Psychotherapy Certifications and Education

I need to find and contact a mental health expert in my area. Can I do that through the American Psychotherapy Association’s website?

Yes. By using the American Psychotherapy Association’s Find a Therapist service, you may search for the American Psychotherapy Association members by specialty and state.

I need to verify membership and information on one of your members. How can I get this information?

In order to release information on any of our members, we require written verifications containing the signature of the person about whom you are requesting information. You can send verification request sto our association via fax to (417) 823-9959 or by mail to the American Psychotherapy Association, 2750 E. Sunshine, Springfield, MO 65804.

Where can I find information about advertising in Annals of the American Psychotherapy Association?

To find information about advertising in Annals of the American Psychotherapy Association, visit the American Psychotherapy Association’s Advertising page.

Who can become a member of the American Psychotherapy Association?

Anyone who is interested in psychotherapy may join the association to have access to the American Psychotherapy Association’s peer-reviewed publication and the American Psychotherapy Association’s conferences and other continuing education opportunities. For example, the American Psychotherapy Association offers a special membership for full-time students so that they can join and learn more about the exciting fields of psychotherapy.

Are members “certified” by the American Psychotherapy Association?

No, becoming a member of the American Psychotherapy Association does not include certification. However, the American Psychotherapy Association offers qualified professionals several certification programs.

What do I get with my the American Psychotherapy Association membership?

With your the American Psychotherapy Association membership you will receive discounts on the American Psychotherapy Association national conferences, a free subscription to Annals (the peer-reviewed journal of the American Psychotherapy Association), attractive members-only insurance packages, access to continuing education credits, and guidance from our Executive Advisory Board Members.

Will the American Psychotherapy Association sell or share my personal information with third parties?

No. The privacy of our members is extremely important to us. All of the personal information sent to us is kept confidential.

Does the American Psychotherapy Association verify the credentials of members?

Yes, the credential verification process is as follows:

Applicants for general membership in the American Psychotherapy Association must provide documentation of their degrees, licenses, and qualifications. These applicants must also provide their signature confirming that the information they provide to the American Psychotherapy Association in their applications is complete, accurate, and up-to-date. These general membership applications are reviewed when they are received. In this review process, an applicant’s degrees are confirmed for legitimacy whenever possible and his or her professional licenses are confirmed with his or her particular state licensing board.

How long does the American Psychotherapy Association application and certification process take?

The application and certification process usually takes 3-5 weeks once we receive all requested documentation.

Can I check my membership status online?

Yes, the Members Only section will show your renewal date after you log in.

How can I update my contact information?

If you have moved, changed jobs, have a new area code, new e-mail address, or simply want to confirm what contact information we have on file, you may call member services or the accounting department, 8:00am – 5:00pm CST toll free at (800) 205-9165, send a fax with your updated information to 417-823-9959, or update your information online by visiting the Modify Account page in the Members Only Area.

Whom should I call to confirm that my dues payment was received?

For questions regarding your membership dues, you may call the accounting department, 8:00am – 5:00pm CST toll free at (800) 205-9165.   A second renewal notice may cross in the mail with your payment; simply disregard this notice. You may also check your membership status online to verify a payment was received by visiting the Members Only Area.

I let my membership lapse. What do I have to do to reactivate my membership?

At the American Psychotherapy Association, we offer an amnesty program to welcome back inactive members. Simply pay your annual dues plus an additional $25 to waive the past year’s dues. If your membership has been lapsed for 2 or more years, we request you also send in a current resume.

Can I contact other the American Psychotherapy Association members in my field or in a different field?

Yes. By visiting the American Psychotherapy Association’s Find a Therapist service, you may search for the American Psychotherapy Association members by specialty and state.

Can potential clients and other members find and contact me?

Yes. By filling out an the American Psychotherapy Association Find a Therapist service form, you can enroll in divisions that apply to your specialty. If you are an active the American Psychotherapy Association Diplomate in good standing, you will receive 2 FREE specialty listings. Additional listings are available for $35/yr per specialty. Once you are enrolled in at least one division, members and nonmembers will be able to find your contact information by visiting the American Psychotherapy Association’s Find a Therapist service.

What kind of writing does Annals of the American Psychotherapy Association accept?

Annals is always accepting manuscripts, case studies, columns, and other content for consideration. Annals is currently seeking manuscript submissions written on any psychotherapy-related topics, such as therapeutic techniques, psychological problems encountered in therapy, and research reviews.

Who can submit writing to Annals of the American Psychotherapy Association?

Anyone with mental health-related experience can submit writing for consideration in Annals. Even if you have never published before and have little writing experience, the Editorial Department of Annals can help you create an article you will be proud to share with your peers! Publishing articles in our prestigious peer-reviewed journal can bring many professional benefits and recognition to your career, so take advantage of this exclusive opportunity and submit your work today. View Annals submission guidelines.

How do I submit my writing to Annals of the American Psychotherapy Association?

Whether you wish to submit an article for peer review, a case study, a column, or any other content, view Annals submission guidelines and send your writing electronically (either in the body or an e-mail or as attachment) to editor@americanpsychotherapy.com. Or, send in your writing on a disk or CD to Editor, Association Headquarters, 2750 E. Sunshine, Springfield, MO 65804.

The CE articles in Annals of the American Psychotherapy Association are peer-reviewed. How does the peer review process work?

Each manuscript submitted for consideration to Annals is sent out to three members of the Annals Editorial Advisory Board, which is made up of over 80 mental health experts. In order for a manuscript to be considered for publication in Annals, it must be accepted by at least two of its three reviewers. The peer review process is a double-blind process. This means reviewers do not know who the authors are, and authors do not know who the reviewers are.

How can I find an article from an old issue of Annals of the American Psychotherapy Association?

You can find and view all Annals CE articles from the past 3 years online for free by visiting Annals CE articles Online.

To retrieve columns or older articles featured in Annals, send an e-mail to editor@americanpsychotherapy.com containing the following information: the issue containing the article/column you are requesting, the author of the article/column, the title of the article/column, and your contact information (name, phone number, fax number, physical address). Once the article/column you requested is located, you will be contacted and asked if you would like to receive the article/column by e-mail as a .pdf ($10 fee), fax ($10 fee), or by mail ($12 fee) and for your payment information.

Whom should I call if I haven’t received a renewal invoice?

To request a renewal invoice, you may call the Accounting Department, 8:00am – 5:00pm CST toll free at (800) 205-9165.

Can I renew by telephone?

Yes, you may find out what your dues are and pay by telephone with your credit card. Simply call member services or the accounting department, 8:00am – 5:00pm CST toll free at (800) 205-9165.

Can I renew by fax?

Yes, you may fax the completed renewal form with credit card payment information to 417-823-9959 to the attention of the accounting department.

Can I renew online?

Yes, you may renew your membership dues online by simply filling out a membership renewal application.

Who can be certified by the American Psychotherapy Association?

Only qualified professionals who meet the American Psychotherapy Association’s stringent educational and professional requirements can apply for certification through the American Psychotherapy Association. For the specific requirements of each of the American Psychotherapy Association’s certifications, please click the program you are interested in:

• The Certified Relationship Specialist, CRS, program
• The Master Therapist^SM (MTAPA) program
• American Psychotherapy Association’s Diplomate program (DAPA)
• American Psychotherapy Association’s Fellow program (FAPA)

After I apply for Diplomate status with the American Psychotherapy Association, what will I need to submit to complete the application process?

To become a certified (Diplomate) member of the American Psychotherapy Association, you must provide the signed application and include the telephone numbers and names of two professional references, a copy of your resume, a copy of your master's degree, and a copy of any professional license(s) you hold (or have held in the past).

Once a member is certified, what must he or she do to maintain the certification?

The American Psychotherapy Association places a high priority on continuing education, and once a member is certified by the American Psychotherapy Association, either through the successful completion of one of our certification programs or the Diplomate program, he or she must maintain membership in the American Psychotherapy Association and is expected to complete a minimum of 15 hours of related continuing education per year to maintain the certification. The American Psychotherapy Association offers appropriate professional continuing education opportunities through its national and regional conferences and though journal learning articles in its peer-reviewed publication Annals of the American Psychotherapy Association. The American Psychotherapy Association also accepts appropriate continuing education from other equivalent organizations.

Is the American Psychotherapy Association recognized by any other associations or certifying organizations?

A number of outside organizations and certifying bodies recognize the American Psychotherapy Association's continuing education offerings, which are jointly sponsored by the American College of Forensic Examiners International (ACFEI), the American Psychotherapy Association's sister organization. ACFEI maintains responsibility and accreditations for the American Psychotherapy Association's continuing education offerings.

• The American Psychological Association: ACFEI is approved by the American Psychological Association to offer continuing professional education for psychologists. ACFEI maintains responsibility for the program.
• The National Board for Certified Counselors: ACFEI is recognized by the National Board for Certified Counselors to offer continuing education for National Certified Counselors,MFTs, and LCSWs. We adhere to NBCC Continuing Education Guidelines. Provider #5812.
• California Board of Behavioral Sciences: ACFEI is an approved by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences to provide continuing professional education, approval PCE 1896.
• The Association of Social Work Boards: ACFEI, provider number 1052, is approved as a provider for social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) www.aswb.org, through the Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program.   ACFEI maintains responsibility for the program.   Licensed social workers should contact their individual board to review continuing education requirements for licensure renewal.

ACFEI maintains responsibility for American Psychotherapy Association’s continuing professional education programs, and every year they submit activity lists to each of their accrediting bodies to verify that they are following their approved provider guidelines. ACFEI is also required to periodically reapply for accreditation through each of these organizations or bodies.

How many continuing education credits (CEs) do I have to submit each year?

Each certified member should submit a minimum of 15 CEs per calendar year.

When does my CE reporting period begin?

The CE reporting period begins on January 1 of the calendar year immediately following the year of certification.  Refer to the certification certificate for the date of certification.  The actual act of certification supplies the necessary CE for that calendar year.

How much time do I have to submit my CE?

The CE reporting period runs from January 1 to December 31. The first 15 CEs submitted during that period will be applied to the current calendar year. Any excess will be banked ahead to future years.

What ways can I get CEs through the American Psychotherapy Association?

The American Psychotherapy Association offers a variety of avenues for acquiring CE credits. You can receive CE credits by reading articles in our peer-reviewed publication, Annals of the American Psychotherapy Association, and completing accompanying quizzes. The same articles and quizzes are also available online. CE credits are also given for attendance at our conferences, teaching courses or workshops, or authoring an article or column for Annals of the American Psychotherapy Association.

Can I earn CEs from outside sources?

Yes, the American Psychotherapy Association’s CE department also accepts CE awarded by equivalent outside sponsors for review. To obtain credit, submit a certificate of completion that clearly shows the sponsoring agency’s name, title of the workshop/course, date of the event, and # of CEs or contact hours awarded. Send this information to the American Psychotherapy Association CE department via fax (417) 823-9959 or mail (2750 E. Sunshine, Springfield, MO 65804). The American Psychotherapy Association honors outside CE submitted on a CE to CE basis.  Outside CE submitted with a number of contact hours are honored at the contact hours minus 1 hour for lunch and breaks.

How many CEs can I earn when I teach a course or workshop, give a speech, or sit on a panel?

For each course/workshop taught for an equivalent organization, panel you sit on, or speech you give related to mental health, you are awarded 3 CEs.  For every course/workshop related to mental health taught at the college or university level, you receive 5 CEs.

How do I submit my CE to the American Psychotherapy Association for each year?

You may choose to submit CE as you get it throughout the year or wait and submit all 15 at once at the end of the year.  Regardless, please use one of the CE Reporting Forms to tally your total CE points.  All outside CE is subject to review.

What happens if I submit more than 15 CE in one year?

Although you are only expected to submit 15 total CE each year, you can choose to submit more than 15 CE. CE in excess of 15 is applied to future calendar years.