Diviya and I had a dynamic chat about her work, what matters to her in the field of psychotherapy, and some of our core responsibilities as therapists. I am genuinely excited about the new generation of psychotherapists entering the field and feel lucky that so many of them are choosing the OSRP as their professional homebase.
Diviya is warm, articulate, and passionate about the work we do as therapists, and especially interested in decolonizing psychotherapeutic spaces from the old, rigid models of being that are not equitable, inclusive, or diverse. She is a graduate of Yorkville University and utilizes Relational Somatic IFS (Internal Family Systems) in her practice. She shared that therapy was not part of her inherited culture, but after trying therapy and seeing the deeply positive impact on her sense of self and her relationship with the colonized aspect of her culture, she decided to pursue it as a career and a calling.
Decolonization of self, culture, and therapeutic practices is at the heart of her work with clients. She mentioned that part of the reason she joined the OSRP was the Society’s commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion practices. She calls on the board and the Society to do more to further the practice toward liberation from colonized systems of being.
She finds solace and inspiration in nature and shared with me some of her current reading material:
The Pain We Carry: Healing from Complex PTSD for People of Color by Natalie Gutierrez
For anyone interested, she’s also a co-founder of a listserv that has Equity and Justice as their core principal: Therapists of Equity & Justice
Diviya is accepting clients at the moment and can be found here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/therapists/diviya-lewis-toronto-on/408104
Thank you, Diviya, for sharing your contagious passion with us!
We also released several policies.
The listserv policy and acknowledgment form were released in the spring, in conjunction with the launch of our new listserv platform. All members signing up for the platform are required to sign off, ensuring a safe and productive space for member exchange.
Listserv Acknowledgement Form
Listserv Policy
The new policies that were released can be found below.
These policies were crafted in tandem with the by-laws changes that were approved. The intent and vision was to ensure that our by-laws and policies align with and encompass OSRP's commitment to equitable practices in everything we do. We have come to realize in recent years that these policies are necessary as we grow and forge a path forward. Click on the buttons below to view the new policies.
Conflict of Interest Policy
Conflict Resolution Policy
Contractor Hiring Policy
Anti-Discrimination Policy
Sharing of Race-based Data Policy
Whistleblower Protection Policy
Abolish the Position of Parliamentarian
The Protect Committee presented a seminar with Aisha Heywood on October 9 titled Mastering Test-Taking Strategies for Professionals.
Aisha shared a range of tools, from understanding key action words in exam questions to using mnemonic aids for memory retention, making them valuable for improving overall exam performance
The following resources have been carefully selected to support Professionals & Psychotherapists in enhancing their test-taking strategies. These materials provide insights into effective exam preparation, case study analysis, managing test anxiety, and developing practical skills for various types of exams
If you require strategies for the upcoming CRPO exam, the list is provided here
Click here to purchase the recorded seminar.
All members in good standing with OSRP are entitled to:
This is win-win for all our members who want to save! Details can be found on the member benefits page once you log in to our website.
Click here for details.
Are you interested in advertising your event with OSRP? Are you looking to hire an RP? To assist you, we have initiated a new, streamlined process for submitting advertisements.
Information on how to advertise can be found on our Advertise With Us page. You have two options:
1. Include your ad in a Central e-blast
2. Send a standalone e-blast
Information on how to advertise a job post can be found on our Post a Job page.
Advertisements are submitted through our new online form. Once you have submitted your advertisement, you will be directed to our payment page. Payment must be submitted along with your advertisement.
As I reflect on my recent conversation with Alethia, our very own OSRP board member and Protect Committee Chair, I am reminded of the importance of our shared experiences in psychotherapy and community engagement. Alethia has been a psychotherapist since 2017, but her journey spans over two decades, working with adolescents and adults in various hospital settings. Her extensive background in emergency departments and psychiatric stabilization units has shaped her understanding of mental health care for Black and marginalized communities.
Our dialogue delved into the evolution of mental health interventions, particularly concerning the Black community. Alethia raised valid concerns about the initial Eurocentric focus of these interventions, emphasizing the necessity for culturally sensitive approaches that consider family involvement and community support. This perspective resonates deeply with me as I find it so important that as psychotherapists, we create treatment plans that are not only effective but also respectful of individual identities and cultural backgrounds. Throughout our discussion, I was inspired by Alethia's commitment to personal growth and community outreach.
Alethia also spoke about her practice called , where she not only offers individual therapy, along with two interns, she also organizes wellness retreats that incorporate mindfulness, meditation, yoga, and nutrition — her first event attracted 50 attendees! She brings the same energy for community outreach and self-healing to the OSRP through the various offerings of the Protect Committee.
Alethia’s two student interns are offering free counselling to young adults ages 18-30 until April 2025, and starting in November, Alethia is starting a DBT group for women of colour.
Feel free to reach out to her via alethia@mindsilike.com, or through her website to find out more.
Thank you for your continued support of the OSRP. As a valued member, you had the opportunity to vote on proposed by-law amendments that will ensure you continue to have a voice while also supporting the advancement of the society and its mandate.
The amendments were released for electronic vote in July and the motions and results will be read into the minutes of this meeting to make them official.
Unfortunately, we were challenged with registrations for the August 30 Special Session of the Membership meeting (18 received) and proxies (9 received). Under our current by-laws, we require over 90 registrations and proxies to achieve a quorum, so we have rescheduled this meeting.
The new meeting date and time are:
Thursday, October 10, 2024 12 to 1 p.m. ET, Zoom
To register for the meeting, please use this link.
If you are unable to attend the OSRP Special Session of the Membership meeting scheduled for October 10, 2024, please click on the button below to complete a proxy form. There will be no voting during the meeting. Proxies are required so we can ensure we have a quorum to hold the meeting.
Click here to register your proxy.
Alice is a lively and passionate human. We spent our time talking about her journey to becoming a therapist and what matters to her in her work. She shared her positive experience with therapy during her teenage years, her volunteer work at Jesse's and Sistering, Assaulted Women's and Children's Counsellor/Advocate Diploma at George Brown College, and her ultimate decision to apply for a 5-year experiential psychotherapy training program at OPC to further her personal growth and become the therapist she aspired to be.
Alice does standup comedy and loves to read and see impactful films. She just saw the film “Hard Truths” at TIFF festival and recommended the book Love Me Tender by Constance Debray, which I’m looking into.
Alice has an office in central Toronto and offers a combination of in-person and virtual sessions. She works mostly with queer young adults and has a trauma-informed and anti-oppressive approach to therapy. She is accepting clients at the moment and can be contacted via: https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/therapists/alice-blackwell-toronto-on/1122544.
Thank you Alice for this inspiring conversation. Your energy is contagious!
On June 27, we were pleased to announce that the GST/HST exemption from counselling and psychotherapy services went into effect as of June 20, 2024, after having received royal assent.
As of June 20, 2024, certain psychotherapists and counselling therapists are no longer required to collect the GST/HST on their services. The Canada Revenue Agency wants to ensure that all providers of these types of services have the information they need to determine their tax situation and take any next steps, such as closing their GST/HST account. The CRA released a statement on July 15 which provides further clarity.
Please keep in mind that the exemption applies only to psychotherapy services. If you are providing other services (e.g., coaching, workshops, etc.) that you charge HST on, you should continue to charge HST on those services.
We would again like to thank all those who worked diligently over many years to make this happen, including those on the Tax-Free Therapy campaign, our partners at the Partnership of Registered Psychotherapy Associations (PRPA) and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA), and our very own OSRP Advocacy Committee.
Presented by RBC
Marty Nanasi, investment retirement planner-financial planner with RBC, will be presenting a free seminar only for OSRP members on how to best utilize RSPs to reduce taxable income, save for first time homebuyers’ downpayments, including advice towards how to invest and options available within an RSP at RBC.
He will also cover how to use a RSP vs TFSA to maximize results and First Home savers account, which is a new addition the Canadian government has put in place to allow further deduction from income taxes and save further in addition to first-time home buyers' account allowable in RSP.
Wednesday, September 18, 202412 to 1 p.m. ET, Zoom
Fees: Free for members
Click here to register.
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