Frequently Asked Questions

You must submit the application in its entirety and pay the application fee by the application deadline noted on the CAP website. The application includes the Registration Change form and the HSEP. The Registration Verification Part II form (if applicable) and the Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Check are submitted separately and must be received by the application deadline.

If any of the forms or documents have not been received by the application deadline, the provisional application will be held for review at the next scheduled RASC meeting.

Due to the high volume of requests at local police stations, applicants are encouraged to apply for a Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Check well in advance of the provisional application deadline. Similarly, applicants are encouraged to request any necessary Registration Verification Part II forms from the issuing bodies well in advance of the provisional application deadline.

All applicants who are currently registered or have past registration or membership in any jurisdiction(s), with any other regulatory body, professional association, or equivalent, must have the applicable organization complete the Registration Verification Part II. This pertains to any professional or regulatory body and not only those related to the practice of psychology. The only exceptions apply to the Psychologists’ Association of Alberta (PAA) and the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA). 

The issuing body must mail or email the completed form directly to CAP at registration@cap.ab.ca.

Due to the high volume of such requests at the issuing bodies, applicants are encouraged to request the Registration Verification II form(s) well in advance of the provisional application deadline. If a Registration Verification II is required and has not been received by the application deadline, the provisional application will be held for review at the next scheduled RASC meeting.

Please refer to the Criminal Record and Vulnerable Sector Check document for all details. The Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Check must be dated within one year before the date the provisional application is reviewed by the RASC. 

The Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Check must be provided for all names, current and previous, you use/have used; this includes the name on your current government-issued identification, maiden name, former married name, any aliases, or other former names (as applicable). 

If the name(s) identified in the Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Check do not include all names, a copy of the original application or a letter from the policing agency indicating all names have been searched must be provided.

Possibly.  Please refer to the Criminal Record and Vulnerable Sector Check document for all details.

Possibly. Please refer to the Criminal Record and Vulnerable Sector Check document for all details.

If there is evidence of a criminal record in any jurisdiction, after considering all the relevant circumstances the RASC and/or the Registrar may approve, approve subject to conditions, defer, or deny registration based on several factors.

These factors include the severity and context of the circumstances, the relevance and the level of risk it presents for practice, how recently the event occurred, whether or not the severity and/or nature of the circumstances are related to the integrity of the profession, the steps, if any, you have taken to reduce the risk of similar events occurring in the future, whether it impacts the assessment of good character and reputation, and any other factors considered to be relevant.

If there is evidence of a judgment in a civil action in any jurisdiction, after considering all of the circumstances the RASC and/or the Registrar may approve, approve subject to conditions, defer, or deny registration based on several factors.

These factors include the severity and context of the circumstances, the relevance and the level of risk it presents for practice, how recently it occurred, whether or not the severity and/or nature of the circumstances are related to the integrity of the profession, the steps, if any, you have taken to reduce the risk of similar events occurring in the future, whether it impacts the assessment of good character and reputation, and any other factors considered to be relevant.

No. CAP does not retain a list of insurance companies. The onus is on the applicant to find an insurance company that will provide them with the required professional liability insurance. Applicants who are members of the Psychologists’ Association of Alberta (PAA) or the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) may contact these organizations for an insurance referral.

CAP requires a minimum of $5,000,000 in professional liability insurance and it must include regulatory legal defence in case of a claim or a professional conduct complaint. This insurance can be purchased by you or provided by your employer. It is your responsibility to ensure you have the amount and type of insurance that is required. You will have to declare that you or your employer carry adequate professional liability insurance on the Registration Change form. CAP does not require a copy of the insurance policy. Professional liability insurance coverage must be active when you apply for registration as a provisional psychologist and must be maintained at all times while on an active register.

No. You may consider contacting a social service agency, charitable organization, school board, educational institution, correctional facility, or registered psychologist in private practice for a potential practice location to complete the required hours of practice.

Possibly. The RASC will consider granting credit for previously completed supervised practice hours when an applicant has completed a pre-doctoral internship (see the Pre-Doctoral Internship section of the FAQ). 

Applicants to whom the above applies will submit a Request for Credit for hours of practice completed in a pre-doctoral internship.

Provisional re-applicants who have completed all or a portion of the 1600 practice and 107 supervision hours within the last five years can also submit a Request for Credit to have the hours brought forward into their new term as a provisional psychologist.

No. Hours completed in a master’s program are not eligible for the required 1600 supervised practice hours.

Applicants submitting a Supervision Plan must complete their supervised practice hours in the Alberta context. Applicants in a pre-doctoral internship may complete their supervised practice hours in another jurisdiction.

No. A registered provisional psychologist cannot provide psychological services in an independent practice in a private setting where they are the only practitioner on site.

A sole practitioner refers to a practitioner who works alone in a private practice setting. A provisional psychologist is not permitted to work as a sole practitioner but is permitted to work within a private setting when sharing office space with other regulated health professionals who are fully registered with the appropriate regulatory authority and who are permitted to practice independently.

The professions of regulated health professionals are regulated by the HPA. This includes, but is not limited to, psychologists, physicians, social workers, and nurses. A complete list of regulated health professions governed by the HPA can be found in the HPA, or on the website of the Alberta Federation of Regulated Health Professions (AFRHP). Each regulated health profession has a regulatory body. CAP is the regulatory body for the profession of psychology in the province of Alberta.

In the context of the questions above, sharing an office refers to occupying office space with other regulated health professionals who are fully registered with the appropriate regulatory authority and who are permitted to practice independently, and where individual offices are part of larger office space and the hours of work of the health professionals overlap the majority of the time.

It depends on your specific situation.      

If you are in private practice, you are required to be in shared office space with other regulated health professionals, even if your practice is virtual. This precludes working in a home office setting.

If you will not be in private practice (e.g., you are an employee or contractor of another organization), you are permitted to work virtually in a home office. Supervision standards must still be maintained, including 25% onsite face-to-face supervision at every practice location and home office.

If you are doing both – working as an employee for part of your hours and in private practice for the other hours – you may work from a home office when doing hours that fall under the agency you work for, and must work in shared office space with other regulated health professionals for you private practice hours.

Practicing in isolation is a known risk factor for professional misconduct.

No. Other regulated health professionals must be onsite who are fully registered with the appropriate regulatory authority and who are permitted to practice independently.

Registered provisional psychologists are required to practice under the supervision of a registered psychologist and are not considered ready for independent practice until they complete all registration requirements. Working with other regulated health professions who are fully registered with the appropriate regulatory authority and who are permitted to practice independently provides natural safeguards and possible guidance and support that can assist a practitioner who is not deemed ready for independent practice.

A complete list of regulated health professions governed by the HPA can be found in the HPA, or the website of the Alberta Federation of Regulated Health Professions (AFRHP).