Psychology in Canada: Opportunities and challenges.

Abstract

This special issue of Canadian Psychology is entirely dedicated to the opportunities and challenges that we face as a profession. The issue includes articles on social media policies and guidelines for psychologists, training in statistics and quantitative methods, ethics and the so-called war on terror, medical aid in dying, and interprofessional collaboration. It also presents data on the situation of graduates in psychology and addresses such important questions as the unique qualifications of psychologists, lobbying and advocacy, and evidence-based treatments. The theme behind all of these articles is without a doubt professional identity. In this introduction to this special issue, the authors argue that psychologists must use what power and influence they have to continue to advocate for those who may not have a voice, and they must improve their practices to better serve the needs of society but also find a way to care for themselves as a profession. Until this is done, psychology will continue to be faced with more challenges than opportunities.

Together we stand: The imperative for interprofessional education in professional psychology training.

“…In this article, we will argue that professional psychology training must change both because society’s needs are shifting and because our professional contexts are changing. It is fitting that in a recent special edition of Canadian Psychology entitled “Psychology in Canada: Opportunities and Challenges,” interprofessional issues arose repeatedly both as opportunities and as challenges (Drapeau, Holmqvist, & Piotrowski, 2016). However, the primary theme emerging from this issue was the need for professional psychology to grapple with issues of identity.…”

The profession of neuropsychologist in Canada: Findings of a national survey

“…Like in the US (Buckman et al, 2018), a master's degree can lead to the title of "psychological associate" (or other title) in some provinces, namely Ontario, Manitoba, and Prince Edward Island. Some provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador) still accept master-level candidates for a psychologist's license, although the number of these provinces has been decreasing over the years (see Drapeau et al, 2016;Dobson, 2016, for a more in-depth description of the situation of clinical psychology in Canada). Each provincial order defines other requirements for obtaining a license to practice psychology, for example, in terms of the number of hours of supervised practice during and after graduate training, number of hours of supervised practice after obtaining a master's or doctorate degree and completion of the EPPP.…”

Psychologists and psychotherapists’ practices of psychotherapy in Quebec: What differences exist?

“…In addition to this, the psychotherapy landscape continues to change with the accreditation of other mental health professionals—like social workers and clinical counsellors—as psychotherapy practitioners. While there is value in having different properly trained professionals offer psychotherapy services, this may also lead to some confusion among members of the public who may have difficulty differentiating psychologists from other groups of professionals offering similar services (Dobson, 2016; Drapeau, Holmqvist, & Piotrowski, 2016; Roy, 2016; Stokes, Mathews, Grenyer, & Crea, 2010). Additionally, some psychologists may struggle to redefine their professional identity in light of this increased sharing of clinical activities with other professionals.…”