RP (Qualifying) supervision
RP (Qualifying) to RP: clinical supervision and hours requirements
Facts checked against CRPO's and Ontario's official sources on October 21, 2026.
An RP (Qualifying) in Ontario must practise with clinical supervision and actively work toward full registration. To transfer to Registered Psychotherapist you must pass the Registration Examination and have 450 direct client contact (DCC) hours and 100 clinical supervision hours approved by CRPO staff, with at least half of the supervision individual or dyadic, all within five years of your registration as an RP (Qualifying). Transferring to RP does not end supervision: that comes only with independent practice.
What RP (Qualifying) registration requires
Every RP (Qualifying) certificate of registration carries terms, conditions and limitations. You must practise psychotherapy with clinical supervision, and you must actively pursue the remaining registration requirements (the examination and the clinical experience) unless the Registrar gives written permission to pause for exceptional circumstances. Breaching a term, condition or limitation can lead to discipline.
Use the full title. CRPO accepts "Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)" or "RP (Qualifying)" and says no other abbreviation is acceptable; "RP(Q)" is wrong.
The requirements to transfer to RP
| Requirement | What CRPO requires |
|---|---|
| Registration Examination | Pass it. First attempt within 24 months of your registration as an RP (Qualifying); a maximum of three attempts. |
| Direct client contact | 450 hours, approved by staff |
| Clinical supervision | 100 hours, at least 50% individual or dyadic, approved by staff |
| Group supervision | Counts only in groups of eight or fewer supervisees (since 1 April 2022) |
| Overall time limit | Five years from your registration as an RP (Qualifying) to meet all requirements |
What counts as DCC. CRPO defines it as time when client and therapist are directly and formally engaged in the psychotherapeutic process, in person, by phone, by video or by email. Intake interviews, clinical assessments and facilitating or co-facilitating sessions count. Observing without taking part, record keeping, administrative work and report writing, mainly administrative psychometric testing, and giving or receiving supervision do not. A standard 45 or 50 minute session counts as one hour.
What counts as supervision. Individual, dyadic or group clinical supervision with a qualified supervisor. Structured peer group supervision counts only if it is formal and includes at least one member who meets the supervisor definition. Informal peer discussion of clients does not count.
If the exam is the obstacle, the guide on failing the CRPO exam explains attempts, upgrading and the third-attempt rules.
Who can be your supervisor
For an Ontario supervisor, CRPO lists five criteria:
- In good standing with a regulatory college whose members may practise psychotherapy.
- Five years of extensive clinical experience since graduating from their psychotherapy program.
- Meets the independent practice requirement (1,000 DCC hours and 150 supervision hours).
- Thirty hours of directed learning in clinical supervision (coursework for anyone who starts supervising on or after 1 April 2026).
- Completion of CRPO's learning module on clinical supervision.
Supervisors outside Ontario are described as experienced practitioners qualified by another regulator or a professional association.
Logging hours and making the transfer
Your supervisor completes the Clinical Supervisor Attestation Form and emails it to you; you upload it to your CRPO account. Your employer or supervisor completes the Direct Client Contact Confirmation Form for your DCC hours. Each set of hours becomes an entry on the Practice Information page, with one document per entry, and you click "Submit my hours for review" once you have the minimum to transfer.
Three timing points catch people:
- Review takes about 7 to 9 weeks at the time of writing, in the order received, and cannot be expedited.
- Pending hours do not make you eligible. Keep practising with supervision until CRPO confirms approval.
- Once eligible, you have 30 days to complete the transfer and pay the transfer and pro-rated registration fees. Miss it and you get a letter and a late fee, then 30 more days; after that the registration is administratively suspended for non-payment, and lifting the suspension costs $350 plus HST.
Hours you listed on your registration application were assessed only for currency. To count toward the transfer, they must be submitted again through your account.
Standard 4.2: practising with clinical supervision
CRPO's Professional Practice Standard 4.2 says: "Registrants practise with clinical supervision when they are required to do so because of their registration category, when encountering a challenging client situation, expanding their area of practice, or by order of a CRPO committee."
| Situation | Recommended minimum in the standard |
|---|---|
| RP (Qualifying) | Approximately one hour of clinical supervision per week |
| RP working toward independent practice | Approximately one hour every two weeks |
Shorter extra meetings can be added as needed. When the required hours are done, you must keep meeting your supervisor regularly until you meet every requirement for independent practice (1,000 DCC hours and 150 supervision hours, at least half individual or dyadic).
The standard also sets duties toward clients and records:
- Enter into and follow a clinical supervision agreement.
- Tell clients that you practise with clinical supervision, including the supervisor's identity and contact information where appropriate, and that they may contact the supervisor.
- Make sure clients know when the supervisor has access to their identifying information, and obtain informed consent before identifying information is shared.
- Keep a record of supervision received: the supervisor's name and contact information, a copy of the agreement, dates and hours, the format (individual, dyadic or group) and the issues discussed.
These duties turn up in exam simulations as consent and confidentiality items. The clinical supervision module works through how they are weighted, and the CRPO Exam Lab's free practice case shows a first-session consent conversation in the exam's format.
Common questions
How many hours do I need to go from RP (Qualifying) to RP?
450 direct client contact hours and 100 clinical supervision hours, both approved by CRPO staff, with at least half the supervision individual or dyadic. You must also pass the Registration Examination.
How long can I stay an RP (Qualifying)?
CRPO gives a maximum of five years from the date you were registered as an RP (Qualifying) to meet all the requirements, and your first exam attempt must be within 24 months.
How often should an RP (Qualifying) have supervision?
Standard 4.2 recommends a minimum of approximately one hour of clinical supervision per week, with shorter extra meetings as needed.
Does supervision stop once I become an RP?
No. You keep practising with supervision until you reach 1,000 DCC hours and 150 supervision hours for independent practice.
Sources
- Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) (CRPO) (opens in a new tab)
- Supervision Requirements (CRPO) (opens in a new tab)
- Updating Clinical Experience Hours (CRPO) (opens in a new tab)
- Standard 4.2: Practising with Clinical Supervision (CRPO) (opens in a new tab)
- Requirements & Writing the Exam (CRPO) (opens in a new tab)