I would like to reply to the response of the Coalition of Psychologists of the Quebec Public Network (CPRPQ) to the letter “Heaviness and slowness in the training of psychologists” submitted by Lucie Morin and published on January 31. Because the spouse whose Mme Morin describes the path sadly interrupted in psychology, it’s me. First, thank you to the CPRPQ for taking the time to respond in detail to this opinion letter. However, the Coalition misinterpreted the issue.
Yes, some of the Coalition’s arguments are irrefutable, particularly the dangers of insufficient training and inappropriate interventions in an area as delicate as mental health. God knows how many licensed therapists in the past have been able to cause harm, sometimes irreparable. There is therefore no question of short-circuiting a complete and necessary training or of calling into question the bases of the right to practice and the title of doctor of psychology. However, I have to react to certain petitions of principle in the text of the four co-signatories.
It is not enough to be human to understand the human, we will agree. But let us agree just as much that, when a person already has a solid university education, with an intellectual curiosity to match, he probably already has a method and knowledge that allow him to acquire new knowledge more effectively than a young coming out of college. We also concede that, if he already has full experience of parental and professional responsibilities, this person may have acquired a discernment that a young beginner psychologist cannot claim.
Then, accelerated course does not mean course with “round corners”. Why not offer the possibility of doing the theoretical part of the training at an accelerated pace to experienced people who are able to do so, as more and more college and university distance learning programs allow, with more exam sessions frequent during the year? It is understandable that it is more difficult to accelerate clinical internships, but again, a “mature” intern, hardened by a rich academic, professional and personal background, could he not show dispositions justifying a condensed course?
Finally, 300 doctoral students per year, they say, is good. We would need 895 by 2023, it says. Even if this last “estimated” figure is correct — I believe it is largely underestimated, if only in view of the consequences of the pandemic which will last — we can see, after a simple calculation, that the supply will not meet not on demand.
Here, two observations are in order. On the one hand, our population is aging, on the other hand, more and more “experienced” adults want to reorient their careers. Given our socio-demographic reality, wouldn’t it be time to open up to other ways of doing things? Without compromising on the quality of the training, of course, but with a spirit of openness, ready to modulate the methods and, above all, the pace of acquisition of this training. Tell yourself that even if only a few dozen people a year in Quebec have the profile that I described above, and that they are ready to serve society after an intensive course, it will be hundreds of our citizens who could , more quickly, to see their suffering alleviated.
Well, I know I’m throwing a bottle overboard by attacking the sacred monster of regulated professional training. But you never know, someone, somewhere, might be inspired by the message I slipped in and shake things up.