National Registry of Certified Group Psychotherapists

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Eligiblity Requirements

Registry eligiblity requires both general clinical credentials and specific group psychotherapy credentials.

Clinical credentials include a graduate degree and the highest state clinical licensure and/or clinical membership/certification in designated national professional organizations as further described below.

Group psychotherapy credentials include group psychotherapy education, experience, supervision, and references.

1. CLINICAL CREDENTIALS: This section establishes your credentials as a clinician.
   
   
   1. Identifying Information: Name must be listed as it appears on your license or membership/certification.
   
   
   
   2. Eduction: List all graduate degress. A minimum of a Master's degree in a clinical mental health field or related health field is required.
      
      If you are a physician, please complete information on your residencey training program in psychiatry.
   
   
   
   3. Clinical Discipline: If you have advanced degrees in more than one discipline, please list the primary one for which you are licensed or certified to practice as a clinical mental health professional in your state
   
   
   
   4. State Licensure: Most states now regulate clinical practice with discipline licensure. You must have the highest level license available for your discipline in your state. A copy of your current license must be submitted by fax to 301-869-8608 or email to memberservices@agpa.org.
   
   
   
   5. Membership/Certification in National Professional Organizations: This section is only for use by applicants for whom discipline licensure is not available.
      
      If licensure is not available in your state or if you reside outside of the United States, membership or certification at the highest clinical level in designated national professional organizations may be used to verify credentials as a clinical mental health professional for the purposes of this Registry. Proof of your clinical membership/certification must be submitted along with this application by fax (301-869-8608) or email memberservices@agpa.org.

   DOCUMENTATION BY DISCIPLINE: Please refer to your specific professional discipline listed below for required clinical credential documentation. Please note that membership/certification in national Professional organizations is only for use by applicants for whom discipline licensure is not available. In states where licensure is applicable, required documentation will be a copy of your current license.

   PSYCHIATRISTS:
   
   • State licensed to practice medicine.
   
             AND
   
   • Completion of an APA approved residency training program in psychiatry
   
   PSYCHOLOGISTS:
   
   • State licensed at the highest level
   
   SOCIAL WORKERS:
   
   • State licensed at the highest level
   
   NURSES:
   
   • State licensed to practice as a Registered Nurse
   
             AND
   
   • Registration or license by the State Board of Nursing at the highest level as a Clinical Nurse Specialist/Advanced Nurse Practitioner in Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing.
     Documentation Required: Copy of State Board of Nursing authorization to practice
               OR
     
   • American Nurses Credentialing Cneter: Certification as a Clinical Specialist in Adult or Child and Adolescent Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing
     Documentation Required: Copy of certification certificate and recertification (if applicable)
   
   MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPISTS:
   
   • State licensed at the highest level
   
             OR
   
   • American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists: Clinical Member
     Documentation Required: Letter of verification of active Clinical Member status from AAMFT
   
   ALCOHOLISM AND DRUG ABUSE COUNSELORS:
   
   • State licensed at the highest level
   
             OR
   
   • National Association of Alchoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors: Master Addiction Counselor
     Documentation Required: Copy of certification certificate
   
   CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELORS:
   
   • State licensed at the highest level
   
             OR
   
   • National Board of Certified Counselors: Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor
     Documentation Required: Letter of verification of active CCMHC credential from NBCC
   
   CREATIVE ARTS THERAPISTS:
   
   • State Licensed at the hightest level in one of the disciplines recognized by the Registry
   
             OR
   
   • American Art Therapy Association: Art Therapist Registered-Board Certified
   
             OR
   
   • American Music Therapy Association Music Therapist Board Certified (with Creative Arts Master's Degree) Advanced Certified Music Therapist
   
             OR
   
   • American Dance Therapy Association: Dance Therapist Registered or Academy of Dance Therapists Registered
   
             OR
   
   • American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama: Board Certified Practioner or Board Certified Trainer, Educator and Practioner
   
             OR
   
   • National Association for Drama Therapy: Registered Drama Therapist
   
             OR
   
   • National Association for Poetry Therapy: Registered Poetry Therapist
   
   Documentation Required: Copy of certification certificate and recertification (if applicable) for any of the above creative arts credentials
   
   PASTORAL COUNSELORS:
   
   • State licensed at the highest level or in one of the disciplines recognized by the Registry
   
             OR
   
   • American Association of Pastoral Counselors: Fellow or Diplomate
     Documentation Required: Copy of current membership
   
   SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS:
   
   • State licensed at the hightest level or in one of the disciplines recognized by the Registry
   
             OR
   
   • National Association of School Psychologists: National Certified School Psychologist
   
   GROUP THERAPISTS:
   
   • State licensed at the highest level in one of the disciplines recognized by the Registry
   
             OR
   
   • American Group Psychotherapy Association: Clinical Member or Fellow
     Documentation Required: None
   
   PSYCHOANALYSTS:
   
   • State licensed at the highest level in one of the disciplines recognized by the Registry
   
             OR
   
   • American Psychoanalytic Association: Active Member
     Documentation Required: Copy of current membership
   
   INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS: For clinicians residing outside the United States, if you do not meet one of the memberships/certifications listed above, please contact the Registry office.



2. GROUP PSHYCHOTHERAPY CREDENTIALS
   
   
   1. Group Psychotherapy Education: Required: Completion of 12 clock hours of study in group psychotherapy theory and practice. Applicants may meet this requirement through one 12-hour course, or through multiple workshops, graduate courses and/or training program segments. The following content areas should have been covered within the 12 hours of coursework: foundations of group psychotherapy, the group leader, group dynamics and group process, and the change process in groups. Please list the course(s) which covered these areas (total time must equal at least 12 hours), date(s), instructor(s), and sponsoring organzation(s), training program(s) or school(s). Verification of completed coursework will by affirmed by applicant's electronic signature on applicant statement.
   
   
   
   2. Group Pshychotherapy Experience: Refer to Section C below for waivers
      
      Required: 300 hours of group psychotherapy experience as a leader or co-leader accrued during or following clincial graduate training.
      
      Definition: To qualify as a group psychotherapy experience, the groups must be clearly for the purpose of providing psychotherapy services to designated client/patient populations for valid mental disorders listed in DSM-IV. Family therapy (unless multi-family groups), peer groups, self-help groups, training groups, and any groups that are not clearly designated to provide psychotherapy services to designated clients/patients do not qualify. Please list only those groups that meet the above definition.
      
      As hours are determinant, please list carefully the dates groups began and ended and the hours accumulated for each group. For ongoing groups, write "ongoing" with today's date in lieu of the ending date. Only 300 hours of group psychotherapy experience must be listed, not all groups in which you have been a leader or co-leader.
   3. Group Psychotherapy Supervision: Refer to Section C below for waivers
      
      
      1. Supervision: Requirements and Definition.
         
         Required: 75 hours of group psychotherapy supervision accrued during or following clinical graduate training.
         
         Definition: To qualify as group psychotherapy supervision, such supervision must have occurred with an approved group psychotherapy supervisor in either an individual or group format and must have involved the regular presentation of group psychotherapy clinical material.
         
         As supervision hours are a determinant, please list carefully the dates such supervision began and and ended and the hours accumulated for each supervision experience. Only 75 hours of group psychotherapy supervision must be listed.
      
      
      
      2. Approved Group Psychotherapy Supervisor: Requirements and Definition.
         
         Required: All group psychotherapy supervisors who are listed under the 75 hour group psychotherapy supervision requirement must fill out a Supervision Verification Reference Form with the exception of the specific situations listed under section B4 below.
         
         Definition: To qualify as an approved group psychotherapy supervisor , the supervisor must be a group psychotherapist who is listed, or is eligible for listing, in the National Registry of Certified Group Psychotherapists and who has a total of 600 hours of group psychotherapy experience. This requires an additional 300 hours beyond Registry eligibility standards. Verification of supervisor qualifications will be affirmed by supervisor signature on the Supervision Verification Reference Form.
      
      
      
   4. Group Psychotherapy Reference Forms: Refer to Section C, below, for waivers.

      Required: All applicants must submit a minimum of two completed reference forms with the application via fax to 301-869-8608 or email to memberservices@agpa.org.

      The Registry will use two types of reference forms to meet this requirement: the Supervision Verification Reference Form and the Group Psychotherapy Colleague Reference Form. Supervision Verification Reference Forms are completed by applicant's group psychotherapy supervisors. Group Psychotherapy Colleague Reference Forms are completed by colleagues who are practicing group psychotherapists and are familiar with applicant's group psychotherapy skills. Please note that family members may not be used on either type of reference form.
      
      Applicants are required to submit completed Supervision Verification Reference Forms for all supervision used to meet the 75 hour group psychotherapy supervision requirement with the following exceptions:
      
      In those cases where a single group psychotherapy supervisor has provided the 75 hours of group psychotherapy supervision, applicant may substitute a Group Psychotherapy Colleague Reference Form for the second reference.
      
      In those cases where applicant cannot locate one or both supervisors, Group Psychotherapy Colleague Reference Forms may be substituted provided applicant states, on the Eligibility Form on the following web pages, the reasons supervisor(s) is not reachable.




3. WAIVERS
   
   
   1. Current Clinical Members and Fellows in good standing of the American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA) who qualify for Registry acceptance under Section A: Clinical Credentials will be exempt from completing Sections B3-5, Group Psychotherapy Experience and Supervision, including the provision of references.
      
      NOTE: This waiver does not apply to AGPA Associate Clinical and Adjunct Members.
   
   
   
   2. Applicants with 10 or more years of group psychotherapy experience following completion of clinical graduate training will be exempt from listing group psychotherapy supervision hours in Section B4; please indicate the number of years of practice in Section B5 and submit two (2) completed Group Psychotherapy Colleague Reference Forms to meet Registry reference requirements.



4. PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY INSURANCE

   The National Registry of Certified Group Psychotherapists requires that you submit a current copy of your professional liability insurance certificate (not the policy). Please be aware that most third party reimbursers require verification that clinical providers have liability coverage.

5. RECERTIFICATION
   
   

   The Registry will require a recertification process every two years. Eighteen (18) hours of continuing education in group psychotherapy will be a requirement for recertification as well as active state licensure and/or active clinical membership/certification status with designated national professional organizations. Detailed information will be forwarded upon Registry acceptance.

6. APPLICANT'S STATEMENT
   
   

   Please read the statement carefully before providing your electronic signature

7. GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPY PRACTICE PROFILE
   
   

   The Practice Profile will be used to describe your current group psychotherapy practice in the Registry. In combination with your clinical credentials, this profile will identify you to users of the Registry. Please be sure to select no more than four items from each section.

8. FEE
   
   

   Certification Fee: $420.00
   
   Current AGPA Members receive discount fee: $295.00
   
   Payment may be made by Visa, Mastercard or American Express online.
   
   50% of the amount paid is a non-refundable processing fee.
   
   Please note that this is a one time, initial fee; there will be a nominal fee for recertification every two years.

Apply now by clicking the "Continue to Apply for Certification" button below. You will have the opportunity to update your contact information and practice profile so that it is current in the Online E-Directory.