William Crooks
Dr. Laurie Laberge and Dr. Catherine Malboeuf-Hurtubise at Bishop’s University’s new Psychology Clinic on Sept. 23

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

Bishop’s University officially opened its new Psychology Clinic on Sept. 23, marking an important step in expanding access to affordable mental health care in the Eastern Townships. The facility will also serve as a key training ground for doctoral students in clinical psychology, blending community service with hands-on education.

The Record toured the clinic earlier in the day with psychologist and internship manager Dr. Laurie Laberge, who oversees operations. “The services are offered exclusively by the students,” she explained, “they’re supervised by the profs.”

The clinic offers individual therapy sessions at $25 each, a fraction of the roughly $140 charged in the private sector. Laberge emphasized the importance of keeping the service accessible: “It’s a really small amount… so it’s a big difference. We offer the most accessible service here.”

Training future psychologists

Second-year students in Bishop’s Doctor of Psychology program (PsyD) are the first cohort to provide services through the clinic. These students, still generalists at this stage, handle a broad range of cases. If a client’s needs require more specialized expertise, they are referred elsewhere.

The program is accredited by the Ordre des psychologues du Québec (OPQ), which ensures that the training follows established standards. Associate Professor Catherine Malboeuf-Hurtubise, who helped found both the program and the clinic, said the approach is entirely standard. “This is a very normal type of thing,” she noted. “That’s how we all learn.”

The clinic includes therapy rooms equipped with cameras for supervision, a child therapy space, and facilities for group supervision. All recordings remain on secure servers and are protected under provincial privacy law. “It was really complicated,” Laberge admitted of the cybersecurity measures. “We go by the Law 25 for the privacy matters… a really strict law.”

Serving the community

The clinic is open to the public rather than to Bishop’s students, in order to protect confidentiality within the small university community. Clients so far have ranged in age from eight to 75. Half of the clinic’s early requests have come from English-speaking residents, many of whom reported struggling to find services in English. Others are francophones, reflecting the bilingual mission of the clinic.

Doctoral student Emilie McLean, who is part of the inaugural group of interns, told The Record she is looking forward to applying her training in a real-world setting and helping meet the region’s need for care.

Malboeuf-Hurtubise highlighted that community need was central to the project’s creation. “There is a need in the community for mental health services, especially in English,” she said, explaining that the clinic was designed to serve both francophone and anglophone populations.

Support and growth

A related press release states that the clinic is also supported by the Hewitt Foundation, which funds scholarships for PsyD students. This support allows trainees to focus on their academic and clinical work, with the goal of completing the four-year program and increasing the number of licensed psychologists in the region.

Malboeuf-Hurtubise described the clinic as both a service and an investment in the future. “Through internships, students gain practical experience delivering care to the community. Upon graduation, they will be licensed psychologists equipped to serve clients in both official languages.”

Laberge added that the clinic plans to expand its services over time, with couples therapy expected to be introduced next year. For now, the focus is on building trust with the public and offering high-quality, supervised care.