Charlottetown clinic aims to expand mental health care, keep psychology graduates in P.E.I.

A new psychology clinic has opened in downtown Charlottetown, aiming to improve access to mental health care and provide opportunities for psychology graduates to build their careers in Prince Edward Island.

The Centre for Interpersonal Relationships (CFIR P.E.I.), located at 75 Fitzroy St, will offer services for children, adults, and couples. The clinic will also become the province’s first Canadian Psychological Association-accredited doctoral internship site for clinical psychology, starting in 2027.

According to clinic director Joshua Peters, the opening of the clinic marks a “full-circle moment” for him. Peters, who grew up in rural Prince Edward Island, was part of the first group of students to complete the doctorate in clinical psychology program at the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI). He worked with CFIR in Toronto and Ottawa before returning to the island to open the new clinic.

Peters stated that he wanted to give back to the community where he grew up and address a challenge facing UPEI’s clinical psychology program. Students in their final year of the program would typically have to leave the province to complete the required one-year doctoral internship, and many do not return due to job offers elsewhere. The clinic plans to welcome its first doctoral intern in 2027, providing an opportunity for students to complete their final training without leaving the province.

UPEI doctorate clinical psychology students Nell Farion and Allison Vandaele attended the clinic’s grand opening on July 30. They expressed excitement about the new clinic, stating that it gives students another reason to consider building their careers on the island. Farion welcomed the new internship opportunity, saying it could help keep more psychologists in the province, as people tend to stay in the area where they complete their internship.

The clinic also aims to provide affordable mental health care. 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 islanders. Peters hopes to add practicum placements for students earlier in their degree programs as the clinic grows.

Appointments with a registered psychologist typically cost between $225 and $250 an hour. The clinic’s internship program will support lower-cost mental health care, with the goal of making it more accessible to the community.

Article and image source: saltwire.com