporting Documents Checklist also linked in Related Resources.

 

For additional info, see the Updating Your Clinical Experience Hours Page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Given the volume of applications being received, we are not able to respond to questions about when an individual application will be processed – it is, however, likely to take several months.  We are not able to expedite the processing of an application for any reason.

 

Once an application is submitted, applicants can easily track the “Application status” on the “Welcome” page in their CRPO account. An explanation of each status can be found on the Application Assessment page. Staff will contact applicants by email if there are any questions regarding their application.

 

Applicants will also be notified by email when the processing of their application is complete.

For all application types, zero direct client contact (DCC) and clinical supervision hours will be required to apply.

 

Clinical experience hours and DCC hours can only be submitted if your application is accepted.

It is common practice that employers of mental health care service providers require their employees to be members of a regulated profession. It is also fairly common that employers of unregulated service providers request that these employees become registered with a college – sometimes this is even a condition that employers will include in a contract at the time of hiring.

 

Although there may be other reasons to become registered with CRPO, the paragraph below describes those who must become registered in order to be in compliance with the Psychotherapy Act, 2007. If the circumstances of your employment do not seem to fit with the description in the paragraphs below, it is up to you and your employer to continue the discussion about becoming a member of a regulated profession.

 

You must register with CRPO if you use the title “psychotherapist”, “Registered Psychotherapist” or related abbreviations, or if your role requires you to present yourself as qualified to practice psychotherapy (unless you are already a member of one of the other colleges whose members may practice psychotherapy).

 

If the above doesn’t apply to you, but you otherwise meet CRPO’s registration criteria, you may wish to consider becoming a member.

CRPO will register practitioners from faith-based or spiritual care backgrounds who meet registration requirements. The College does not support the contention, however, that all chaplains or spiritual care providers must be registered. This will depend on their particular roles, their training, and possibly, the expectation of their employers.

Yes, but it is not necessary. Someone who chooses to be a registrant of two statutory regulatory colleges will be required to meet the obligations of registration of both colleges, including participation in quality assurance programs and payment of two annual registration fees. In addition, they will be required to keep separate records for the two practices.

Click “Review” on the “Welcome” page of your CRPO account to check the status of required documents.

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