Healthcare titles can be confusing, especially when different provinces have different rules, and different cultures have different relationships with the idea of seeking help. This page exists to remove the confusion, so the only thing you need to focus on is taking the first step.
These practitioners support your emotional, psychological, and social well-being. All are trained in talk-based therapy or clinical intervention, but their designations, training levels, and scope differ in important ways.
A doctoral-level clinician registered with a College of Psychologists. Provides therapy, diagnosis, and psychological assessments. In Ontario, must be registered with the College of Psychologists of Ontario.
A medical doctor who specialised in mental health. The only mental health professional who can prescribe medication. Usually accessed through a referral from a family doctor.
Regulated in Ontario by the College of Registered Psychotherapists (CRPO). Provides talk-based therapy for mental health conditions. Most people simply call them "my therapist."
Regulated by the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. Can provide therapy, family support, and systemic care. Many RSWs work as therapists in private practice.
Works on goals, mindset, life transitions, burnout recovery, confidence, and personal growth. Does not diagnose or treat mental health conditions. A good fit if you want support for life direction and motivation rather than clinical treatment.
On InnaPace, physical wellness professionals are here for more than fitness. Exercise reduces anxiety and depression, regulates mood, and builds resilience. These are practitioners who understand that movement is part of the mental health prescription.
A certified fitness professional who designs exercise programmes based on your goals, fitness level, and health history. On InnaPace, trainers who understand the connection between physical movement and mental wellness.
Movement and mindfulness practitioners. On InnaPace, specifically instructors who work with trauma-informed movement, somatic wellness, and culturally grounded practice, not just fitness.
A Registered Massage Therapist is regulated in Ontario by the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario (CMTO). Provides therapeutic bodywork for tension, injury recovery, chronic pain, and stress-related physical symptoms.
The distinction between a Registered Dietitian and a Nutritionist is one of the most misunderstood in Canadian healthcare, and it matters, particularly for anyone managing a medical condition through diet.
A dietitian is a regulated healthcare professional held to high standards by a provincial college. The title "Dietitian" is protected by law across all of Canada. Only those who have met specific provincial requirements can legally use it.
In most provinces, "Nutritionist" is an unregulated term. In others it carries the same legal standing as Dietitian. Always check the province.
Practitioners who take a whole-person approach to health, integrating evidence-based natural therapies with an understanding of cultural healing traditions.
A licensed Naturopathic Doctor, regulated in Ontario by the College of Naturopaths of Ontario. Uses evidence-informed natural therapies alongside conventional medicine. On InnaPace, many bridge Caribbean and South Asian plant medicine traditions with modern clinical naturopathic practice.
Physical spaces where wellness and community come together. These are the "Spaces" in the InnaPace directory. Not individual practitioners, but the locations where care is delivered and community is built.
A physical wellness space, gym, yoga studio, wellness centre, or multi-service clinic. On InnaPace, facilities are often recommended by name by the practitioners who work with them, because they trust the environment they are sending their clients into.
Search our directory with cultural background filters, language preferences, and the categories you have just learned about, to find someone who genuinely understands where you are coming from.