Editing Psychotherapy (section)

=== Canada ===

Regulation of psychotherapy is in the jurisdiction of, and varies among, the provinces and territories.

In [[Quebec]], psychotherapy is a regulated activity which is restricted to psychologists, medical doctors, and holders of a psychotherapy permit issued by the Ordre des psychologues du Québec, the Quebec order of psychologists. Members of certain specified professions, including [[social work]]ers, couple and family therapists, [[occupational therapy|occupational therapists]], [[guidance counsellor]]s, [[criminology|criminologists]], [[sexology|sexologists]], [[psychoeducation|psychoeducators]], and registered nurses may obtain a psychotherapy permit by completing certain educational and practice requirements; their professional oversight is provided by their own professional orders. Some other professionals who were practising psychotherapy before the current system came into force continue to hold psychotherapy permits alone.<ref>{{cite web |title=Qui pratique la psychothérapie ? |url=https://www.ordrepsy.qc.ca/qui-pratique-la-psychotherapie- |website=Ordre des psychologues du Québec |access-date=2 November 2020}}</ref>

On 1 July 2019, Ontario's Missing Persons Act came into effect, with the purpose of giving police more power to investigate missing persons. It allows police to require (as opposed to permit) health professionals, including psychotherapists, to share otherwise confidential documents about their client, if there is reason to believe their client is missing.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=October 2019 |title=New Legislation: Missing Persons Act, 2018 |url=https://cpo.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/Complete-Issue-October-2019.pdf |journal=The E-Bulletin |volume=10 |issue=4 |pages=6}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=6 June 2019 |title=New Missing Persons act gives Ontario police more power to investigate |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/ontario-missing-persons-act-maureen-trask-1.5164532}}</ref> Some have expressed concern that this legislation undermines psychotherapy confidentiality and could be abused maliciously by police,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mares |first=Beth |date=23 December 2019 |title=New police powers trump privacy in Ontario |url=https://www.therapytorontotherapist.ca/pp2.htm}}</ref> while others have praised the act for how it respects privacy and includes checks and balances.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gillis |first=Wendy |date=18 July 2019 |title=New Ontario law expands police powers in missing persons cases |work=Toronto Star |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2019/07/18/new-ontario-law-expands-police-powers-in-missing-person-cases.html}}</ref>