Introduction
The overriding responsibility of Registered Psychotherapists is to hold the best interests of their clients paramount. In fulfilling this professional obligation, Registered Psychotherapists must possess a sound understanding of their professional capabilities, their areas of competence, and their professional limitations.
Another way of stating this is to say that individual ‘self-regulation’ is an important aspect of self-regulation of the profession as a whole. Registrants must continually assess their knowledge, skill and judgment, i.e. their competence, to determine whether they are equipped to work with particular clients, especially when a client presents with an unfamiliar issue or one the registrant does not have the expertise to deal with.
Knowing when to seek clinical supervision or consultation, and when to refer a client to another professional is integral to a registrant’s professional obligations as a regulated practitioner. Registrants must act in the best interests of clients and ensure that clients are not harmed by a registrant’s failure to acknowledge their own professional limitations.
As registrants progress through their careers, it is understood that some entry-to-practice competencies will fade as they develop greater competence in particular areas or modalities of practice. Many registrants will develop specialized skills. Others will require upgrading, clinical supervision or consultation if they intend to change their area(s) of practice. All registrants are required to participate in the College’s Quality Assurance Program, the purpose of which is to ensure that registrants engage in ongoing self-assessment and professional development.
At the time of initial registration, registrants will have achieved entry-to-practice competencies. An Entry-to Practice Competency Profile has been developed by CRPO, working with a broad range of system partners and future registrants. It underpins many College programs and standards, such as the Registration Exam and the process for reviewing and recognizing education and training programs.
