Bridge to Registration & Employment in Mental Health
For immigrant professionals with experience in psychotherapy who wish to register with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO).
The Bridge to Registration & Employment in Mental Health (BREM) program supports immigrants with background in psychotherapy who wish to register with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO).
The main goal is to help participants meet the requirements for registration with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario, CRPO as RPs (Qualifying) as well as preparing them for employment in the field.
Program Location
Available anywhere in Ontario
Full time
12 Months
Part time option available
Next Cohort Start Date
Fall 2025
“I remain indebted to BREM for the personalized guidance and support throughout the whole process!” ~ Mona
I’M READY TO HELP OTHERS
Who Should Apply
Internationally educated professionals with post-secondary education in psychology or a related field where a significant component is psychotherapy, as well as two years working in psychotherapy.
Eligibility Requirements
- Education: Post-secondary education in psychology or a related field with specialization in psychotherapy.
- Experience: Minimum of two years’ experience in psychotherapy outside of Canada.
- Language proficiency: CLB 7+ or equivalent in the following exams IELTS, CELPIP, TOEFL
Legal immigration status: Naturalized Canadian citizens, Permanent residents, Convention refugees with an Open Work Permit, Refugee claimants with an Open Work Permit, Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) with an Open Work Permit, Provincial nominee under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (excluding those under the International Student stream), Temporary work permit who has received confirmation from IRCC that they meet the eligibility requirements for permanent residence (i.e. approval in principle)
- Residence: Ontario
If you have more questions, please check our FAQs.
I’M READY FOR THE NEXT STEP
12 months
Full time program, including
- enhanced academic curriculum (over 1,100 hours, including a course series in psychotherapy)
- 6 months of supervised placement
- SEUS seminar (Safe and Effective Use of Self)
- small group clinical supervision
- employment counselling and job search support
FAQs
General
OBTP stands for Ontario Bridge Training Program, and it is funded by the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development. The OBTP registration form is a form that the applicant needs to fill in to register into the bridge program. Our staff will share with you the form once your participation has been confirmed.
The SIN number is required to work in Canada and to access government programs and benefits. OBTP (Ontario Bridge Training Program) is funded by Employment Ontario and to register the applicant in the government system, a valid SIN number is required.
No, because the bridging program is composed of several important components. Each component has a purpose and it is designed to give you the essential skills which will equip you to be aware of the labour market and demands here in Ontario.
Residency
Yes. This program is offered online, and you can join from any city in Ontario.
A requirement to participate in a bridge program is to be an Ontario resident. You are welcome to participate once you move back to Ontario. Feel free to start your application in advance.
If you are an Ontario resident and you are temporarily on a trip outside Canada, but still residing in Ontario, yes. If you are living outside Ontario, you will not be able to take the program.
Immigration Status
Yes, naturalized citizens are eligible but not the ones who are Canadian citizens by birth. Naturalized Citizens are the ones who were born outside Canada and obtain their Canadian citizenship in Canada.
No. Holders of a visitor visa do not qualify. Once you get the document indicating that your PR has been approved, you are welcome to apply.
No. This program is not for temporary residents. To qualify, you need to be a Permanent Resident, naturalized Canadian, Refugee claimant with a valid work permit, Convention refugee, or have CUAET status.
Experience
Yes. The eligibility requirement is to have at least two years experience outside Canada.
Yes. For the BREM, BEMC, BESIP, and C-Women programs it is required to have two years working experience from outside Canada.
Tuition Loans
Loans are provided for organizations outside MNLCT and each have their own rules. Please get in touch with the organization/program that provided you with the loan to inquire about their payment process.
You can contact Achev Microlending or Windmill Microlending to inquire about their loans.
BEMC participants can apply to OBPAP. Feel free to ask us for the application form.
If you are in Ontario Works, please discuss with your case worker if they can cover the tuition fee.
Seneca College, as an education institution, can issue the T2202A (Tuition and Enrollment Certificate) for tax purposes if you are enrolled in the BEMC program, and not receiving OBPAP.
Documents
OBTP stands for Ontario Bridge Training Program, and it is funded by the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development. The OBTP registration form is a form that the applicant needs to fill in to register for the bridge program. Our staff will share with you the form once your participation has been confirmed.
The SIN number is required to work in Canada and to access government programs and benefits. OBTP (Ontario Bridge Training Program) is funded by Employment Ontario and in order to register the applicant in the government system, a valid SIN number is required.
No, because the bridging program is composed of several important components. Each component has a purpose and it is designed to give you the essential skills which will equip you to be aware of the labour market and demands here in Ontario.
Please contact Service Canada to renew it.
Please contact Immigration Canada to renew it.
Credential Assessment
You can reach out to any of the following authorized centres:
Language Assessment
CLB stands for Canadian Language Benchmarks, and it is a descriptive scale of language ability in English. It provides a common Canadian framework for describing and measuring English communication for instructional and other purposes, ensuring a common basis for the development of programs, curricula, resources, and assessments tools that can be shared across Canada.
Language assessment is free for qualified applicants. You can find an authorized language assessment centre here.
No, you do not. The minimum requirement to participate in any of our bridge programs is CLB 7. The validity of a CLB is two years.
Yes. If you were born outside Canada and want to participate in a bridge program, you would need to take the CLB assessment, as it is a requirement of the funder, Employment Ontario.
BREM
For further information about becoming a registered psychotherapist in Ontario, please visit the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) website.
You can submit an Affidavit.
Once you complete the BREM program. We will give you a transcript to apply.
It is not required for the BREM program, but it would be good to have.
Six months.
No. All materials will be in Moodle platform and you will be given credentials to access it.
CRPO will give you the license to work in Ontario as a Psychotherapist. Each province has their own regulations. Some will allow you to transfer your license, but you will need to check with the specific province.
C-Women
You will receive the program completion certificate from MNLCT and for the courses. However, the program is more focused on getting employment than designations.
No. Our main bridge program is during the day. Some specific courses might be at night. Some mentorship sessions might be at night and/or Saturdays.
No, as this is a bridging program funded by the government, the participants need to be engaged in all components of the program.
No, it does not. However, to enroll with MNLCT you need to close your file with the other agency if the program was funded by Employment Ontario.
You will be provided with the curriculum by the instructors when it is closer to the start date of the program.
Upcoming Info Sessions
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This Employment Ontario program is funded
by the Government of Ontario
Our other bridging programs
