Regulation BEFORE repealed by BC Reg 131/2025, effective April 1, 2026.
| B.C. Reg. 289/2008 M249/2008 | Deposited October 15, 2008 effective October 17, 2008 |
Health Professions Act
Psychologists Regulation
| Contents | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Definitions | |
| 2 | College name | |
| 3 | Reserved titles | |
| 4 | Scope of practice | |
| 4.1 | Restricted and provisional registrant classes | |
| 5 | Patient relations program | |
| 6 | Restricted activities | |
Definitions
1 In this regulation:
"Act" means the Health Professions Act;
"psychology" means the health profession in which a person provides the following services:
(a) the prevention and treatment of mental conditions and disorders;
(b) the assessment, management and enhancement of an individual's developmental, behavioural, cognitive, emotional, intellectual and interpersonal functioning, primarily by using psychological assessment and intervention strategies such as psychometric testing and psychotherapy;
"registrant" means a registrant who is authorized under the bylaws to practise psychology;
"school psychology" means the health profession in which a person provides the following services:
(a) the use of theories and principles of psychology for the purpose of understanding and assessing an individual's developmental, behavioural, cognitive, emotional, intellectual and interpersonal needs as those needs relate to the individual's ability to learn and function in a learning environment;
(b) the creation, protection and promotion of learning environments that facilitate learning and intellectual functioning.
[en. B.C. Reg. 204/2022, Sch. 1; am. B.C. Regs. 204/2022, Sch. 2, s. 1; 32/2024, Sch. 6, s. 1.]
College name
2 The name of the college responsible for carrying out the objects of the Act in respect of psychology is "College of Health and Care Professionals of British Columbia".
[en. B.C. Reg. 32/2024, Sch. 6, s. 2.]
Reserved titles
3 (1) The following titles are reserved for exclusive use by registrants:
(2) Despite subsection (1), a person who is not a registrant may use the title "psychologist", and a society whose members are not registrants may incorporate the words "psychology", "psychological" or "psychologist" in their title or designation, if
(a) that person is, or the members of that society are, teaching, lecturing or engaging in research as a psychologist, and
(b) those activities are carried out by reason of, and in the course of, duties under an academic appointment or program in a university as defined in the University Act.
[en. B.C. Reg. 204/2022, Sch. 2, s. 2.]
Restricted and provisional registrant classes
4.1 The college is authorized to establish, under section 19 (1) (i) of the Act, a class of
(a) restricted registrants for the purposes of section 20 (4.2) of the Act, and
(b) provisional registrants for the purposes of section 20 (4.3) of the Act.
[en. B.C. Reg. 32/2024, Sch. 6, s. 3.]
Patient relations program
5 The college is designated for the purposes of section 16 (2) (f) of the Act.
Restricted activities
6 (1) A registrant who is a psychologist may, in the course of practising psychology, make a diagnosis identifying a mental condition or disorder as the cause of the signs or symptoms of an individual.
(2) A registrant who is a school psychologist may, in the course of practising school psychology within a learning environment, make a diagnosis identifying a mental condition or disorder as it relates to learning and intellectual functioning as the cause of the signs or symptoms of an individual within that environment.
(3) Only a registrant may provide a service that includes the performance of an activity set out in subsection (1) or (2).
[en. B.C. Reg. 204/2022, Sch. 2, s. 3.]
[Provisions relevant to the enactment of this regulation: Health Professions Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 183, s. 12 (2).]
Section 1 BEFORE re-enacted by BC Reg 204/2022, effective May 1, 2023.
Definitions
1 In this regulation:
"Act" means the Health Professions Act;
"practice of psychology" includes, for a fee or reward, monetary or otherwise,
(a) the provision, to individuals, groups, organizations or the public, of any service involving the application of principles, methods and procedures of understanding, predicting and influencing behaviour, including the principles of learning, perception, motivation, thinking, emotion and interpersonal relationships,
(b) the application of methods and procedures of interviewing, counselling, psychotherapy, behaviour therapy, behaviour modification, hypnosis or research, or
(c) the construction, administration and interpretation of tests of mental abilities, aptitudes, interests, opinions, attitudes, emotions, personality characteristics, motivations and psychophysiological characteristics, and the assessment or diagnosis of behavioural, emotional and mental disorder.
Section 3 BEFORE re-enacted by BC Reg 204/2022, effective May 1, 2024.
Reserved titles
3 (1) The following titles are reserved for exclusive use by registrants:
(a) registered psychological associate;
(2) Despite subsection (1), a person who is not a registrant may use the title "psychologist", and a society whose members are not registrants may incorporate the words "psychology", "psychological" or "psychologist" in their title or designation, if that person is, or the members of that society are,
(a) practising the profession in the course of the person's employment with a board or council under the Health Authorities Act or with a community health services society, designated by the minister for the purposes of this paragraph, incorporated under the Society Act,
(b) teaching, lecturing or engaging in research as a psychologist if those activities are carried out by reason of, and in the course of, duties under an academic appointment or program in a university as defined by the University Act, or
(c) acting in the course of employment by
(i) a provincial, federal or municipal government or government agency,
(ii) an authority as defined in the Independent School Act,
(iii) a francophone education authority as defined in the School Act, or
(iv) a board of school trustees constituted under the School Act,
if qualifications in psychology are a condition of such employment.