FROM THE REGISTRAR’S DESK
Recognizing the
unique nature of
psychotherapy
A
Dan Faulkner
Interim Registrar
This builds on
the work that
the College has
done in recent
years to advance
its commitment
to prevent and
address all matters
of sexual abuse
t its last meeting,
Council voted to
develop a regulation
that would help further
protect psychotherapy patients
from sexual abuse. This builds
on the work that the College has
done in recent years to advance its
continued commitment to prevent
and address all matters of sexual
abuse by physicians of patients. In
the past four years, the College has
made internal changes and influ-
enced key legislative amendments
that reflect society’s values and
expectations.
This proposed College regulation
would supplement, not replace, the
Ministry regulations that have been
developed in regard to the defini-
tion of patient in terms of sexual
abuse allegations involving physi-
cians and other health-care profes-
sionals. As detailed in an advisory
that was sent to all physicians in
April, changes to the College’s
governing legislation made by the
provincial government came into
effect on May 1, 2018. The govern-
ment’s regulation, which flows from
the Protecting Patients Act, means
that now, for the purposes of sexual
abuse allegations, a person will be
considered to be a patient for one
year after the termination of the
doctor-patient relationship. This
means that any physician who en-
gages in a sexual relationship with
a patient within one year of the
termination of the doctor-patient
relationship is subject to manda-
tory revocation. The only exception
will be if the treatment is provided
in emergency circumstances or was
minor in nature. For more detailed
information, please see page 23.
But we believed that it is impor-
tant to recognize the unique nature
of psychotherapy and the particular
vulnerabilities of patients undergo-
ing psychotherapy.
Our proposed regulation would
extend the physician-patient rela-
tionship five years beyond termi-
nation when the relationship has
involved psychotherapy. This would
mean that if a physician has a sexual
relationship with a former patient
any time within the five years fol-
lowing termination of the doctor-
patient relationship, the physician
would be subject to mandatory
revocation. This regulation reflects
the current expectations of those
providing care to patients in the
most vulnerable of circumstances,
as outlined in the College’s Main-
taining Appropriate Boundaries
ISSUE 2, 2018 DIALOGUE
7