Sabina Greenley and Dr. Maddy Sheppard-Perkins

Our Psychology Month series continues with a look at how the effects of COVID are still being felt by children in schools, particularly in rural settings where incidents of family violence remain elevated.

Remember the COVID-19 pandemic? It wasn’t that long ago, but many of us have kind of memory-holed the entire traumatic experience. That said, just because we don’t think about it any more doesn’t mean that the effects aren’t still being felt today. For example, rates of gender-based violence, including femicide, remain elevated above pre-pandemic levels. This is particularly the case in rural communities, and is evident in the attitudes and behaviours of kids in schools.

Visit our 2026 Psychology Month page as we add spotlights throughout February.

Canada legalized single-event sports betting in 2021. In the three years that followed, gambling on sporting events in the country rose tenfold. Today, one in five people who bet on sports do so every single day. Our young people are particularly vulnerable, and have been specifically affected by gambling addictions. Bruce Kidd and Steve Joordens are looking to ban advertising for sports gambling in Canada. Senator Marty Deacon has introduced bills to this effect. And Stanford psychologist Dr. Robert Sapolsky explains just what makes sports gambling so dangerous. All four joined us for this Psychology Month look at the dangers of sports gambling and the possible solutions to the problem.

Visit our 2026 Psychology Month for the full article/podcast and to view all that we post throughout the month.

CPA2026 will take place from June 4 – 6, 2026, at the Westin Montreal in Montreal, Quebec. Pre-convention Professional Development Workshops to take place on June 3^rd. This is an event not to be missed!

CPA Student Affiliates who identify as Indigenous can obtain a registration fee waiver if registering by May 26th.

(http://convention.cpa.ca/registration/)

Dr. Jen Theule

Just about every little kid has accidents from time to time. But more than one poop accident in a month (encopresis) or more than two pee accidents per week (enuresis) might be cause for concern. Dr. Jen Theule helps explain what signs to look for, how best to potty-train kids, and how psychologists help resolve problems that might occur as children get a little bit older.

Visit our 2026 Psychology Month page as we add spotlights throughout February.

The landscape of psychology, both as a profession and a discipline, is changing rapidly.

Via a survey, the CPA is looking to learn about you and what you see as the issues facing the future of psychology in the following areas: science, practice, and education. Results of this survey will be used to inform the CPA’s activities and advocacy over the coming year.

To access the survey, please click one of the links below:

English: https://web2.cpa.ca/membersurveys/index.php/457183?lang=en

French: https://web2.cpa.ca/membersurveys/index.php/457183?lang=fr

The deadline to complete the survey is Friday, March 27, 2026.

Psychology impacts us in obvious ways, but also in more subtle ones. For this year’s Psychology Month, the Canadian Psychological Association is highlighting the areas in our lives that have been shaped and enhanced by psychological science and clinical practices. THIS IS PSYCHOLOGY.

The CPA will host its 4th annual in-person Job Fair at the 2026 CPA Convention at Le Westin Montréal. Click here to view the Job Fair flyer.

Dr. Janine Hubbard has been elected by the CPA Board of Directors to the position of CPA President and Chair of the Board for the 2026-2027 term. Dr. Hubbard will bring clinical experience, supervisory experience, leadership, and boundless energy to the role.
more…

Join a membership 7000+ strong that supports you at every stage of your career. Whether you are a student; work in practice, research, or education; are at the very start of your career, an experienced professional, or enjoying your retirement…you will benefit from all a CPA membership has to offer.

For more information on the many benefits of membership in the CPA – CLICK HERE.

Join as a NEW MEMBER or RENEW your membership now!

We look forward to supporting, promoting, and advocating for you in 2026.

Given the growing importance placed on access to mental health care services and the role of psychology, the CPA has released a report that reviews the publicly available data collected by the Canadian Institute for Health Information from 2017 to 2023 on the number of psychologists in Canada. Moving forward, the policy primer identifies two related next steps that need to be considered.

The International Relations Committee (IRC) fosters interactions between psychologists in Canada and their colleagues abroad. It also has oversight of the Canadian National Panel for the International Union of Psychological Science (IUPsyS), which enacts Canada’s participation in IUPsyS. In keeping with these responsibilities, the IRC seeks qualified candidates to join the committee for a three-year term starting in June 2026. While all qualified candidates are invited to apply for committee membership, the IRC particularly welcomes candidates from the following equity-deserving groups: Indigenous Peoples, members of racialized groups, persons with disabilities, and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

For information about the requirements and submission materials, please click here or send an inquiry to the IRC Chair via science@cpa.ca.

Submission Deadline: February 28, 2026

The CPA has responded to the request for comment by the CPBAO regarding proposed entry-to-practice changes for psychologists and psychological associates. Click here to read the CPA’s response.

The CPA’s Board of Directors released their position statement Breaking Down Barriers – A National Approach to Improving the Credentialling and Licensure of Psychologists, and their Mobility in Canada.  The statement addresses the need to harmonize entry-to-practice and registration/licensing requirements for psychologists across the country with the goal of increasing their labour mobility.  You can read the full report HERE