Skills, Education, and Experience
Skills
- excellent listening and interpersonal skills
- creative approaches to problem solving
- ability to work independently and as part of a team
- excellent analytic skills
- patient and detail oriented
- emotional stability
- interested in caring for people
Education and Experience
- A Doctoral degree in psychology is required for the designation ‘Psychologist’ in British Columbia
- A period of supervised practical experience is required
- Successful completion of the written and oral examinations is required
- Registration with the provincial regulatory body is required
Qualifications
Psychologist is a regulated occupation in British Columbia
Licensing Requirements for Psychologists
You must be licensed by the College of Psychologists of British Columbia in order to practice the profession or use the title Psychologist. Completion of a Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) or American Psychological Association (APA) accredited doctoral degree in psychology, and a CPA or APA accredited 12-month pre-doctoral internship, or the equivalent, is required for registration.
Further details about the registration process are available at:
Internationally Trained Psychologists
In addition to meeting the above requirements, applicants trained outside of Canada or the United States must provide additional documentation. The Association of Canadian Psychology Registry Organizations (ACPRO) has developed a portal where internationally-educated applicants can now apply for licensure in Canada. The ACPRO portal will compile and authenticate required standard application documentation, including:
- Identity documents
- Education documents
- Registration/license documents
- Language proficiency test results
- Criminal background check
Further information: