Family physicians in Canada provide over half of the country's mental health care. While all family physicians received some training in medical psychotherapy in medical school, depending on the amount of psychological distress and mental illness presenting in their individual practice, that basic training may be insufficient to meet the needs of their practice.
The General Practice Psychotherapy Association (GPPA) has been one of the leaders in the movement to improve the quality of primary care medical psychotherapy in primary care. It has developed documents on the role of psychotherapy in primary care, as well as guidelines on training physicians in psychotherapy. The GPPA provides training in medical psychotherapy and GP psychotherapy supervision, and opportunities for physicians to interact in various educational modalities, and to gain support and feedback in their practice of psychotherapy.
GPPA Training Programs
GP Psychotherapy Basic Skills Core Curriculum
A training course developed and offered by the GPPA which teaches basic skills in the provision of psychotherapy by non-psychiatrist physicians. It emphasizes psychotherapeutic process, and invokes and reflects the nature of good psychotherapy. This residential weekend course consists of seven residential weekend modules of held in rural Ontario - 12 credit hours each, and one module held as part of the Annual GPPA Conference. Participants are encouraged to receive a minimum of 50 hours of supervision - individual or group. NOTE: The BSCC Courses are currently being reviewed and will be offered again this fall. Please visit our site later this year for more details.
Training Program for Supervisors of GP Psychotherapy
A training course developed and offered by the GPPA to Certificant and Mentor members of the Association (or equivalent - individual consideration given to Clinical members and non-member physicians). This course teaches basic principles in providing GP psychotherapy supervision. It consists of six modules - 9 credit hours each, and runs over 18 months. The course will start when we have a full complement of registrants. Several dates are planned. Please contact the GPPA office for information on start dates by calling 416-410-6644 or sending an email to info@gppaonline.ca