"The College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario (CPBAO) recently voted in favor of a change that has been felt across Canada: allowing Master's-level practitioners to use the title Psychologist. In response, many psychologists across the nation are in an uproar. The Ontario and Canadian Psychological Associations have released a joint letter urging the council to reconsider, citing risks to public safety and a dilution of standards. This opposition may seem reasonable on the surface, but it masks a deeper issue, one that has more to do with in-group psychology than public protection."
"The College's decision is a direct response to years of feedback from the Office of the Fairness Commissioner (OFC), which has repeatedly flagged Ontario's registration process as unfair. The problem is simple: Ontario's path to licensure for Master's-level practitioners is one of the most burdensome in the country. To become a "Psychological Associate," a graduate with a Master's degree had to complete five years of supervised work and could still never become a "Psychologist.""
CPBAO approved allowing Master's-level practitioners to use the title Psychologist in response to repeated OFC findings that Ontario's registration process was unfair. Ontario required graduates to complete five years of supervised work to become a Psychological Associate while preventing advancement to full psychologist status, creating a heavier burden than provinces that allow designation after one year. National psychological associations raised public safety and standards concerns in opposing the change. Title protectionism and stringent provincial limits reduce clinician supply, discourage needed training programs, and drive qualified practitioners away, worsening the mental health care shortage.
Read at Psychology Today
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