“We did NOT disprove ghosts!”

Today on the CPA podcast Mind Full, we are speaking with Dr. Rodney Schmaltz. Dr. Schmaltz recently had a study he led at MacEwan University go somewhat viral. He tells Eric about the whirlwind that comes with having a study suddenly catch the attention of the public, and about the study itself. You know how sometimes you get a creepy, hair-on-the-back-of-your-neck feeling in some older buildings? It may not be ghosts – it may be infrasound!

Podcasts and Profiles

With access to MAiD when a mental disorder is the sole underlying medical condition (MD-SUMC) postponed to March 17, 2027, the CPA sent a letter to the co-Chairs of the Special Joint Parliamentary Committee on MAiD that focused on the expert assessment role of psychologists.

The CPA has created new “Psychology Works” Fact Sheets on Developmental Trauma.

• Developmental Trauma- PDF | HTML 04/2026

You can find all of our “Psychology Works” Fact Sheets here

As Canadians continue to struggle with high rates of mental illness and shortages of specialists such as psychologists, the CPA released a report Increasing Access, Reducing Costs and Improving Outcomes: maximizing psychologists’ contributions to Canada’s publicly funded health care systems. The report outlines five key strategies to help close critical gaps in access and ensure that those in need receive timely, cost-effective, evidence-based psychological care. See our news release, executive summary and the full report.

The CPA’s Board of Directors has approved a new policy statement on AI in psychology. For more information: https://cpa.ca/aboutcpa/policystatements/#AI

In a letter to the Hon. Lena Diab, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship of Canada (IRCC), the CPA voiced their concern about the IRCC’s plan to introduce a copayment model for services provided under the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP).  The IFHP provides health services (including psychological services) to refugees and asylum-seekers in Canada, and the CPA argued that the introduction of a copayment model would equate to denying services to this vulnerable population.  You can read the letter here.

Mood disorders are complex, which means that both the diagnosis and the treatment can be complex. Such is the case with bipolar disorder, a mood disorder characterized by manic highs and depressive lows. Getting accurate, evidence-based information about the condition is essential, which is what led The Royal mental health centre in Ottawa to create a virtual health information tool for people living with the condition. Dr. Kelsey Collimore, the psychologist who led this initiative, joins the CPA podcast Mind Full to talk about it.

Podcasts and Profiles

The CPA is pleased to announce the winners of the 2026 CPA Student Research Grants. These grants recognize exceptional student research in all areas of psychology. This year, grants were provided by the CPA, jointly by the CPA and CSBBCS, and by BMS Canada.

Congratulations to all!

The CPA has created a“Psychology Works” Fact Sheet on Coping with Emergencies, Disasters and Violent Events – PDF | HTML | VIDEO

You can find all of our “Psychology Works” Fact Sheets here

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 CPA is pleased to announce the release of two research-based booklets designed to help kindergarten children with phonological awareness.

These booklets were created in response to recent endorsements of kindergarten reading programs that emphasize the phonics approach over the whole-language approach. The first booklet, titled, Promoting Reading Success: A Teacher’s Guide to Phonological Awareness Activities for the Kindergarten Child, is intended for use by teachers and can be purchased on the Publications page of the CPA website. The booklet is available in both English and French. To learn more about this booklet, you can read the Preface here. The second booklet, titled, Promoting Reading Readiness: A Parent/Caregiver’s Guide to Phonological Awareness Activities for the Kindergarten-Age Child, is intended for use by parents and caregivers, and can be downloaded for free by clicking here – you also can find the link to this booklet on the Publications page of the CPA website.

If you know of any teachers, parents, or caregivers who may benefit from these booklets, please share this information with them.

Applying to grad school is a competitive and often confusing process. Use our roadmap to help you understand what programs are looking for and how to effectively prepare.

The Council of Professional Associations of Psychology (CPAP), in collaboration with the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA), is seeking input on a potential group benefits plan for psychologists.

We ask that you please complete the brief survey below which asks whether you’re interested in a group benefits plan and if so, the coverage and features you would like offered/implemented.

English – https://web2.cpa.ca/membersurveys/index.php/415456?lang=en

French – https://web2.cpa.ca/membersurveys/index.php/415456?lang=fr

Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey.

The Canadian Psychological Association’s Scientific Affairs Committee (SAC) is currently recruiting new members. The SAC’s primary aim is to advance psychological science by working on matters of importance to the psychological research community, CPA members and affiliates, and groups of researchers. It is also responsible for the policies and practices of the CPA’s journals and other publications.

Yearly activities of SAC members include reviewing student research grant applications, providing input on CPA journal matters (e.g., publishing agreements, open-access wording, publishing standards), and reviewing special issue proposals for the journals. Additional activities will come up throughout the term. For more information on the SAC, or to read the SAC Terms of Reference, click here.

If you are interested in joining the important work of the SAC, please send a letter of intent and updated CV to Dr. Lauren Thompson, CPA’s Science Director at science@cpa.ca. In your letter of intent, please specify whether your research falls primarily within the mandate of SSHRC, NSERC, or CIHR.