Nominee Statement for Dr. Nicolás F. Narvaez Linares seeking the Director Representing Practice
Dear colleagues,
I am pleased to submit my candidacy for the position of Director Representing Practice on the Board of Directors of the CPA.
I obtained my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Ottawa in 2022 – a CPA‑accredited program - with concentrations in Child, Adolescent, and Family Services and Behavioural Neurosciences. I completed postdoctoral training primarily in the public sector, and I am currently licensed to practise in Ontario and Québec in Clinical Psychology, School Psychology, and Clinical Neuropsychology. I also hold the Québec certificate for the assessment of neuropsychological disorders, and I am a Doctoral‑level member of the Canadian Register of Health Service Psychologists.
I am the Founder and Director of a psychological private practice in Ottawa, where my clinical work focuses on neurodevelopmental, medical, and mental health services for children, adolescents, and families. As an actively practising psychologist, I am closely aware of the realities many of us face daily, including access to care, workforce pressures, technological change, evolving regulatory environments, training standards, and the need for thoughtful, evidence‑informed advocacy.
My involvement with the CPA has been both longstanding and service‑oriented. I currently serve as Chair of the Clinical Neuropsychology Section, a role I will conclude in June 2026. I am also a member of the Prescriptive Authority for Psychologists in Canada Working Group, the co‑chair of the national task force developing Canadian Clinical Neuropsychology training guidelines, and the co‑lead of the first bilingual national survey of clinical neuropsychology practice in Canada. This work reflects my commitment to grounding professional standards and policy in Canadian data and Canadian realities.
Although I am an early‑career psychologist, I see this as a strength rather than a limitation. I bring a practice that is informed and open perspective, grounded in collaboration with experienced colleagues, openness to learning, and a strong sense of professional accountability.
As psychologists, our primary accountability is always to our patients. Advocating for clear, transparent, and evidence‑based decision‑making is essential when considering changes to our profession's regulatory framework. As such, this requires maintaining respectful, open, and collegial dialogue, especially when there are differing perspectives, while also being willing to speak up when professional standards or public protection may be at risk.
As Director Representing Practice, I would aim to ensure that practitioners' voices inform national decision‑making. I am particularly motivated to support initiatives that promote public protection, professional sustainability, equitable access to services, and high standards of training and practice. Central to this role, in my view, is listening and meeting colleagues where they are, hearing concerns, and fostering a more bottom‑up approach to leadership and advocacy.
As a trilingual psychologist whose family came to Québec as refugees, I also bring lived experience that informs my commitment to inclusive leadership and to amplifying diverse practitioner perspectives within our profession.
I would be honoured to contribute my time and perspective to the future of psychological practice in Canada.