Board of Directors
OSRP EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE  HAMMAM FARAHRP I am a Palestinian Canadian whose life was greatly impacted by the experience of childhood immigration and political developments in the Middle East. In my spare time, I fight injustice and inequality as a human rights activist and community organizer. I have also worked with immigrants and refugees, providing settlement services and group counselling sessions. My passion for psychotherapy stems from my conviction that a better world is possible. Click here to read Hammam's full profile. Contact Hammam: president@psychotherapyontario.org Contact Hammam: advocacy@psychotherapyontario.org Contact Hammam: osrp_crpo@psychotherapyontario.org
 NATASHA TULETTA-BOWMANPhDs, MA, MBA
I joined the board because I noticed that it is made up of members who are passionate about the call of duty. Also, I discovered that, from the inception of the organization, there have been positive changes. That said, there is still much to do, which requires the help of everyone, especially psychotherapists. I know that I am motivated and possess diverse skills and global knowledge that can be of great use to this wonderful organization. I greatly admire that the organization is made up of leaders that have the best interest of all psychotherapists in Canada at heart. Additionally, I believe that I can best serve the organization as an active member of the board of directors. I bring with me over 20 years of professional experience within diverse fields, and I have held senior active leadership positions. I have had the privilege to sit on local and global boards. With that said, I am zealous about the advancement of mental health locally and internationally. I am committed to continuing to work towards eradicating the stigma associated with obtaining professional mental health services. Also, I comprehend the urgency for more to be done globally, especially in Canada, to safeguard the field of psychotherapy. Such urgency also brings greater attention to the fact that psychotherapy, like its counterpart, psychology, has its own unique platform and is not second best to any approach. Click here to read Natasha's full profile. Contact Natasha: mail@psychotherapyontario.org
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OSRP BOARD OF DIRECTORS
FRANKLYNN BARTOL
Chair, Connect Committee
I am currently practising as a Student Relational Therapist in Tkaronto (Toronto), supporting both individuals and couples. I recently trained at the Toronto Institute for Relational Psychotherapy while I concurrently studied feminist and decolonial psychoanalysis in the University of Toronto’s Gender Studies department. This has helped me bring together systems-level and psychodynamic lenses, working collaboratively with clients to understand how their mental health is embedded in social and relational contexts.
Before training in psychotherapy, I worked in community mental health settings doing program management, policy development, and program evaluation work. My organizational work was grounded in anti-oppressive values and peer support practices.
I previously obtained an MSc in Developmental Neuroscience and Psychology from University College London. The distance between what I was taught and what I experienced in community work inspired me to return to school, completing an MA in Sociology in which I examined the colonial and patriarchal roots of contemporary neuropsychology research. This work has shown me the value of integrating social justice and scientific lenses when understanding mental health.
Outside of work, I’m active in community organizing, sing in a protest choir, and play softball. I feel very privileged to join this Board. I’m excited to keep building spaces for psychotherapists to connect, learn, and support one another as we make our work more socially responsive, inclusive, and sustainable.
Contact Franklynn: connect@psychotherapyontario.org
ALETHIA CADORE
RP
Chair, Protect Subcommittee
Co-Chair, EDI Committee
Click here to read Alethia's full profile.
Contact Alethia: edi@psychotherapyontario.org
CLARICE KUHLING
RP
I am a Registered Psychotherapist currently practising in Tkaronto/Toronto and I received my training at the Toronto Institute for Relational Psychotherapy (TIRP).
I currently combine seeing clients in private practice with almost two decades of teaching/lecturing in the Department of Sociology at Wilfrid Laurier University. These complementary but distinct types of work have sensitized me to the complex and impactful relationship between structural forms of power on the one hand and intrapsychic dynamics and processes on the other, as well as the ways in which economic, political, socio-cultural, and relational contexts are implicated in mental health struggles.
As a relational therapist grounded in the psychodynamic and self-psychology tradition, I take a trauma-informed, intersubjective, systemic, and anti-oppression approach to mental health difficulties. As a Board member of OSRP, I am interested in strengthening OSRP’s advocacy and values as well as building spaces and opportunities to support, learn from, and connect with each other as we improve our profession.
When not teaching or seeing clients, I am active in community, social justice, and labour organizing, singing in a protest choir, writing, moving my body at the gym and in nature, and wondering if I should try to join/start a band.
KAUSHIKI RAO
Chair, EDI Committee
Chair, Nomination Committee
Kaushiki Rao initially trained in India as a mental health counsellor in 2017 and has been practicing there since. She recently completed further training at the Toronto Institute for Relational Psychotherapy and currently practices as a Student Therapist in Ontario.
Kaushiki primarily works from an intersubjective and self-psychology lens. She is particularly interested in how relational (social) structures such as caste, gender, race, class generate and inform intrapsychic dynamics. Since moving to Tkaronto/Toronto in late 2021, Kaushiki has become interested in Turtle Island’s Indigenous ways of knowing and thinking about relationality and intrapsychic well-being.
Kaushiki has a B.A. in Anthropology from Amherst College, and a M.A. in the Social Sciences from the University of ChicagoClick here to read Kaushiki's full profile.
Contact Kaushiki: edi@psychotherapyontario.org
Contact Kaushiki: nomination@psychotherapyontario.org
GWEN SHANDROSKI
RP
I have been working as a health care professional for almost 40 years.
Initially, I became interested in what happens to the human body when communication is impeded. This curiosity launched my career as a Speech-Language Pathologist. Then I began to explore the psychological issues involved in communication. I discovered the use of art to facilitate internal expression and communication. This led to my second career as a Psychotherapist and Expressive Arts Therapist combined with my clinical work as a Speech Pathologist.
I am deeply interested in interpersonal communication. I completed my studies at the Toronto Institute of Human Relations where the focus was on knowledge of self as a pre-requisite to developing effective skills as a psychotherapist. My work now centers on supervision of students, psychotherapy with youth and children, families and adults.
I was a member (and former president) of the OSRP board 15 years ago. I choose to let my name stand to be on the OSRP board for 2025. I look forward to meeting and working with the next generation of psychotherapists and discovering the links and connections we can make to enhance our profession.
Click here to read Gwen's full profile.
SHIRA SMITH-BLOOMFIELD
RP
The Board of the OSRP is the heart of this organization, of which I am honoured to now be part. It plays a crucial role in advocating for psychotherapists, with the potential to positively impact mental health across Ontario. As a Board member, I’m committed to supporting the mission of the OSRP and advancing the best interests of both our members and the public.I came to this profession as a second career, graduating with an MACP in 2022. My practice focuses on clients who feel overwhelmed, burned out, or anxious — often parents and often dealing with physical pain. I work with individuals who identify as Highly Sensitive People, as described by Elaine Aron, helping them make sense of their experiences and struggle to contextualize their lived experience within the world they encounter. My approach to treating chronic pain and discomfort is grounded in neuroplasticity and evidence-based pain research, including my training in Pain Reprocessing Therapy. I aim to help clients find the delicate and teeteringly unsatisfying balance between caring for self and navigating a world that doesn’t always accommodate differences.
Where did I learn this? My personal journey has shaped my perspective. Leaving and later reflecting on a religious belief system, along with my undergraduate studies led me to value ethics and integrity in my work. I’m particularly grateful for courses on informal argumentation, ethics, and epistemology that help me understand complex issues. As a mother of four who homeschooled for many years, and through years of volunteer work (including sitting on a local ratepayers’ executive board), I’ve also gained firsthand insight into how idealistic and academic ideas translate into the messy realness of everyday life (spoiler: it’s often as hard as it seems).
Click here to read Shira's full profile.
Wellness CommitteeChair: Natasha Tuletta-BowmanCo-Chair: Carl DaleyThe objective of the Committee is to support the overall health and well-being of our members, in order to thrive professionally.Click here to read the committee's terms of reference. |
Executive CommitteeThe Executive Committee is the nucleus of the OSRP Board of Directors. Members of the Executive Committee include the President, Vice-President, Past President, Treasurer and Secretary of the OSRP Board, and any Board members and any other members in good standing that the Executive may, from time to time, appoint. The Executive Committee provides a concentrated administrative function for the OSRP Board. Each month, it reviews the past and planned work of the Board. It also receives and discusses any pressing issues that have suddenly emerged from inside or outside the organization. With this information, the Executive Committee sets priorities and plans the agenda for the upcoming Board meeting. It reports to the Board its recommendations concerning any significant action or policy that is not part of another committee’s work to bring forward or to carry out.With the Treasurer, the Executive Committee monitors OSRP financial matters. With the Secretary, the Executive Committee monitors minute keeping and communication among Board members. It is the committee within which the past, current and next OSRP presidents confer to provide joint leadership to the Board and the organization. The Executive Committee as a whole is responsible to maintain, on behalf of the Board, a useful working relationship with the administrative management service provider hired by OSRP, currently Funnel Communications. The Executive Committee is responsible for organizing and executing the Annual General Meeting of the OSRP, which includes a meeting of the Membership Council and a Business Meeting. The Executive Committee meets monthly, usually one week before the monthly Board Meeting. Other meetings may be scheduled as necessary.
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Advocacy CommitteeChair: Hammam FarahThis committee advocates on issues that benefit and impact Registered Psychotherapists as a whole. The Advocacy Committee aims to stay aware of policies and issues affecting RPs coming from the College, provincial and federal levels of government, the media, membership requests, and related sectors especially mental health, professional training and insurance. The Advocacy Committee determines (“triages”) which issues to pursue based on urgency, relevance, impact on RPs and available committee resources and engages with the respective stakeholders to influence policies for the benefit of the practice of psychotherapy. Advocacy is a huge portfolio and requires many volunteers to cover it fully. That is why the OSRP joined forces with the 12 other psychotherapy associations in Ontario since the early 2000s in order to include our voice with others when we couldn’t possibly cover every issue ourselves. OSRP is both a leader and a joiner in advocating for RPs. Click here to read the committee’s terms of reference. Click here to watch a video about this committee PRPA Sub-CommitteeChair: Natasha Tuletta-BowmanCo-Chair: Taysir Moonim This is a subcommittee of the Advocacy Committee. The purpose of this task force is to liaise with the Partnership of Registered Psychotherapist Associations (PRPA) and the Government Engagement Working Group (GEWG). Its responsibilities are to liaise with PRPA (Partnership of Registered Psychotherapist Associations) and the GEWG (Government Engagement Working Group). Committee members attend PRPA & GEWG meetings to represent the interests of the OSRP and its members, and inform/advise the Executive and Advocacy Committees about potential areas of focus. PRPA is a collective of Ontario associations joined in discussion regarding advocacy issues as they emerge for Ontario Registered Psychotherapists. The goal of the PRPA is to strengthen the profession of Registered Psychotherapists in Ontario by responding to and advocating for issues pertaining to the practice of psychotherapy. Click here to read the committee's terms of reference.
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Connect CommitteeChair: Franklynn BartolCo-Chair: Diviya LewisThe Connect Committee is the communication arm of the OSRP Board. It ensures that our members are kept up to date on all things that benefit them and their practices, including: professional development opportunities and supports, important CRPO updates, relevant events and more. We connect our members directly to each other and foster community through a variety of channels including our listserv, blog and social media, to assist prospective clients in finding a therapist and to help therapists find a warm, safe and professional home. Click here to read the committee's terms of reference. Click here to watch a video about this committee.
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Equity, Diversity and Inclusion CommitteeChair: Kaushiki RaoCo-Chair: Alethia CadoreThe Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee understands that multiple approaches and points of view make up the core values of the practice of psychotherapy. It also understands that exclusion and racism are systemic in our culture and have affected our practices in deeply embedded, often unconscious ways. The committee, therefore, aims to ensure that residents of Ontario, including our most marginalized, vulnerable populations, are able to confidently and safely access the highest standards of therapeutic care available. And we intend to make sure that our practitioners receive as much insight and support as they need in order to bring their empowered, full and authentic selves to the conversation. This pioneering initiative of the OSRP holds anti-racism, anti-oppression and social responsibility as its defining ideals. Click here to read the committee's terms of reference. Click here to watch a video about this committee. Click here to watch the recording of our race-based data lunch and learn seminar. BIPoC Bursary & Scholarship Sub-CommitteeChair: TBD This committee reviews applications for OSRP’s BIPoC membership bursaries and CRPO Exam Prep Course scholarships and makes recommendations to the OSRP board based on those reviews. Click here to read the committee's terms of reference. |
Ethics CommitteeChair: Nalwanga MusisiCo-Chair: Taysir MoonimThe goal of the Ethics committee is to revise/improve By-laws including conflict of interest, the Policy Manual and the Code of Ethics. It is also responsible for developing Anti-Discrimination, Anti-Bullying, Anti-Harassment and Pro-Accessibility Policies for the OSRP.Click here to read the committee's terms of reference. Protect Sub-CommitteeChair: Alethia Cadore This sub-committee help RPs, RP(Q)s and Students to protect themselves by identifying common ethical challenges and self-education around practising safely and ethically. It initiates programs including webinars, newsletter articles, etc., that help protect members before an ethical breach happens, from which complaints to the CRPO may arise, and drives discussions in Community groups for RPs. Click here to watch a short video about this sub-committee.
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Finance CommitteeChair: Diviya LewisThis committee prepares the annual budget to present to the OSRP Board for approval, reviews and makes recommendations on the financial policies and procedures of OSRP. |
Nomination CommitteeChair: Kaushiki RaoCo-Chair: Nalwanga MusisiThe Nomination Committee is responsible for filling positions on the OSRP Board. The committee is responsible for carrying out all the details concerning elections and, at the request of the Board of Directors, for submitting names to the Board in the event that an office becomes vacant before completion of the term. As a welcoming contact, the Nomination Committee would inform new members of the existing committees and task forces and solicit some input on the new member’s interests and skills. Included in the process would be recording a Member Profile form to be used for follow-up calls when positions are being filled. The committee orients new members and provides them with information, guidance and leadership, especially during the Interim Period between AGM and first Board meeting. It also provides oversight and leadership of the AGM.Click here to read the committee's terms of reference. |
OSRP/CRPO CommitteeChair: Hammam FarahThe purpose of the committee is to create open dialogue and communication between the OSRP and CRPO in regards to member questions, areas of concern or clarification, and so forth. As the governing body for psychotherapists, it is important that we maintain a co-operative relationship with the CRPO through ongoing, open communication, while also ensuring that the needs/concerns of our members are addressed. Click here to read the committee's terms of reference. |