Staying Up‑to‑Date With CRPO: What Therapists Need to Know (Fall 2025)
If you’re a Registered Psychotherapist or an RP(Qualifying) working toward registration with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO), keeping up with regulatory updates isn’t optional—it’s central to providing ethical care and meeting your obligations as a group clinical supervisor. Between March and September 2025, CRPO released several important communications that impact CRPO supervision, dyad supervision, group supervision and everyday practice. Below is a digest of those changes with links to the original sources so you can explore them in more detail.
Registration Exam Changes: Deadlines and Universal Design
On June 2025 CRPO announced that exam deadlines are now tied to the date your Qualifying certificate is issued, not your application date[1]. If you’re a Qualifying registrant, you now have 24 months from the date of initial registration to make your first attempt and five years to complete a third attempt[1]. For the Fall 2025 exam, program completion documentation and accommodation requests must be submitted by August 6, 2025[2]. Exam booking runs September 1–26, 2025, and the exam itself is offered October 22–24, 2025[3].
CRPO has also embraced universal design to make the exam more accessible. Candidates can request access to medication, a glucose meter or a service animal, and there’s a “stop clock” feature for new parents to feed or express milk without losing time[4]. The exam interface uses customizable fonts, short sentences, increased white space and avoids flashing or colour‑dependent information[5]. These changes align with the principles of equity and inclusion we strive for in group clinical supervision.
Practice Guidance Updates
1. Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)
A Practice Matters article released in April 2025 urges registrants to be prepared to support clients experiencing Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). CRPO notes that IPV includes physical, emotional, sexual, financial abuse and coercive control[6] and that prevalence is higher among Indigenous women, 2SLGBTQ+ communities and people with disabilities[7]. The article encourages RPs to:
· Conduct risk assessments and safety plans for clients[8].
· Offer education and referrals to IPV resources[9].
· Seek appropriate training to ensure competence[10].
· Document discussions and referrals thoroughly[11].
· Review guidance on disclosing information to prevent harm[12].
For supervisors, this is an opportunity to discuss how to integrate trauma‑informed approaches into CRPO clinical supervision sessions.
2. Minors and Consent
In May 2025 CRPO hosted a webinar on minors and consent. The transcript clarifies that a minor is anyone under 18 years old[13]. It distinguishes between competence (the registrant’s skill and judgment)[14], capacity (a client’s ability to understand information and appreciate consequences)[15] and consent (must be informed, voluntary and specific to treatment)[16]. Supervisors should ensure supervisees know how to assess capacity and obtain consent when working with youth.
3. Online Referral Services and Advertising
Online therapy‑matching platforms are increasingly popular but come with risks. CRPO’s June 2025 update warns registrants to verify that any advertising placed by third‑party platforms complies with CRPO standards[17]. Registrants should always conduct their own intake even if a platform pre‑matches clients[18] and must not pay referral fees unless the arrangement meets strict conflict‑of‑interest rules[19]. If a site posts your profile without consent—or mislabels your services as psychological—CRPO advises contacting the administrator, seeking legal advice and documenting your efforts[20]. As a clinical supervisor, discussing these advertising practices helps supervisees avoid regulatory pitfalls.
4. Use of Terms, Titles and Designations
A March 2025 article reminds registrants not to mislead the public about their credentials. RPs may display only the highest degree related to psychotherapy[21] and must not use the title “Doctor” or “Dr.” in a clinical setting unless they are also licensed in a profession that permits it[22]. The words psychology and psychological cannot be used in a service description[23], and RPs with multiple registrations should list only titles they are legally entitled to use[24]. Supervisors should ensure that business cards, websites and directory listings for their supervisees reflect these standards.
5. Health‑Information Custodian & Successor
CRPO advises registrants who are health‑information custodians to designate a successor in writing[25]. When practising alone, the RP is the custodian of client records[26]. In group practices, roles should be clarified in writing[27]. A successor does not need to live in Ontario but should be competent to manage health records[28]. Supervisors should discuss record‑keeping obligations with supervisees and help them plan for unexpected circumstances.
6. Supervision Frequency
The revised commentary for Standard 4.2 acknowledges that previous supervision ratios were unrealistic. It suggests that an RP (Qualifying) receive approximately one hour of supervision per week, while more experienced RPs working toward independent practice should meet at least once every two weeks[29]. Supervisors and supervisees should use their judgment to adjust frequency based on experience, caseload and other supports[30]. This flexibility is welcome news for those engaging in group clinical supervision or dyad supervision.
7. Anonymous Clients
CRPO’s January 2025 article on anonymous clients reminds registrants that psychotherapy must not be provided to clients who insist on remaining unidentified[31]. In settings like crisis lines or shelters, clinicians should consider whether the service is within or outside the scope of psychotherapy and weigh risks such as lack of emergency contacts[32]. Using unique identifiers for record‑keeping and obtaining verbal consent may allow partial anonymity while complying with the standards[33].
8. Discipline Decisions: Lessons Learned
Recent discipline cases illustrate the consequences of ignoring CRPO standards:
· Practising while suspended – A July 2025 decision against a registrant who continued practising despite suspension resulted in a two‑month suspension, remedial training and a $4,700 cost order[34]. The registrant had provided psychotherapy and used the title “Registered Psychotherapist” while suspended[35].
· Repeated non‑compliance and missed deadlines – In September 2025, another registrant was reprimanded, suspended for a minimum of four months and ordered to complete a remedial course for practising while suspended and failing to respond to College communications[36].
· Failure to make a mandatory report – An August 2025 decision found that a registrant failed to file a mandatory report when a client disclosed sexual abuse by another health professional. The tribunal imposed a one‑month suspension, remedial terms and clinical supervision requirements[37].
These cases underscore the importance of ethical practice and prompt communication with the College—topics that should be revisited regularly in CRPO supervision meetings.
Town Halls & Continuing Engagement
CRPO’s Town Hall series allows registrants to hear updates and ask questions about topics such as regulatory governance, trauma‑informed regulation, quality assurance, private practice and clinical supervision[38]. The March 31, 2025 session focused on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives[39]. Recordings and slides are available, making these sessions a valuable resource for supervisors and supervisees alike. Attending town halls can spark rich discussions in group supervision about emerging issues.
What This Means for Clinical Supervisors and Supervisees
As a clinical supervisor, you play a crucial role in helping supervisees integrate these regulatory changes into their practice. Here are a few ways to use this information:
1. Review exam timelines with RP(Qualifying) supervisees and help them plan study schedules around the new 24‑month/5‑year rule.
2. Discuss IPV safety planning and ensure your supervisees know when to disclose information to prevent harm[12].
3. Audit advertising materials to ensure titles and credentials are accurate[21] and that no inappropriate referral fees are being paid[19].
4. Create policies for record‑keeping and successors so supervisees are prepared for unexpected events[40].
5. Adjust supervision frequency to meet individual needs while remaining compliant with Standard 4.2[29].
Ready to Deepen Your CRPO Supervision?
At Ontario Supervision, we offer CRPO‑approved clinical supervision, including dyad supervision and group supervision options. Our sessions provide a supportive, collaborative space to interpret CRPO updates, develop ethical practices and meet your clinical supervision requirements. By joining a group clinical supervision cohort, you’ll benefit from peer perspectives while staying current with evolving regulations.
To learn more or to reserve your spot, visit our online booking page or reach out to us at admin@ontariosupervision.ca.
Updated Sept 6 2025.
[1] [2] [3] Fall 2025 Exam: Important Dates, Eligibility & Accessibility
https://crpo.ca/news/fall-2025-exam-important-dates-eligibility-accessibility/
[4] [5] Registration-Exam-Accessibility-Accommodation-Form-Jan625.pdf
[6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and Psychotherapy
https://crpo.ca/resource-articles/intimate-partner-violence-ipv-and-psychotherapy/
[13] [14] [15] [16] Minors-and-Consent-Webinar-Transcript-May2825.pdf
https://crpo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Minors-and-Consent-Webinar-Transcript-May2825.pdf
[17] [18] [19] [20] Online referral services
https://crpo.ca/resource-articles/online-referral-services/
[21] [22] [23] [24] Use of Terms, Titles, and Designations
https://crpo.ca/resource-articles/use-of-terms-titles-and-designations/
[25] [26] [27] [28] [40] Health information custodian and health information custodian successor
[29] [30] Standard 4.2: Practising with Clinical Supervision – Supervision Frequency
[31] [32] [33] Anonymous Clients
https://crpo.ca/resource-articles/anonymous-clients/
[34] [35] CRPO v. Mugenyi, 2025 ONRPDT 1
https://crpo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Finding-and-Penalty-Reasons-MUGENYI-Jul1425.pdf
[36] CRPO v. Saxton, 2025 ONRPDT 4
[37] CRPO v. La Rose, 2025 ONRPDT 3
