Psychologists not the only option

Re: Psychologists key to mental health, letter by Ralph Billingsley, March 2.

This letter provides a confusing and misleading message. Yes, perhaps psychologists are being displaced in favour of more cost-effective methods, such as instant pharmaceuticals, shorter term medical counselling and a variety of mental-health practitioners. Psychologists no longer have the market as qualified psychotherapists. This does not mean that our health-care system is becoming less quality assured. The College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario, just a few years old, gives us much more security then ever to register and regulate highly trained and experienced psychotherapists. Yes, the government has passed legislation that allows registered psychotherapists to provide necessary and effective mental-health care to many more Ontario residents than before. Actually, these therapists have been around for a long time but now are fully recognized. There are rigorous quality control standards set by the college that are probably similar to those required for registered psychologists. The college is fully transparent for quality assurance.

Yet registered psychotherapists are not covered by all the insurance companies that psychologists are. Psychologists fees are usually twice that of psychotherapists. So the cost effectiveness favours psychotherapists. Social workers have been registered to practice psychotherapy for awhile now and also charge lower fees. Psychologists are undergoing change in their primacy role and status. The public needs to be educated as to their increasing options. Employees need to inform their employers to include these classifications when negotiating packages with their insurance companies for coverage.

Change is inevitable and these changes are for the greater good.

Emanuela Nardella, registered psychotherapist, Toronto