so i'm looking into psychotherapy training programs - not through yorkville but through other experiential programs in Toronto - in particular the Centre for Training in Psychotherapy (CTP). The CTP is a 6 year PART-TIME program, with the first 2 years being theoretical and the last 4 years being practical (i.e. in the 3rd year you enter a pre-clinical phase and in the last 4, 5 and 6th years you have actual clients to counsel and it's all supervised). The program has requires you go through your own therapy throughout the program and participate in intensive group therapy sessions with your peers. I've heard great things about the program and i also appreciate their approach to admissions - it's incredibly holistic and also resource intensive on their end (before even applying you have to have an interview with the faculty, and after submitting in your application you're interviewed 2 more times).
The program will NOT allow you to be a social worker or register with social worker bodies because it is not a social work program, as it is a psychotherapy training program. After completion you have the required hours and qualification to register with the CRPO (College of registered psychotherapists Of Ontario) and practice as a psychotherapist. This program is ideal if your main priority and goal is to be a counselor/psychotherapist rather than a social worker with broader competencies. While social workers who are registered (RSW) can call themselves psychotherapist and can practice as psychotherapists, social workers need to obtain the minimum hours of supervised clients to qualify. Many MSW programs including the very clinical ones (I.e UOFT) will not give you enough hours to register after you are done, so you'll need to get a job/position counselling clients while being supervised. Of course this is possible is done by MANY social workers! The reality is if you primarily want to be a psychotherapist - 2 years of MSW won't be enough to qualify you for that.
PROS/CONS: if you want to practice in other areas that are privy to social workers, this degree won't enable you to do that (at least for now. Qualifications are changing all the time and the practice of psychotherapy is becoming more accredited - giving it more legitimacy); its a 6 year program (pros and cons) as it's part time and meant for you to be able to work and attend to your other relational needs outside of the program.
Also caveat* in order to apply to this program you'll need to have undergone 80 hours of individual psychodynamic therapy.
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