We are writing in response to Lucie Morin’s letter “Heaviness and slowness in the training of psychologists” published on Monday, January 31, 2022. Unlike the latter, the Coalition of Psychologists of the Quebec Public Network (CPRPQ) supports doctoral training for psychologists . Since 2006, the doctorate has been compulsory to become a psychologist in Quebec; this decision was made because the assessment of mental disorders and their treatment are extremely complex. The risks of causing harm are high without specialized training. For example, some psychological difficulties can worsen with inappropriate interventions and lead to permanent consequences.
It would therefore not be prudent to train people quickly in the hope that they can assess or treat mental health disorders. Using “one’s life experience” without having a deep knowledge of psychology can also be detrimental to patients. Psychologists are very well trained so that their own background and personal biases do not interfere with the assessment and treatment of patients. This is also an essential aspect of our code of ethics: if we have difficulty keeping a healthy distance in relation to what one of our patients is going through, we must seek supervision or even , in some cases, stop our tracking. It is for this reason that psychologists are not authorized to carry out psychotherapy with their loved ones.
To think that 20 years of life experience combined with abbreviated training in psychology equals supervised doctoral training reflects an underestimation of the complexity of the work of psychologists. We integrate several factors in order to better treat the difficulties of the person. While our patients may feel comfortable with us in our conversations, as a psychologist we carefully weigh our words and the timing of our expression to bring about lasting change.
During their 7 to 10 years of university, psychology students are trained in various theoretical approaches and scientific research. They are also called upon to develop critical thinking and in-depth knowledge of ethical and deontological issues. They develop advanced skills in the differential assessment and treatment of mental health disorders. They are therefore able to assess the needs and evolution of the patient during treatment. It is important to re-establish the facts: doctoral students in psychology must complete 2300 hours of internships, and not 6000 hours as mentioned in the open letter cited above. They must also develop and carry out an innovative doctoral study. Yes, this journey takes a long time, but it is important to fully understand the complexity of human beings, biologically, psychologically and socially.
You don’t win by taking shortcuts. Each profession requires certain requirements and a certain number of years of study. You don’t shorten a doctor’s university career because he has suffered from an illness. The number of years of study of doctoral students in psychology should not be reduced because they have experienced bereavement, trauma or other emotional or relational difficulties; it does not confer the expertise to assess and treat those who suffer from it.
Mme Morin is nevertheless right on one point: the psychological needs are currently glaring and there is a lack of psychologists in the public network. It is estimated that there will be a shortage of 895 by 2023. It should not be forgotten, however, that each year, approximately 300 doctoral students in psychology graduate by meeting all the requirements for the exercise of the profession. They are ready to work, and although the majority of them (75%) want to work in the public network, they are a minority to apply for it because of serious shortcomings in working conditions. Unless this is remedied, they will continue to choose to work in private clinics, where recognition of their expertise is much better. We must continue to campaign to improve access to psychological care for all Quebecers, but above all we must not cut corners to get there!