Membership Requirements
Membership categories
- Clinical Membership
- Qualifying Membership
- Student Membership
- Supporting Membership
- Honorary Membership
- Retired Membership
- Friend of the Society
- Leave of Absence
- Reinstatement
Clinical Membership
This membership category is intended for experienced psychotherapists. There are two tracks for application: Academic (graduate degree) or Equivalency
1) Requirements
Normally Clinical Members shall:
- Be a registered pschotherapist of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario, and
- Have completed a minimum of one hundred and fifty (150) hours of personal psychotherapy. At least fifty (50) hours of this must be individual and consecutive with one psychotherapist.
- Sign an agreement to abide by the Society’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice each year at the time of membership renewal.
- Pay the current membership fee.
OR
- Be a Member in Good Standing with one of the other five Colleges entitled to practise psychotherapy (Colleges of Physicians & Surgeons, Occupational Therapists, Social Workers, Nurses, Psychologists) and fulfill OSP requirements for Clinical Membership.
2) Privileges and Limitations
- Clinical Members shall hold all the rights and privileges of full membership within OSP including Regional membership, the right to serve on any Regional or Provincial Committee, the right to be nominated for Executive Office or for the Chair of any Committee, and the right to be nominated as a voting member of the Membership Council.
- Clinical Members have the right to use the designation “Clinical Member, OSP.”
PROVISO: Qualifying Members accepted prior to November 14, 1997 seeking Clinical Member status will have their request to upgrade reviewed according to the membership By-laws in effect when they became a Qualifying Member.
Qualifying Membership
This membership category is intended to provide a time-limited intermediate step for those working toward completion of requirements for full Clinical membership. There are two tracks for application: Academic (graduate degree) and Equivalency.
1) Requirements
Normally Qualifying Members shall:
- Be registered as a Qualifying Member of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario, and
- Have completed a minimum of fifty (50) hours of personal psychotherapy.
- Sign an agreement to abide by the Society’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice each year at the time of membership renewal.
- Pay the current membership fee.
OR
- Be a Member in Good Standing with one of the other five Colleges entitled to practise psychotherapy (Colleges of Physicians & Surgeons, Occupational Therapists, Social Workers, Nurses, Psychologists) and fulfil OSP requirements for Qualifying Membership.
2) Privileges and Limitations
- Qualifying Members hold some of the rights and privileges of full membership within OSP, including the right to serve on Regional or Provincial committees, eligibility for insurance coverage, the right to receive mailings and attend conferences of the Society, and the right to vote at the OSP Annual Meeting and on the Membership Council;
- Qualifying Members have the right to use the designation “Qualifying Member, OSP” and no other designation;
- Qualifying Members have a limit of five (5) years in which to complete the full requirements of Clinical Membership.
Student Membership
This membership category is intended for psychotherapists-in-training.
1) Requirements
A Student Member shall:
- Hold an undergraduate degree or diploma in a humanities related field, a copy of which should accompany the application, or either hold or be enrolled in an appropriate graduate program in a recognized university (psychology, counselling, social work, medicine, divinity, humanities or a program substantially similar), a copy or verification of which should accompany the application;
- A student member shall show proof of enrolment in psychotherapy training each year at membership renewal, or have completed or be enrolled in an academic graduate degree counselling practicum, verification of which is required.
- Have one to one supervision if doing clinical psychotherapy;
- Have completed or be completing the minimum hours of personal psychotherapy (150 total)—at least fifty (50) hours of this must be individual and consecutive with one psychotherapist.
- Provide two references, neither of whom is the applicant’s current therapist—one from a supervisor or trainer. Both references must be Clinical Members or qualified to be Clinical Members of OSP.
- Have or apply and be approved for professional liability insurance if seeing clients;
- Code of Ethics: sign an agreement to abide by the Society’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice each year at the time of membership renewal.
- Pay the current membership fee.
2) Privileges and Limitations
- Student Members hold some of the rights and privileges of full membership within OSP, including the right to serve on Regional or Provincial committees, eligibility for insurance coverage, the right to receive mailings and attend conferences of the Society, and the right to vote at the OSP Annual Meeting;
- Student Members have the right to use the designation “Student Member, OSP” and no other designation.
Supporting Membership
A Supporting Member is a retired member and/or is an interested member of the helping professions in the wider community who wishes to be affiliated with the Society.
1) Requirements
A Supporting Member shall:
- Code of Ethics: sign an agreement to abide by the Society’s Code of Ethics;
- Fees: pay the current membership fee;
2) Privileges and Limitations
- A Supporting Member is entitled to all newsletters, publications and discounts.
- A Supporting Member is not entitled to full membership rights and privileges.
Honorary Membership
This title shall be conferred by the OSP Board upon such individuals who have, in the opinion of the Board, made an outstanding contribution to the psychotherapy profession and/or to the OSP.
1) Requirements
- Fees: Honorary members shall not be required to pay a fee.
2) Privileges and Limitations
- An Honorary member will assume all the responsibilities and privileges of membership.
Retired Membership
1) Requirements
A Retired member shall:
- Have been a member in good standing in any category of membership
- Not engage in the practice of psychotherapy
- Notify the Membership Committee in writing, stating that the member has retired from the practice of psychotherapy
- Code of Ethics: sign an agreement to abide by the Society’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice each year at the time of membership renewal.
- Maintain appropriate professional liability insurance
- Pay the current membership fee.
If a Retired member decides to resume the practice of psychotherapy within 18 months of leaving active membership, s/he may be reinstated to his/her previously held membership category by providing written notification to the Membership Committee and paying the prorated current membership fee for that category. After this period, Retired members must reapply for membership.
2) Privileges and Limitations
- A Retired member is entitled to the full rights and privileges of his/her previously held membership category.
- Retired members have the right to use their previously held member designation, followed by the word “Retired” (e.g., Clinical Member, OSP, Retired) and no other designation.
Friend of the Society Membership
A non-member of OSP who wishes to be informed of the Society’s activities and views may become a Friend of the Society by paying the designated fee.
1) Privileges and Limitations
- A Friend of the Society is not entitled to full membership rights and privileges.
- A Friend of the Society is entitled to all newsletters, publications and discounts.
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Leave of Absence
1) Requirements
A member in good standing in any membership category shall
- Notify the Membership Committee in writing that s/he is taking a Leave of Absence for a period of up to 18 months
- Maintain appropriate professional liability insurance
- Code of Ethics: sign an agreement to abide by the Society’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice each year at the time of membership renewal
- Pay the current leave of absence fee.
If a member on Leave of Absence decides to resume the practice of psychotherapy within 18 months of leaving active membership, s/he may be reinstated to his/her previously held membership category by providing written notification to the Membership Committee and paying the prorated current membership fees for that category. After this period, the member must reapply for membership.
2) Privileges and Limitations
- A member on Leave of Absence is entitled to the full rights and privileges of his/her previously held membership category
- A member on Leave of Absence has the right to use the designation of his/her previously held membership category e.g., Student Member, OSP , Qualifying Member, OSP or Clinical Member, OSP and no other, for a period of up to 18 months.
Reinstatement
A member of any category whose membership has lapsed due to non-payment of membership fees and who would like to be reinstated must:
- Fulfill the membership criteria of CRPO
- Pay the OSP membership fee in the desired category