Why Supervision Matters in Psychology

The value of layers of training

I began my clinical training in 2011 and became an autonomous psychologist in 2018. Along the way, I completed coursework, supervised practicums, a supervised residency, and a postdoctoral fellowship. Each stage was carefully overseen by supervisors who challenged my reasoning, questioned my assumptions, and ensured I could practice competently and ethically. Supervision was not a hurdle; it was a safeguard that shaped me into the psychologist I am today. I have always understood how vital supervision is, and as a supervisor myself, this fact has only been reinforced. It is a safeguard that prepares the next generation of clinicians to provide safe, effective care.

What is being proposed

The College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario (CPBAO) is currently considering changes that would significantly reduce licensing standards, including:

Removing the four-year supervised practice requirement for master’s graduates
Requiring only one practicum placement
Eliminating the oral examination
Replacing the ethics exam with a non-evaluative online module

These changes are being presented as a way to improve access to care and reduce training costs. But access without quality is not true access.

Why this matters for clients

Psychologists work with life-altering issues such as suicide risk, trauma, child custody, workplace disability, and medical-legal evaluations. Errors in judgment can have profound consequences, and rigorous training and supervision are what protect the public.They ensure that when someone sits across from a psychologist, they are receiving competent, evidence-based care — not guesswork.

Student voices

Graduate students across Ontario, who are training under today’s high standards, have echoed these concerns. They are proud of the rigor of their programs and want the credibility of that training to be reflected in strong licensing requirements. Most importantly, they fear that lowering standards could weaken the safeguards that ensure their future clients are protected. As one student told me: “We want to be held to the highest standards, because that’s what our clients deserve.”

The real issue

The true barriers to access are not high standards but bottlenecks in the training and practice pipeline:

Too few practicum and residency placements
Limited time and compensation for supervisors
Years of unpaid or underpaid training
Geographic inequities in rural and northern regions
Long waits for licensing exams and approvals
Underfunded schools, hospitals, and community agencies

Clients are left waiting not because psychologists are “overtrained,” but because the system doesn’t provide enough infrastructure and support to move trainees through safely and sustainably.

What we really need

Improving access requires addressing these bottlenecks, not lowering safeguards. Solutions include expanding placements, compensating supervisors, offering financial supports to students, reducing licensing delays, funding psychologist positions in public systems, and ensuring psychological services are covered under OHIP.

Ontario’s rigorous training pathway is not about exclusivity; it is about public protection. It is what ensures that people can trust their psychologist has been thoroughly trained, tested, and supervised before practicing independently. Access and quality must go hand in hand. Clients deserve nothing less.

Layers of Training, Not Shortcuts: Why Supervision Matters in Psychology