Newfoundland and Labrador Psychology Board
(Formerly the Newfoundland Board of Examiners in Psychology)
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General Information |
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The Newfoundland and Labrador Psychology Board (NLPB) regulates the profession of Psychology in the province of
Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, under the authority of the Psychologists
Act (2005). The new Act was passed and given royal assent in December, 2005. Originally titled the Newfoundland
Board of Examiners in Psychology (NBEP), the board is reconstituted as an elected body under the new Act. The present
board is transitional until the first elected board is in place later this year. All Psychologists must subscribe to the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists, the NLPB Standards of Professional of Conduct, and the Practice Guidelines for Providers of Psychological Services, published by the Canadian Psychological Association. Psychologists registered with the NLPB are accountable to the board for their conduct. If you have questions or concerns about the conduct of a psychologist, or you wish to make a complaint about the conduct of a psychologist, you may contact the Registrar. The Psychologists Act(2005) made it mandatory for registered psychologists to have professional liability insurance. All registered psychologists are required to have their own malpractice insurance with coverage of a minimum of one million dollars per claim and an extended discovery period. An extended discovery period means that claims are covered after the registrant has retired from practice and ceased being registered. Under the Psychologists Act only a person registered by the NLPB may use the designation, psychologist. It is illegal for a person other than a registered psychologist to hold himself or herself out to the public by name or description of services as a psychologist, or as a person who practices psychology (see Psychologists Act, Section 31). |
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There are two levels of registration: full registration and provisional registration. Psychologists who are
fully registered may practice independently. Provisionally registered psychologists may practice only under
the supervision of a fully registered psychologist. Provisional status is indicated on the certificate of
registration and it is the responsibility of the provisionally registered psychologist to indicate his or her status
to the public and to clients at all times. The Psychologists Act does not currently provide for temporary registration. Psychologists, registered in other jurisdictions, who wish to practice in Newfoundland and Labrador, however briefly, must be registered with the NLPB. Visiting psychologists are advised to consider the time needed to process applications, and contact the Registrar for more information. Important Note: Only individual practitioners are registered as psychologists and, as such, are the only persons who may provide psychological services. The public is advised to check on the registration status of any individual service provider regardless of whether the name of a partnership, group, company, or corporation contains the word "psychology" or advertises that psychological services are delivered. |
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Information for Applicants |
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Registration Requirements The Psychologists Act (2005) requires that registrants possess a masters or doctoral degree in psychology acceptable to the board or the equivalent in content and training. Without such a credential, the NLPB cannot register the applicant. Please ask the Registrar for further information with respect to the acceptability of your masters or doctoral degree(s). A list of guidelines for the acceptability of degrees is available upon request. As one example, the M.Ed. Degree in Educational Foundations from UNB is not considered a degree in psychology by the Board. To be acceptable to the NLPB, the applicant's educational program and training must have provided the applicant with adequate preparation in five competencies: Interpersonal Relationships; Assessment and Evaluation; Intervention and Consultation; Research; and Ethics and Standards. Applicants who are granted provisional registration must also demonstrate an acceptable level of competence in four of these competencies during their supervised experience as a requirement for full registration. The four competencies are interpersonal relationships, assessment and evaluation, intervention and consultation, and ethics and standards. For further information on the specific requirements for preparation in the five competencies, click here or on the icon to the left for .PDF format. The Psychologists Act (2005) requires a period of professional experience in psychology acceptable to the board and supervised to the satisfaction of the board; and passing the examination prescribed in the regulations. For doctoral candidates the period of professional expereince must be at least one year, and for masters candidates the period of professional experience must be at least two years. During the requisite period of supervised professional experience, candidates must demonstrate a satisfactory level of competency in the the four core competencies of Interpersonal Relationships, Assessment and Evaluation, Intervention and Consultation, and Ethics and Standards. The examination required by the board is the Examination for the Professional Practice of Psychology (EPPP) and the board currently requires a score of 500 (or 70% if the score is reported on the old percent scale). The board does not currently examine applicants for knowledge of local jurisprudence. The Psychologists Act (2005) includes a requirement for registration that the applicant must have professional liability insurance coverage acceptable to the board. Successful applicants will not be placed on the register until they have submitted proof of professional liability insurance coverage. The required coverage is for malpractice insurance with a minimum of one million dollars per claim and an extended discovery period. Proof of coverage is the certificate of insurance from the insurer, or a fully legible copy of it. |
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Applying for Registration |
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Application Package:
Candidate Information Sheet:
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An application package may be requested from the Registrar. An Adobe Acrobat version is also available by clicking here or on the icon to the left. If you only need specific components of the application in .PDF format, click the appropriate link below: Application Form (only) in .PDF format Assessor's Form (only) in .PDF format Referee's Form (only) in .PDF format
The Candidate Information Sheet (CIS) is the same form that the NLPB will use to organize your application. It is also available for download in Adobe Acrobat (.PDF format) by clicking on the icon to the left or here . This form, together with the appended guidelines and schedules, should help you to determine whether it is to your advantage to pursue registration as a psychologist in this province. In reviewing these materials, please note that the Psychologists Act requires that registrants possess a masters or doctoral degree in psychology acceptable to the NLPB or their equivalent in content and training. Without such a credential, the NLPB cannot register the applicant. Please also note that the present Candidate Information Sheet does not include the requirements for the five competencies. Please ask the Registrar for further information with respect to the acceptability of your masters or doctoral degree(s). A list of guidelines for the acceptability of degrees is available if requested. As one example, the M.Ed. Degree in Educational Foundations from UNB is not considered a degree in psychology by the Board. Present Board policy is to prorate courses which earn partial credit (e.g., in the MUN Faculty of Education, a 2 unit course will be considered as only two thirds of a full course as defined on the CIS).
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Information for Applicants from Other Jurisdictions |
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CANADA: Candidates already registered in other Canadian jurisdictions may be registerable under fast track procedures as defined in the Canadian Mutual Recognition Agreement of the Regulatory Bodies for Professional Psychologists in Canada (MRA). Such applicants still need to fill out an application, submit the applicable criminal record screening certificate(s), and pay the application fee. They also need to request the regulatory body or bodies of the other jurisdictions in which they are registered to send a letter to the board giving their current standing, date of initial and full registration, history of disciplinary action, and status of any current allegations. They do not need to submit transcripts, or Assessor or Referee Forms, however, the Board reserves the right, under Regulation 14(1) to request additional information it deems necessary (subject to MRA exclusions). USA: Candidates possessing a CPQ from the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards, who are listed in the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology, or who are graduates of APA or CPA accredited programmes are highly likely to be eligible for registration under Regulation 12 of the Psychologists Act. If an application is made under this regulation, an application, criminal record screening certificate, supporting original documentation, references, and application fee are required. The Board reserves the right, under Regulation 14(1) to request additional information it deems necessary. OTHER JURISDICTIONS: While the board has registered psychologists from a number of jurisdictions around the world, it is the responsibility of the applicant to show that their credentials meet those specified in the Psychologists Act. In particular, the board requires evidence that degrees are equivalent in level and content to degrees in North America. In assessing transcripts, the Comparative Education Service, University of Toronto, 214 College Street, Room 202, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2Z9 (telephone 416 978-2185) can provide the necessary documentation to present to the Board. Applicants from some jurisdictions may also make application under Regulation 12. This may include, for example, psychologists who have been chartered and issued practicing certificates by the British Psychological Society. If an application is made under this regulation, an application, criminal record screening certificate, supporting original documentation, references, and application fee are required. The Board reserves the right, under Regulation 14(1) to request additional information it deems necessary. |
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| Information Concerning Nonaccredited Degrees |
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| A number of persons are currently taking, or considering taking, distance learning courses on the Internet. Some
of these programmes are given in completely distance settings while others require some period of residence but
are primarily distance. While there is no proscription from education attained in distance settings, all interested
persons should be aware that a number of these programmes are housed in institutions which are not accredited.
This means, for example, that these programmes might not lead to registration even in their home jurisdictions. If you are considering taking such a programme, it is very important that you research the accreditation status of the university and the potential registerability of graduates. In this regard, the Board welcomes correspondence in advance of admission to degree programmes and will provide advice as to whether a particular programme can potentially lead to registration. |
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 Information for Provisionally Registered Psychologists |
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Supervision Guidelines in Adobe Acrobat .PDF format.
Yearly Supervision Report in Adobe Acrobat .PDF format.)
Supervision Plan Form in Adobe Acrobat .PDF format
Time limits for completion of the requirements for full registration in Adobe Acrobat.PDF format |
Under the Psychologists Act (2005), psychologists are initially registered on a provisional basis upon entry into the profession. To attain full registration, provisionally registered psychologists must meet the requirements set for them when their registration is approved. Under the Psychologists Act (2005), the requirements for full registration are satisfactory completion of a period of professional experience and passing the examination prescribed in the regulations. NEW TIME LIMITS FOR FULFILLING REQUIREMENTS FOR FULL REGISTRATION Requirements for full registration must be met within a specified period of time, which commences on the date of entry on the register. The period is two years for doctoral candidates and three years for masters candidates. These time limits are currently being implemented and further information is available in Time Limits or in PDF by clicking the icon to the left. The link contains information for current provisional registrants as well as applicants. Professional Experience Requirement. The required period of professional experience must be obtained after completetion of the graduate degree on which registration was approved. It must completed in the field of psychology acceptable to the board and supervised to the satisfaction of the board. Doctoral candidates require at least one year of acceptable professional experience and masters candidates require two years of acceptable professional experience. The Board has developed Supervision Guidelines to help guide the supervisee and supervisor throught the supervision process. Click here to view the Supervision Guidelines. Alternatively, you may download them in .PDF format by clicking on the icon to the left. The NLPB requires supervision plans to be submitted on the Supervision Plan Form, which is only avalaible in .PDF format. The Yearly Supervision Report form is the form on which supervised experience is reported to the board, and it is only available in .PDF format. Examination Requirement. The required examination is the Examination for the Professional Practice of Psychology (EPPP). to attain full registration. The EPPP is normally administered on computer and this version is available in one location in the province and that is at the Division of Lifelong Learning of Memorial University in St. John's. The computer version is also available in other provinces and states. Information concerning the EPPP can be obtained from the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) website as well as from the Registrar.
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ANP Information (including insurance
programme for Registered Psychologists)
