Regulated Professions
Lawyers for Psychotherapists in Ontario
CRPO Defence & Regulatory Representation
Registered psychotherapists in Ontario work in one of the most ethically scrutinized regulated health professions in the province. A single complaint, whether from a former client, a family member, an employer, or another regulated professional, can trigger an investigation by the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario that puts your certificate of registration, your private practice, and your professional reputation on the line. Boundary allegations, confidentiality concerns, record-keeping questions, dual-relationship issues, and any allegation touching the sexual abuse provisions of the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 (RHPA) all carry serious career consequences and demand strategic counsel from the outset.
At Greenwood Law, our Ontario regulatory defence lawyers represent registered psychotherapists (RPs) facing CRPO complaints, ICRC investigations, and Discipline Committee proceedings before the Ontario Registered Psychotherapists Discipline Tribunal (ORPDT). When your professional standing or your ability to practise psychotherapy is at stake, we bring strategic, experienced representation to defend your registration and your reputation.
The Greenwood Law Team
Greenwood Law provides regulatory defence and employment law counsel to registered psychotherapists across Ontario. When CRPO complaints escalate, employer investigations begin in parallel, or your professional standing is on the line, we bring strategic, experienced representation.
CRPO Complaint Defence
Our regulatory defence lawyers represent registered psychotherapists throughout the CRPO complaints and discipline process, including:
- Complaint Response & ICRC Submissions – Preparing comprehensive, strategic written responses to complaints filed with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario. The CRPO typically requires a written response within 30 days of providing notice of the complaint, and that response is, in most cases, your single best, and only, opportunity to shape how the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee (ICRC) views the matter.
- ICRC Investigations – Representation during College-led investigations conducted under the Health Professions Procedural Code, including responding to investigator requests, managing document production of client records, attending investigative interviews, and advocating for favourable dispositions such as no further action, advice, or remediation rather than discipline referral.
- ORPDT Discipline Hearings – Defence before the Ontario Registered Psychotherapists Discipline Tribunal (ORPDT), CRPO’s Discipline Committee, for matters referred for hearing, including motions, cross-examination, evidence presentation, agreed statements of fact, joint submissions on penalty, and contested penalty hearings where suspension or revocation of your certificate of registration is in issue.
- HPARB Reviews & Divisional Court Appeals – Bringing applications for review of ICRC decisions before the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board (HPARB), and appeals or judicial reviews of Discipline Committee decisions to the Divisional Court.
- Interim Orders, Undertakings & Practice Restrictions – Responding to applications for interim suspension or interim terms, negotiating undertakings that limit but preserve your practice, and advising on the practical and registration consequences of accepting voluntary restrictions.
Employment & Workplace Defence for Psychotherapists
We also represent registered psychotherapists facing workplace disputes and employment-related allegations that often intersect with CRPO proceedings:
- Workplace Misconduct Allegations – Defence against workplace harassment, bullying, or boundary complaints raised through an employer, hospital, community mental health agency, employee assistance program (EAP), or private practice setting, particularly where the same allegations have been or may be reported to the College.
- Sexual Abuse & Boundary Allegations – Strategic defence against sexual abuse or sexual harassment allegations, which carry mandatory revocation consequences under the zero-tolerance sexual abuse provisions of the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 if proven at discipline. Dual-relationship and post-treatment boundary allegations are also addressed here.
- Confidentiality, Record-Keeping & Privacy Investigations – Representation when allegations involve breaches of Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA) obligations, inadequate record-keeping under CRPO standards, or improper disclosure of client information.
- Wrongful and Constructive Dismissal – Wrongful dismissal and severance representation for psychotherapists terminated in the wake of allegations, performance disputes, or restructuring at agencies, hospitals, or group practices.
- Employment Contracts, Restrictive Covenants & Practice Transitions – Reviewing and negotiating employment agreements, independent contractor arrangements, non-solicitation clauses, and client-file ownership terms for psychotherapists in private practice, group clinics, or agency settings.
Hear From Our Clients
Protecting Your Psychotherapy Practice and Professional Reputation
We defend registered psychotherapists across Ontario, providing strategic regulatory representation to respond to CRPO complaints, navigate ICRC investigations and ORPDT discipline hearings, and defend against allegations that could affect your certificate of registration, your employment, or your professional standing.
Table of Contents
Hear From Our Clients
Protecting Your Psychotherapy Practice and Professional Reputation
We defend registered psychotherapists across Ontario, providing strategic regulatory representation to respond to CRPO complaints, navigate ICRC investigations and ORPDT discipline hearings, and defend against allegations that could affect your certificate of registration, your employment, or your professional standing.
Why Psychotherapists Choose Greenwood Law
Deep Understanding of Psychotherapy Regulation
We understand how the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario, the ICRC, and the ORPDT operate, and we tailor our defence strategies to the procedural requirements of psychotherapy regulation under the Psychotherapy Act, 2007 and the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991.
Experience Defending Serious Allegations
Our team has extensive experience defending regulated professionals facing serious allegations, including appearances at all court levels across Canada and service as a Legal Member on the Ontario Review Board.
Strategic Coordination Across Proceedings
We understand how CRPO complaints intersect with employer investigations, civil claims by former clients, PHIPA complaints, and, in serious cases, parallel criminal proceedings. We coordinate the defence across all of them so that what is said in one process does not undermine the others.
Confidentiality & Discretion
We understand the reputational sensitivity of regulatory proceedings for mental health professionals and handle every matter with the discretion psychotherapists expect.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do if I receive a complaint from the CRPO?
Do not ignore the complaint or miss the 30-day response deadline, failing to respond can itself constitute professional misconduct and removes the strongest opportunity to influence the outcome. Do not contact the complainant. Preserve all clinical records and related correspondence in their original form, and contact experienced regulatory defence counsel before drafting your written response. Your initial written submission to the ICRC is, in most matters, the only chance you will get to put your version of events before the committee.
How long does the CRPO complaints process take?
Timelines vary significantly. Straightforward complaints may resolve at the ICRC stage within roughly six to twelve months. Complex matters involving expert reports on standards of practice, multiple allegations, or referral to the ORPDT can take two to three years or longer. Interim orders restricting your practice may be imposed at any point in the process where client safety is alleged to be at risk.
What is the difference between the ICRC and the ORPDT?
The Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee (ICRC) is the screening body. It reviews the complaint, your written response, and the investigator’s report on paper, and can take no further action, issue advice, require a Specified Continuing Education or Remediation Program (SCERP), require you to attend for an oral caution, accept an undertaking, or refer the matter to discipline. The Ontario Registered Psychotherapists Discipline Tribunal (ORPDT) is the formal hearing body, CRPO’s Discipline Committee, that conducts contested hearings where allegations are proven through live evidence, and it has the power to suspend or revoke your certificate of registration, impose terms, conditions, and limitations, and order costs.
Will my CRPO complaint be made public?
Not every ICRC outcome is published. A decision to take no further action or issue private advice generally is not posted on the public register. However, since April 1, 2017, ICRC decisions involving an oral caution, SCERP, or undertaking affecting practice are noted on your CRPO public register profile. Referrals to discipline are added to the public register immediately, and ORPDT hearings are presumptively open to the public, with findings and penalties published permanently.
What if I'm registered with more than one college?
Many psychotherapists in Ontario are also registered with the College of Nurses of Ontario, the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario, or another regulator, and the conduct underlying a complaint may fall within more than one college’s jurisdiction. Each college can run its own investigation in parallel, and findings or undertakings at one college can have direct consequences for your standing at another. We coordinate the defence across colleges so the response strategy is consistent and the risk of conflicting outcomes is managed.
Contact Greenwood Law
If you are a registered psychotherapist facing a CRPO complaint, an ICRC investigation, or an ORPDT discipline hearing, early intervention by experienced regulatory defence counsel is essential. Contact Greenwood Law for a confidential consultation.
Areas We Serve
At Greenwood Law, we proudly serve clients across Ontario & throughout Canada, including:
