OICBT Doctoral Residency Program in Clinical Psychology 2027-2028
The Ottawa Institute of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (OICBT) is a private practice located in Westboro, Ottawa, that promotes a scientist-practitioner approach to training, including the delivery of cognitive-behavioural therapies. Our Canadian Psychological Association (CPA)-Accredited residency program is part of the Canadian Council of Professional Psychology Programs (CCPPP). We are also members of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC). The OICBT offers five residency positions annually within a unified residency training model:
- Three Adult Mental Health Stream positions
- Two Youth–Adult Mental Health Stream positions
All residents complete training within the same stepped-care CBT framework, competency-based supervision model, assessment structure, didactic seminar series, interdisciplinary consultation system, and program evaluation activities.
The primary distinction between streams involves the population focus of clinical experiences, with Adult Stream positions primarily focused on adult mental health services and Youth–Adult Stream positions incorporating additional youth-focused, family-integrated, and transition-age clinical experiences.
Both streams maintain equivalent expectations regarding competency development, supervision, assessment training, intervention experience, didactic participation, interdisciplinary consultation, and preparation for autonomous psychological practice.
Residents complete three major rotations during the residency year, including two primary rotations and one secondary rotation. Primary rotations occur approximately two days per week across the full training year, while the secondary rotation occurs approximately one day per week. Across rotations, residents receive training in individual therapy, group therapy, assessment, consultation, interdisciplinary care, program development, and supervision activities. Additional experiences in health psychology, ADHD treatment, and couples therapy are available.
While our primary focus at the OICBT is on delivering cognitive-behavioural therapy, many of our staff also have experience with empirically supported treatments such as Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Schema Therapy, Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT), Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Emotion-Focused Therapy (both individual and couple), and transdiagnostic approaches. The psychologists at the OICBT are committed to staying current with the latest research to inform their clinical work and are actively engaged in ongoing training and supervision.
Therapists at the OICBT mainly see clients from the community whose symptom severity and impact on functioning vary greatly. This likely reflects our referral sources, which include, but are not limited to, self-referrals, family physicians, community psychiatrists and psychologists, as well as primary care hospitals and specialized mental health psychiatric facilities in the Ottawa region.
Diversity and Inclusivity
OICBT recognizes that it is located on unceded Algonquin territory and benefits from European colonialism, the impacts of which continue to this day. OICBT Directors are familiar with and endorse the CCTC 2020 Consensus Statement and CPA’s Psychology Response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Report, with particular mindfulness of how clinical psychology needs to address the impact of social determinants of health and experiences in its conceptualizations of Indigenous and other racialized peoples.
An essential part of OICBT is holistic care that is client-centered, diversity-informed, and integrates biopsychosocial and spiritual determinants of care. During the Intake, Assessment, and Treatment phase, the OICBT asks all clients whether any aspects of their being are fundamental to them and whether they would like to see them incorporated into services, including but not limited to identity(ies) related to race, culture, immigration status, gender, sexual orientation, sexual health, age, religion, disability, employment, and relational or family status.
A mental health model of diversity considers how individuals’ thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are intertwined with their diverse social environments. This includes the need to adequately address the impact of social determinants of health and experiences of oppression, microaggressions, and/or prejudice in the conceptualization of care for marginalized peoples.
As part of OICBT’s commitment to anti-racism, anti-discrimination, and social justice-based services and recruitment, OICBT actively integrates Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion within their practice. This involves creating services and collective actions that are inclusive and committed to removing barriers (whether procedural, visible, invisible, intentional, or unintentional) that inhibit participation and/or contribution from underrepresented and/or disproportionately disadvantaged groups.
Stipends and Benefits
The stipend for each resident position for the 2027-2028 year is set at CAD 45,000. The OICBT will provide residents with $500 for professional development activities (e.g., attendance at conferences, therapy workshops, books). Residents receive three weeks’ vacation, three days of professional development leave (e.g., conferences, defending dissertation), five sick days, as well as statutory holidays.
Who Can Apply for the Residency Program at the OICBT
In accordance with Canadian Immigration requirements, only applicants who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada will be considered. Applicants should be enrolled in a doctoral program in Clinical Psychology that is accredited by either the CPA or the APA.
Eligibility for residency requires that students have completed the following before undertaking the residency year:
- all requisite coursework,
- all practicum requirements outlined by their doctoral training program,
- approval of their doctoral thesis proposal before application for residency.
Applicants who are more likely to be ready to submit or defend their thesis before beginning the residency will, all other factors being equal, be ranked higher.
Applicants must demonstrate a minimum of 600 practicum hours (including direct, support, and supervision hours), with at least 300 hours of direct client contact, comprising roughly 200 hours of clinical intervention and about 80 hours of clinical assessment. Additionally, 150 hours of supervision are required, in addition to the remaining hours allocated for support activities. Applicants are not evaluated solely based on the total number of practicum hours, as we believe the quality and depth of practicum training are more important than the overall hours.
Application Procedure
The OICBT’s residency program (APPIC program code number: 18800) in Clinical Psychology is a member of the Canadian Council of Professional Psychology Programs (CCPPP) and a full member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC). It adheres to APPIC policies regarding internship offers and acceptances. This residency site agrees to follow the APPIC policy that no individual at this training facility solicits, accepts, or uses any ranking-related information from any resident applicant.
This residency program participates in the APPIC Internship Matching Program. All applicants must register with the National Matching Services to be considered for this residency.
Applicants must complete the following through the Applicant Portal of the AAPI online:
- Completed APPIC Application
- Verification and electronic signature completed by the University Training Director attesting to the applicant’s readiness for a residency.
- The names and contact information (i.e., phone number, email address, title, place of employment) of 3 persons familiar with the applicant’s clinical and professional experience and performance. One of these referees should be the applicant’s thesis supervisor.
- Graduate transcripts
- Curriculum Vita
Applicants are encouraged to specify their residency track and rotation preferences in their cover letters, as this helps coordinate interviews with potential supervisors.:
- Adult Mental Health Stream (188011), or
- Youth-Adult Mental Health Stream (188012)
Completed applications must be received no later than Friday, November 6, 2026
Aligned with the suggested CCPPP member program guidelines, we will follow the recommended two-step process for notifying and scheduling interviews. Specifically,
Step 1: All interview offers from OICBT will be made via email on Friday, December 4, 2026. Applicants are not expected to make any commitments on this day.
Step 2: After 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday, December 7, 2026, applicants who have been offered an interview are welcome to contact OICBT via email to accept or decline the interview offer. We will not be scheduling any interviews before this time.
The OICBT will conduct interviews within the CCPPP East/Atlantic window, from December 8th, 2026, through December 18th, 2026, and from the week of January 4th to 15th, 2027. All OICBT interviews will be virtual (videoconferencing). We will not be offering any in-person interviews.
This residency site agrees that no individual at this training facility will solicit, accept, or use any ranking-related information from any resident applicant.
More Information
If you have any questions about our program, please do not hesitate to contact us:
Dr. Natasha Ballen, C. Psych.
OICBT Training Director – Doctoral Residency Program
411 Roosevelt Avenue, Suite 101, Ottawa, Ontario, K2A 3X9 Tel: (613) 820-9931 x227
Email: [email protected]
For more information about the OICBT, please visit: www.ottawacbt.ca