Business Practice Information
CRPO registrants are permitted to name their practice, whether they operate as a partnership or a professional corporation, or they are self-employed. In all cases, the name will need to comply with CRPO’s Standard 6.2: Advertising, as well as general Ontario law regarding business names.
An advertisement is any message communicated in a public medium intended to influence an individual’s choice, opinion or behaviour. This includes business names associated with a registrant’s practice.
The Professional Misconduct Regulation states that it is professional misconduct to permit the advertising of a registrant’s practice in a manner that is false or misleading or that includes statements that are not factual and verifiable. Therefore, the name registrants choose for their practice must not make claims that are false or misleading. Also, any specific or particular information contained in the name (e.g. location, name of practitioner), must be factual and verifiable.
On official documents, e.g., invoices, and when identifying themself to a client, a registrant must use their name as set out in the College’s Public Register, in addition to any business name. The practice name may appear alone in other settings such as on signage and various marketing materials.
Examples of appropriate practice names could include:
- Harmony Family Counselling Centre
- Deerhurst Psychotherapy Services (if the practice is located there)
Examples of inappropriate practice names include:
- Best Therapy Services (claim is not verifiable and potentially misleading)
- Guaranteed Results Psychotherapy Clinic (claim is not verifiable and potentially misleading)
- M. Jones and Associates Psychotherapists (if there are no associates, the name would not be factual)
- Brockville Municipal Care Centre (if it is not a municipally run practice, the name would be misleading)
College staff cannot provide advice or direction regarding business names. You should consult with your lawyer for further information.
You may find it helpful to review the Ontario Business Names Act linked below, for information relevant to naming a practice.