Psychotherapist Complaints, Investigations and Discipline in Ontario

When CRPO Contacts You

This page is for psychotherapists registered in Ontario whose practice or conduct is being reviewed. CRPO has two intake routes. A complaint makes the client or other complainant a party who receives the decision. A report is information, often from an employer, another professional or a member of the public, that CRPO may investigate without the reporter being a party. The College must notify you within 14 days of receiving a complaint.

Illustrative example, not an actual CRPO letter

“The College has received a complaint from a former client alleging that you continued a social relationship with them after therapy ended, and that their records were not provided when requested. A copy of the complaint is enclosed for your response.”

Who Investigates and Who Decides

Regulator: The College of Registered Psychotherapists and Registered Mental Health Therapists of Ontario, known as CRPO and established, under the Psychotherapy Act, 2007. Its complaint, investigation and discipline procedures come from the Health Professions Procedural Code, Schedule 2 to the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 (“the Code”), which applies to every regulated health profession in Ontario. The titles “psychotherapist,” “registered psychotherapist” and “registered mental health therapist” are restricted to its members (s. 8).
Who investigates: College staff and investigators. In a Registrar’s investigation you must co-operate fully (Code, s. 76(3.1)).
Who decides at the investigation stage: A panel of the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee (ICRC). The outcomes available are the same for complaints and reports.
Who holds hearings: The Ontario Registered Psychotherapists Discipline Tribunal (ORPDT), which is CRPO’s Discipline Committee. Since April 3, 2023 it has been part of the shared Health Professions Discipline Tribunals, which publish the rules, practice directions and guides.
Who reviews: HPARB reviews ICRC decisions on complaints. CRPO states that reports have no set timeline and no HPARB review.

Key timelines in the Code

The Registrar must notify you within 14 days of receiving a complaint or report (Code, s. 25(6)).
You may make written submissions to the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee within 30 days of receiving that notice. The committee can shorten that time if it believes, on reasonable and probable grounds, that your conduct exposes or is likely to expose clients to harm or injury (Code, s. 25.2).
Complaints are expected to be disposed of within 150 days. If that is missed, the Registrar must give the complainant a new expected date no more than 60 days later (Code, s. 28).
With both your and the complainant’s consent, the Registrar can refer a complaint to alternative dispute resolution, but not if it involves an allegation of sexual abuse or has already been referred to discipline (Code, s. 25.1).

CRPO reported an average of 270 days from receipt of a formal complaint to decision, with status updates after 150 days.

Common Issues in Psychotherapist Investigations

Boundaries and dual relationships

Friendships, business dealings or romantic relationships with current or former clients, gifts, and self-disclosure. Sexual abuse findings carry mandatory penalties (Code, s. 51(5)).

Competence and scope

Working with populations or modalities outside your training, such as couples, children or trauma work, and how you assessed whether therapy was appropriate.

Records and confidentiality

Incomplete notes, refusing or delaying access to records, disclosures to third parties without consent, and handling mandatory reporting duties.

Business practices

Fees, cancellation policies, receipts for insurance claims, and advertising. CRPO has practice standards on business practices.

Clinical supervision

Qualifying registrants practising without required supervision, and supervisors’ responsibility for the people they supervise.

CRPO’s Professional Practice Standards, organized into professional conduct, competence, the client–therapist relationship, clinical supervision, record-keeping and documentation, and business practices, set the expectations the committee applies alongside the professional misconduct regulation.

What Can Happen Next

Complaint or Registrar’s investigation

After considering the investigation and your submissions, a panel of the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee (ICRC) may take no further action; give advice or recommendations; require a specified continuing education or remediation program (SCERP); require you to appear to be cautioned; refer specified allegations of professional misconduct or incompetence to the Ontario Registered Psychotherapists Discipline Tribunal; or refer you for incapacity proceedings (Code, s. 26). Matters are also sometimes resolved through an undertaking, such as an agreement to restrict or monitor your practice. If the panel considers a complaint frivolous, vexatious, made in bad faith, moot or an abuse of process, it must give notice and allow 30 days for written submissions before declining to act (s. 26(4)–(5)).
Interim order

If the committee believes your conduct exposes or is likely to expose clients to harm or injury, it can suspend your certificate or impose terms, conditions or limitations while the matter continues (Code, s. 25.4(1)). You must normally receive notice and at least 14 days to make written submissions first, unless the risk is urgent (s. 25.4(6)–(7)). The order lasts until it is varied or the matter is finally resolved (s. 25.4(4)).
Discipline hearing

A panel of the Ontario Registered Psychotherapists Discipline Tribunal hears evidence and decides whether professional misconduct or incompetence is proven (Code, ss. 51, 52). If misconduct is found, it may revoke or suspend your certificate, impose terms, conditions and limitations, order a reprimand, or order a fine of up to $35,000 (s. 51(2)). Findings of sexual abuse carry mandatory orders, including revocation for the conduct listed in s. 51(5).
Review or appeal

HPARB review: you or the complainant may ask the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board to review an ICRC decision on a complaint, except a referral to discipline or for incapacity proceedings (Code, s. 29(2)). The request must be made within 30 days after receiving the notice of the right to request a review that comes with the decision (s. 29(3)), and HPARB cannot extend that time by more than 60 days (s. 29(4)).

Divisional Court: discipline and fitness to practise decisions can be appealed on questions of law, fact or both (Code, s. 70). Orders based on incompetence, incapacity or certain sexual abuse findings, and orders in matters where an interim order was in place, take effect immediately despite an appeal (ss. 25.4(5), 71, 71.1).

Checklist: Responding to a CRPO Complaint or Report

Documents to gather

CRPO’s notice and the date you received it
The client file: intake, consent, session notes, treatment plans and closing summary
Messages with the client by email, text or practice-management portal
Invoices, receipts, cancellation policy and any insurance correspondence
Supervision agreements and notes, if supervision is relevant
Records of any request for records and your reply

Details to check in the notice

Is it a complaint or a report? Your review rights differ.
Your deadline to make written submissions
Whether an interim order is being considered
Whether the client has consented to release of their records to the College

Rules and resources to consult

Health Professions Procedural Code, ss. 25–29, 51–52, 70–71 and 75–76
Psychotherapy Act, 2007 and its professional misconduct regulation
CRPO Professional Practice Standards
Health Professions Discipline Tribunals rules and practice directions, if referred to a hearing
Your professional liability insurer or association

Do not contact the client about the complaint without advice. Contact can be seen as pressure, even when it is well meant.

Frequently Asked Questions

The client filed a report rather than a complaint. Does that change anything?

The committee can reach the same outcomes either way, but a reporter is not a party, is generally not told the result, and cannot ask HPARB for a review. The process may also take longer, since the Code’s 150-day expectation applies to complaints (s. 28).

Can I keep practising during the investigation?

Usually, yes. Your certificate is unaffected unless the committee makes an interim order (Code, s. 25.4) or you agree to an undertaking that limits your practice.

Will this appear on the public register?

The Code requires the public register to note cautions, SCERPs, acknowledgements and undertakings, and allegations referred to discipline (s. 23(2)). College by-laws can add more. Check what will be posted before agreeing to any resolution.

Are discipline hearings public?

Generally, yes. ORPDT hearings are listed with their dates, and the public can register to observe. The Health Professions Discipline Tribunals publish guidance on openness, privacy and publication bans.

Sources

Statutory references are to the provisions listed below, as consolidated on e-Laws when this page was prepared.

Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991, S.O. 1991, c. 18, Schedule 2 (Health Professions Procedural Code), ss. 23, 25–29, 51–52, 70–71, 75–76, 85.5 — e-Laws consolidation period beginning January 1, 2026; checked November 10, 2026.
Psychotherapy Act, 2007, S.O. 2007, c. 10, Sched. R, ss. 3–5, 8 — e-Laws consolidation period beginning June 3, 2021; checked November 10, 2026.
CRPO, “Complaints & Reports” — Checked November 10, 2026.
CRPO, “Discipline” (ORPDT; participation in the Health Professions Discipline Tribunals from April 3, 2023) — Checked November 10, 2026.
CRPO, “Practice Standards” — Checked November 10, 2026.
Health Professions Appeal and Review Board (role; Consolidated Rules of Practice and Procedure in effect May 4, 2026) — Checked November 10, 2026.