Home Practice Standards Professional Conduct 1.2 Use of terms, titles, & designations
Use of Terms, Titles, & Designations

Standard 1.2: Use of Terms, Titles, & Designations

The Professional Practice Standards regarding use of terms, titles, and designations. This includes the six standards, examples in demonstrating the standard, definitions, and related resources.


Professional Conduct
Use of Terms, Titles, & Designations

Standard 1.2: Use of Terms, Titles, & Designations

The Professional Practice Standards regarding use of terms, titles, and designations. This includes the six standards, examples in demonstrating the standard, definitions, and related resources.

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The Standard

 

1.2.1 Registrants use terms, titles, and designations appropriately.

 

1.2.2 Registrants use the title conferred by the College when acting in a professional capacity, giving prominence to this title above any other qualification, designation, or title.

 

1.2.3 Registrants use terms, titles, or designations implying a specialization only if they are earned, conferred by a recognized credentialing body, meets established standards, and prominence is given to the registrant’s regulated title.

 

1.2.4 Registrants make reasonable efforts to correct others (including clients or colleagues) when they refer to the registrant using an incorrect title.

 

1.2.5 Registrants do not use the title “doctor”, including any associated abbreviations, when offering or providing healthcare services, including psychotherapy. [3]

 

1.2.6 Registrants shall not permit, counsel, or assist a person to represent themself falsely as a registrant.

 

[3] A registrant may use the doctor title when offering or providing healthcare if they are registered with one of the colleges whose members are authorized to do so (see commentary).

Standard 1.2

Demonstrating the Standard

  • Standard 1.2

    A registrant demonstrates meeting the standard by, for example:

     

    • Ensuring that their title is displayed on promotional material, and on other relevant material (such as letterhead, business cards), including electronic media, that is shared with clients.
    • Displaying the title in their office setting.
    • Reporting non-registrants to the College who hold themselves out as a registered psychotherapist.

  • Standard 1.2

    A registrant demonstrates meeting the standard by, for example:

     

    • Ensuring that the registrant’s regulated title is displayed in a manner that is more prominent than any other title(s).
    • Ensuring that the title used is appropriate for the registrant’s class of registration.
    • Using the regulated title with clients and with students in a teaching setting.
    • Ensuring that the Doctor title is not used when offering or providing healthcare, even if the registrant holds a Ph.D.

Key Definitions

  • Key Definitions

    Earned title/credential

    The term, title, or designation is not honorary and was not awarded purely through attendance. Rather, the registrant demonstrated development of the knowledge or competence associated with the term, title, or designation.

  • Key Definitions

    Recognized credentialing body

    An organization that is broadly recognized within the profession as legitimate.

  • Key Definitions

    Established standards

    Standards that are broadly recognized within the profession as legitimate.

  • Key Definitions

    Acting in a professional capacity

    In relation to psychotherapy, this includes, but is not limited to, clinical practice, advertising, writing in professional publications, communicating with clients, teaching, management or administrative roles, involvement in policy review/development and electronic business communication, e.g., professional website, social media, email.

Standard 1.2

Commentary

Background

The Psychotherapy Act, 2007 restricts the use of the titles “Psychotherapist”, “Registered Psychotherapist”, and “Registered Mental Health Therapist,”* as well as any variations and abbreviations of these titles. The College has the authority to determine who may use these titles and the manner in which they may be used. The College also determines the circumstances in which registrants may use other terms, titles and designations, including educational credentials, job titles, and specialty designations.

 

It is a provincial offence for an unauthorized person to use a restricted title or hold themselves out as qualified to practise psychotherapy in Ontario. The College has the ability to prosecute unauthorized persons in provincial court. The College also has the ability to bring a restraining order (an injunction) directing any person to comply with the Psychotherapy Act, 2007.

 

If a registrant is aware that an unregistered person is holding themself out, i.e., presenting themself as an RP, the onus is on the registrant to intervene. The registrant may speak with the individual or inform the College of the misrepresentation if it persists.

Students and pending applicants

Students and applicants who have not received their Certificate of Registration are not permitted to use protected titles, e.g., “psychotherapist”. Unauthorized use of protected titles may impact the College’s decision to allow registration in the future.

 

Suggested titles for non-registrants undertaking relevant practicums are “student therapist,” or “therapist in training.” When communicating their title, they are expected to indicate they are practising with clinical supervision and to name their education program.

Approved title variations

The following are the titles that registrants of this College must use in accordance with their class of registration:

 

Registered Psychotherapist 

 

The title associated with this class shall be used in the following manner:

 

  • Registered Psychotherapist or
  • RP
  • Psychothérapeute autorisé(e) or
  • PA

 

Qualifying The title associated with this class shall be used in the following manner:

 

  • Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) or
  • RP (Qualifying)
  • Psychothérapeute autorisé(e) (stagiaire) or
  • PA (stagiaire)

 

Note that “RP(Q)” is not an appropriate or approved title, as it is unclear to members of the public.

 

Temporary 

 

The title associated with this class shall be used in the following manner:

 

  • Registered Psychotherapist (Temporary) or
  • RP (Temporary)
  • Psychothérapeute autorisé(e) (temporaire) or
  • PA (temporaire)

 

*Note: To take effect following government enactment:

 

Emergency Class

 

The title associated with this class shall be used in the following manner:

 

  • Registered Psychotherapist (Emergency Class) or
  • RP (Emergency Class)
  • Psychothérapeute autorisé(e) (catégorie d’urgence) or
  • PA (catégorie d’urgence)

 

Inactive

 

The title associated with this class shall be used in the following manner:

 

  • Registered Psychotherapist (Inactive) or
  • RP (Inactive)
  • Psychothérapeute autorisé (inactif) or
  • Psychothérapeute autorisée (inactive) or
  • PA (inactif) or PA (inactive)

Education/training credentials

When acting in a professional capacity, registrants display only education/training credentials related to the practice of the profession, specifically, the highest credential earned that is related to the practice of the profession and meets established academic standards.

Use of specialty designations

At this time, the College has not established a program to formally recognize and confer specialty designations. However, registrants may use a term, title or designation conferred by a third party, provided it meets all the conditions noted in the standard.

 

These conditions enable registrants to use terms, titles, and designations that are meaningful and generally recognized by the profession, while maintaining the distinction between the regulated title and additional qualifications. In considering whether a term, title, or designation meets the conditions listed above, the test is whether a panel of one’s peers would view it in this way.

 

The following are examples of acceptable presentations of one’s respective titles:

 

Anna Persaud, M.Ed., RP, (cert) OAMHP
Manager, Northwestern Psychotherapy Clinic

 

Jean-Michel Chénier, M.Sc.
Psychothérapeute Autorisé, RMFT

 

Sandra Smith, M.A., Registered Psychotherapist
Canadian Certified Counsellor (or CCC)

 

Note: By placing one’s regulated title immediately after one’s name and educational credential, a registrant meets the requirement to give the regulated title prominence.

The doctor title

Use of the title “Doctor” or “Dr.” is protected in the RHPA. Registrants of this College are not permitted to use this title when offering or providing healthcare.

 

If a person is not registered with one of the health professions entitled to use the doctor title (chiropractic, optometry, medicine, psychology, dentistry, naturopathy) or a social worker with an earned doctorate degree in social work, they cannot use the title “Doctor” or “Dr.” when offering or providing healthcare. This is the case even if the person has an earned doctoral degree (e.g., the person holds a Ph.D).

 

Registrants may use the title “Doctor” in other settings, such as socially or in a purely academic setting, where no clients are present.

 

Note: The above does not prevent a registrant from displaying a Ph.D. or other doctoral degree in their promotional material, if the degree is their highest credential earned and is related to the practice of the profession.

Misuse or misleading use of titles

It is also important to use only appropriate titles. The use of false or misleading titles or designations, including their use in advertising is considered professional misconduct, and may lead to disciplinary action.

Practice description

Registrants may describe their field of practice as long as it does not suggest that a specialty designation has been earned when in fact it has not, e.g., “practice in family and couples therapy” would be acceptable.

 

*At the present time, the College has deferred use of the title “Registered Mental Health Therapist.” However, it is still one of the restricted titles set out in the Psychotherapy Act, 2007.

RMHT Title

At the present time, the College has deferred use of the title “Registered Mental Health Therapist.” However, it is still one of the restricted titles set out in the Psychotherapy Act, 2007.

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