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Once in force, Bill 21, wich define what is psychotherapy, will bring major changes to its practice.
Until now, the title of “Psychotherapist” and the practice of psychotherapy were not regulated, and anyone who wanted could offer their services as a psychotherapist without obtaining a permit to do so and without being subject to professional oversight. As well, people who used the services of these psychotherapists had no recourse if they were not satisfied with the services they received or if they were adversely affected by the psychotherapy.
It is important to stress that psychotherapy is the cornerstone of the psychologist’s practice. Programs now offered by universities therefore provide the training required to practise psychotherapy and it is the Order’s Code of Ethics and supervision programs that will certify the quality of its members’ practice.
Once the Bill comes into force, any person who is not a doctor or a psychologist and who wants to practise psychotherapy and use the title of psychotherapist must satisfy the training and competency criteria set out in a regulation determined by the Office des professions du Québec (Quebec professions board), be a member of one of the professional orders in the field of mental health and human relations, and obtain a permit issued by the Ordre des psychologues du Québec.
Members of the following professional orders will also be allowed to practise psychotherapy, provided they hold a master’s degree in the mental health and human relations sector and have acquired the knowledge and skills set out in the table below:
1) Ordre des conseillers et conseillères d’orientation (order of guidance counsellors)
2) Ordre des psychoéducateurs et des psychoéducatrices (order of psychoeducators)
3) Ordre professionnel des travailleurs sociaux et des thérapeutes conjugaux et familiaux (order of social workers, couple and family therapists)
4) Ordre des ergothérapeutes du Québec (order of occupational therapists)
5) Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec (order of registered nurses).
Members of the other professional orders who will be entitled to practise psychotherapy must have the following knowledge and skills:
|
FIELDS |
HOURS/ NUMBER OF COURSES |
|
The theoretical intervention models: psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioural and systemic and communication as well as humanist theories |
270 hours* / 6 courses totalling 45 hours spent studying each of the models and 90 additional hours spent on acquiring in-depth knowledge of one of the models chosen |
|
The common factors: suggestion, the psychotherapist’s attitudes, the context, and the client’s expectations, relational quality and communication skills |
90 hours*/2 courses |
|
The essential tools: scientific methods such as quantitative research and statistics as well as qualitative research including epistemological models, such as hermeneutics and phenomenology |
90 hours*/2 courses |
|
The classification of mental disorders, psychopathology and problems related to human development: undestanding, using various intervention models, recognized classifications such as the DSM-IV and the ICD-10; life cycles and the major problems that are related to them |
180 hours */4 courses |
|
The link between biology and psychotherapy: somatopsychic and psychosomatic relationships, the relevance and limits of psychotherapy, a general knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the central nervous system, as well as psychotropic drugs |
45 hours */1 course |
|
The legal and organizational aspects of the practice of psychotherapy: the laws and the organizational resources |
45 hours */1 course |
|
Ethics and deontology: the psychotherapist’s duties and obligations toward the client, the public and the profession? |
45 hours */1 course |
* These are the actual course hours, and don’t include hours of personal study and work.
They must also show proof that they have participated in a rigorously supervised learning period that includes the supervised practice of at least one of the theoretical intervention models, including:
- direct treatment of the client;
- individual supervision;
- other activities related to the practice of psychotherapy such as group supervision, transcription and writing of file notes, general case management and guided reading.
The internship period will include:
- a minimum of 300 hours of direct treatment of clients;
- a minimum of 10 clients;
- a minimum of 10 hours of psychotherapy for each client;
- 100 hours of individual supervision;
- 200 hours spent on other activities related to the practice of psychotherapy, as previously identified.
The theoretical knowledge as well as the learning period will allow psychotherapists to develop their critical thinking abilities and the skills required to practise psychotherapy, furthering the proficiency of many who have already mastered a first profession.
(These criteria are recommended by the committee of experts and should be integrated into the regulation of the Office des professions du Québec.)
Certain individuals that already practice psychotherapy in a competent way, as defined by Bill 21, but who do not meet the requirements mentioned above could obtain a psychotherapist's permit by satisfying the conditions for the recognition of acquired rights.
