Alberta · College of Alberta Psychologists

How to respond to a CAP complaint

A letter from the College of Alberta Psychologists means a formal complaint has cleared the jurisdiction check and now sits under Part 4 of the Health Professions Act. The single most important thing to understand is this: your written response is the evidence the Complaints Director weighs, and in many matters it is the only account of your side that is ever read.

What a CAP complaint actually is

A complaint to the College of Alberta Psychologists is a formal enquiry under Part 4 of the Health Professions Act, RSA 2000, c. H-7. Anyone — a client, a family member, an employer, another practitioner, or the College itself — may complain in writing that a psychologist has practised outside the CAP Standards of Practice, breached the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists, or engaged in conduct unbecoming the profession. Any of those can ground a finding of unprofessional conduct.

The College regulates registered psychologists and registered provisional psychologists, and this process applies to both. Complaints must be written and signed; the College does not act on anonymous allegations in the ordinary course. Before anything is asked of you, the Complaints Director first checks that CAP has jurisdiction — that the complaint is about a psychologist registered in Alberta and concerns the provision of professional services or unprofessional conduct.

What the College sends you, and when

Once the complaint clears the jurisdiction check, CAP typically provides you with the complainant's identity, a copy of the complaint letter, and any supporting material they submitted. You are then asked to provide a detailed written response, together with the client file where appropriate, your curriculum vitae, and any other documents relevant to the matter.

The College requests this within thirty days of your receiving the complaint. Treat that date as fixed. If you genuinely cannot meet it — because the file is large, or you are obtaining advice — ask the Complaints Department in writing for an extension before the deadline passes, with a short reason. Silence is the worst option: it reads as indifference to a regulator whose first job is to protect the public.

Your response is the evidence — write it that way

Under section 55(2) of the Act, the Complaints Director decides how the matter proceeds on the strength of the papers. That is why the response is not a formality. A vague, defensive, or emotional letter can turn a resolvable concern into an investigation; a clear, factual, reflective one can allow the Director to resolve or dismiss it.

Answer every allegation specifically and in order. Anchor each answer in the contemporaneous record — session notes, the intake, correspondence, consent documentation — rather than in memory. Where you got something right, show it plainly. Where you fell short, say so without minimising and describe what you have changed. Regulators distinguish sharply between a practitioner who understands the concern and one who cannot see it.

The client file and confidentiality

You may lawfully disclose the client record to the College for the purpose of the complaint; the Health Professions Act authorises the College to collect information relevant to the enquiry, and responding to a regulator is a recognised exception to your confidentiality obligations. That does not license disclosing more than the matter requires. Provide the file the complaint concerns, organised and complete, and resist the urge to over-share unrelated material about the client or third parties.

Never create, backdate, or amend a note after a complaint arrives. If a record is genuinely incomplete, the correct course is a clearly dated addendum that says so — not a quiet edit. Altered records are frequently discovered and are treated as a separate, and often graver, integrity breach than the original concern.

What the Complaints Director can do with your response

Section 55(2) gives the Director a menu of options rather than a single track. The complaint may be resolved with the consent of both you and the complainant; it may be referred for investigation, with an investigator appointed under section 55(2)(d); an expert report may be commissioned; the matter may be dismissed where there is insufficient or no evidence of unprofessional conduct; or it may be referred to a hearing before the Hearing Tribunal.

A strong early response is what keeps you at the lighter end of that menu. Many concerns are capable of consensual resolution or dismissal at this stage — but only where the psychologist has engaged fully and credibly on the paper record.

Getting the right support before you reply

Alberta psychologists are not covered by the CMPA — that indemnity is for physicians. Your route to support is your professional liability insurer, which can fund or arrange representation, and, in serious matters, a lawyer who practises regulatory defence under the Health Professions Act. Contact them before drafting, not after.

Lean on trusted colleagues for perspective on your reflection, but do not discuss the specifics of the complaint with people connected to the client or the events. Keep your own dated record of what you did and when. The habit of measured, documented professionalism is itself part of what the College is assessing.

This guide explains the process of the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP) under the Health Professions Act and is provided for general information for registered psychologists and registered provisional psychologists. It is not legal advice. If you are the subject of a complaint or investigation, contact your professional liability insurer and, where the matter is serious, a lawyer who practises regulatory defence under the Health Professions Act. Last updated July 14, 2026.