A recent study highlights the urgent need for greater inclusion of racialized psychologists in Canada, particularly for individuals seeking culturally competent mental health care. The paper, titled “Opening the Gate: A Call for Inclusion and Representation of Peoples of Colour in Canadian Professional Psychology,” emphasizes the systemic barriers that limit the participation of Black, Indigenous, and other people of colour in the field.
Every day, individuals from racialized communities face significant challenges in accessing mental health services. Many clients struggle to find psychologists who can relate to their lived experiences. As noted by S. C. Faber, a licensed clinical psychologist and professor at the University of Ottawa, this shortage is not a coincidence but the result of entrenched systemic issues within the profession.
In her search for support during a personal crisis, Faber encountered the difficulties many face in finding a therapist who understands their cultural context. Living in Ottawa, Canada’s capital, she was unable to find a single Black psychologist, ultimately resorting to working with a White psychologist from hours away in Toronto, who, despite their training, could not fully grasp the nuances of her experience.
The new research underscores that the lack of racialized psychologists perpetuates inequity and reduces the quality of care available to clients. The study reveals that out of 481 full-time faculty members in Canadian psychology departments, only two were Indigenous and just seven were Black. Alarmingly, more than half of these departments had no Black faculty at all.
Systemic Barriers to Inclusion
The report highlights several critical barriers that prevent racialized individuals from becoming professional psychologists. It argues that ostensibly neutral policies and accreditation standards, when lacking diversity metrics, can inadvertently maintain the status quo. Without concrete requirements for equity, even well-intentioned guidelines may enable bias to persist.
Faber’s team asserts that the refusal to systematically collect race-based demographic data is a significant obstacle to progress. “When we refuse to measure the problem, we make the glaring inequities, as we state in our paper, ‘invisible by design,’” she noted.
The objective is not only to identify these issues but also to propose actionable solutions. While the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) has made recent updates to its accreditation standards, the analysis concludes that without mechanisms for accountability, such changes are insufficient to dismantle longstanding barriers.
A Path to Change
To foster real change, the study recommends establishing race-based data collection as a standard for university programs seeking accreditation. This foundational step is crucial for ensuring accountability and progress in diversifying the profession.
Furthermore, the report calls for immediate amendments to the CPA’s by-laws to create designated voting board seats for representatives from Black, Asian, and Indigenous Peoples’ psychology sections. The analysis found that the CPA Board has been, on average, 87.1% White over the past 13 years.
The implications of these findings extend beyond academic circles. The lack of diversity within the profession directly impacts public trust and the quality of mental health care. Clients benefit significantly when therapists understand their cultural backgrounds and the real-world effects of racism.
Faber concludes that the health of communities relies on a psychology profession that is accessible, representative, and just. Achieving this requires moving beyond mere statements of support for equity and engaging in genuine efforts to transform the field.
The call for greater inclusion and representation in Canadian psychology serves as a critical reminder of the work that lies ahead to ensure that all individuals can access the mental health care they deserve.
