About Our Petition

In March 2025, a government announcement alarmed 763 registered Psychologists enough that we signed an open letter to the Mental Health Minister, Matt Doocey. Minister Doocey had just announced a new scope of Psychologist—“Associate Psychologist”—set to begin in 2026. Entry into this scope would require only a bachelor’s degree followed by a one-year postgraduate diploma, in contrast to the 6–8 years of training currently required to become a psychologist. These practitioners would be accredited by the New Zealand Psychologists Board (NZPB) and supervised by Clinical Psychologists, and are eventually intended to be scaled as a solution to the mental health crisis in public health.

Some of us who signed the open letter have also launched a petition to stop the introduction of the proposed “Associate Psychologist” role. We’re deeply concerned about the risks to public safety and the impact this could have on the integrity of psychological services in New Zealand.

You can hear more about these concerns in a short interview with campaign organiser, Dr. Kumari Valentine.

Read the full petition by clicking the link below—and please consider signing and sharing it widely!

Thank you! Your signature supports our mission to ensure that psychological services are kept to a high standard for all NZers.

Concerned Psychologists of NZ