charlottetown clinic aims to expand mental health care, keep psychology graduates in p.e.i.
3 minute read
joshua peters, clinical psychologist and director of the centre for interpersonal relationships, speaks during the clinic’s grand opening in charlottetown on july 30.
vivian ulinwa
/
the guardian
a new psychology clinic in downtown charlottetown is aiming to improve access to mental health care while giving future psychologists a reason to build their careers on p.e.i.
the centre for interpersonal relationships (cfir p.e.i.) has officially opened its new location at 75 fitzroy st.
the clinic will provide services for children, adults and couples, while also becoming the province’s first canadian psychological association-accredited doctoral internship site for clinical psychology beginning in 2027.
the clinic director, joshua peters, said the opening marks what he described as a “full-circle moment.”
first cohort of graduates
peters, who grew up in rural p.e.i., was part of the first group of students to complete the doctorate in clinical psychology program at upei. he finished the program about two years ago after beginning his studies before the covid-19 pandemic.
before returning to the island, peters worked with cfir in toronto and ottawa. he said bringing the organization to p.e.i. was important because he wanted to give back to the community where he grew up.
“being able to come back to p.e.i. now and widen services to more populations was important to me,” said peters.
he said the clinic is also addressing a challenge facing upei’s clinical psychology program.
he said that students in their final year would have to leave the province to complete the required one-year doctoral internship. peters said many students who leave for that final placement do not return because they receive job offers elsewhere.
starting in 2027, cfir p.e.i. will welcome its first doctoral intern.
“we have now essentially filled that gap,” peters said.
joshua peters, from left, clinical psychologist, joins premier rob lantz, jennifer bradley, psychologist, and charlottetown mayor philip brown for the grand opening of the centre for interpersonal relationships in charlottetown on july 30.
vivian ulinwa
/
the guardian
the clinic plans to accept one intern in its first year.
peters said that one may sound small, but the upei program graduates only about six students each year, meaning one in six graduates could now complete their final training without leaving the province.
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‘it’s nice to see what’s possible’
the grand opening for the new facility was on july, 30. among those attending were upei doctorate clinical psychology students nell farion and allison vandaele, who said the new clinic gives students another reason to consider building their careers on p.e.i..
“it’s very exciting,” said vandaele. “it’s really nice to see someone who’s on the path that we’re currently on come back. it’s nice to see what’s possible.”
allison vandaele, left, and nell farion, doctoral students in upei’s clinical psychology program, attended the grand opening of the centre for interpersonal relationships in charlottetown.
vivian ulinwa
/
the guardian
farion said seeing a former student return to the island to open a practice was inspiring and showed students the different career paths available to them, including private practice.
she also welcomed the new internship opportunity, saying it could help keep more psychologists in the province.
“we know that typically people tend to stay in the area where they do their internship,” farion said. “it can mean a pipeline for psychologists in p.e.i. as well.”
vandaele, who grew up on p.e.i., said she hopes to complete an internship here in p.e.i. someday.
affordable mental health care
as the clinic grows, peters said he hopes to add practicum placements for students earlier in their degree programs.
the internship program will also support lower-cost mental health care.
peters said appointments with a registered psychologist typically cost between $225 and $250 an hour. interns in their final year of training will provide supervised therapy starting at $50 an hour through a sliding-scale program, making care more affordable for more islanders.
“we really want to make that available to people,” he said.
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vivian ulinwa is a reporter for the guardian in prince edward island. she can be reached at vulinwa@postmedia.com and followed on x @vivian_ulinwa.
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