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:

(a) psychologist;

(b) school psychologist.

(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.]

Scope of practice

4   A registrant may practise psychology.

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.]