We have heard from several family therapists and marriage counselors who express sadness and extreme disappointment at being forced to join the new College of Registered Psychotherapists (CRPO) in order to continue earning their livelihoods. Before sharing a selection of their powerful comments we ask that you seriously consider contributing to our effort to protect our rights and freedoms to freely choose our treatment and practitioner. To do so, please click the Donate button at www.StopPsychotherapyTakeover.ca. Please note that if you donate at the Change.org petition site your donation goes to the host of the Petition site, not the legal effort. WE NEED YOUR CONTRIBUTION NOW TO KEEP UP THE LEGAL PUSHBACK AGAINST TYRANNY. Callers have told us that to continue practicing as family therapists and marriage counselors, Ontario Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (OAMFT) members have been told do something that they feel is neither justified nor necessary – pay additional fees and submit to governance by an organization that lacks the appropriate expertise in family therapy and many of the other treatments it seeks to takeover. Some say they feel bullied into accepting OAMFT Board dictates and have sent us the latest OAMFT newsletter. In it, the Chair of OAMFT’s Legislation Committee unquestioningly updated members on the progression of the new college (CRPO) and advised members to put their name on the college’s contact list. He neither offered nor encouraged the slightest discussion on whether joining the College is truly in the best interests of OAMFT members or the public. Our contacts have complained that this is typical of OAMFT’s leadership. Complainant ‘Peter’ wrote: “The problem is that OAMFT is not fighting back for the rights of Registered Family Therapists… When I connected with my MP about my concerns with CRPO [takeover], his office contacted OAMFT, and the person who answered the phone told him that OAMFT was supporting CRPO [takeover] because "Family Therapist" isn't a protected name. That is misleading because "Registered Family Therapist" certainly is a protected title… I'm concerned about the lack of due process and consultation from the OAMFT Board with the members they are supposed to be representing. At no time have the members been asked what OAMFT's position should be on being forced to join the College in order to keep practicing as a Registered Family Therapist. The OAMFT President has been asked directly to connect with the membership and allow members the option of a vote on whether Registered Family Therapists should be forced to join in order to practice in Ontario. She has not done so or even called back after promising to do so…" Marriage Counselor ‘Susan’ expressed her dismay this way: "I believe that the lack of consultation with the membership by OAMFT leadership and the close relationship the OAMFT Board appears to have with the Transitional Council of CRPO may have created a climate of fear for the OAMFT membership. I think that there are enough Dual Relationship [conflict] concerns to keep OAMFT members from protesting for fear of being kept from practicing in Ontario if the new College is proclaimed… OAMFT leadership appears to be representing CRPO more than OAMFT [members]." And finally, Mel, a 25-year veteran of family counseling boasting a healthy practice: "I do not think that the majority of OAMFT's 900 members believe that we should be forced to join CRPO in order to practice as a Registered Family Therapist… But being forced to pay an additional $600 plus a year on top of their current AAMFT/OAMFT fees in order to be governed by people who do not have a background in Family Therapy is something most would object to if they were informed that they could have the choice to protest without fear of retaliation. It is disturbing that we have not been offered this choice, particularly given the transparent and collaborative communication that Family Therapists are trained in and known for.” Why should all this be important to us? Because: (a) Within the CRPO, there are no sub-categories of registered psychotherapists and therefore all will be forced to use the same restrictive, oppressive medical/pharmaceutical regulations Ontarians are seeking to avoid when opting for natural treatments. (b) as family therapy and marriage counseling are brought under the banner of a ‘controlled act’, it means that no unregistered practitioners can offer families the benefit of their wisdom, knowledge and experience. There seems to be contradictions: the OAMFT Board says it’s necessary to become a registered psychotherapist to protect the already protected title of ‘Registered Family Therapist”. The CRPO, on the other hand, suggests the public needs their protection from therapists of all sorts. Then there is the stated purpose of the RPHA legislation… to regulate ‘risky’ treatments. Do you know anyone who has died or been hurt by family therapy? By marriage counseling? Will the public be harmed if the titles are not ‘protected’. It seems that the takeover lords can’t keep their stories straight. And it seems even clearer who is being protected by this takeover… and it’s not the public. Some other comments from family therapists/marriage counselors: (a) “I feel I’m being forced to agree to the takeover and suppression of natural, traditional, holistic, energy and spiritual care treatments that millions prefer over the medical approaches…like guilt by association.” (b) “we are NOT risky and therefore in need of regulation by psychotherapists who know little to nothing about what we do.” (c) “…once proclaimed, the College will make rules and regulations without public consultation, affecting me and my clients very detrimentally.” (d) “I’ve been a successful practitioner for 22 years. I have no Master’s Degree or the equivalent, so I’m extremely distressed at all this takeover of our profession. ONLY the public should decide who gets to practice. For sure I’ll be targeted if I speak out.” (e) “…we are being forced to join an organization that will have unlimited power to make regulations and rules that will harm many others... I am sickened by the fact that I am getting pulled into a dictatorship over others.” (f) “…this is really scary. The new College has our own Board turned against us, ruling us like our opinions don’t matter! I built my marriage counseling practice through sheer hard work and now that will be destroyed because my clients won’t be interested in seeing a psychotherapist and all they stand for…” The RHPA ‘controlled act’ has zero to do with protecting the public. It is a perfect vehicle for eliminating competition and taking control of our minds and money by allowing only certain ‘professionals’ to engage in treatments. Professional lobbyists have hoodwinked the public and the government into believing that effective and safe treatments are suddenly in need of regulation. If you disagree with psychologist and psychotherapist claims that only they are ‘qualified’ to assist other human beings with the bumps and bruises of life, then please consider financially supporting our continuing effort to convince the Ontario Government to protect our inalienable constitutional rights, freedoms and liberties. Please donate NOW online at www.stoppsychotherapytakeover.ca, where you will also find important information. And please share the Stop Psychotherapy Takeover petition. Thank you!