Earning the CGP will benefit you by:

• RECOGNIZING YOU as having MET NATIONAL STANDARDS for providing group psychotherapy services

• INCLUDING YOU in the Online Directory that is used by the public to search for therapists and by collegaues for referrals

• PRESENTING YOU TO CONSUMERS AND EMPLOYERS as having met the educational and experience standards to be CERTIFIED IN GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPY

• SUPPORTING your chosen profession in establishing and ADVANCING STANDARDS OF PRACTICE AND EDUCATION for group psychotherapy

• PROMOTING PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY for clinical mental health professionals who practice group psychotherapy

• DEMONSTRATING YOUR HIGH LEVEL OF CONTINUED EXCELLENCE through continuing education and recertification

Click here to read the article, CGP-Why Me? by Barry J. Wepman, Ph.D., CGP

(published in the MAGPS newsletter)

Earning the CGP credential also means that you will benefit from the many accomplishments the Registry has made on behalf of CGPs:

• The Registry has certified over 3,000 group psychotherapists, setting a standard for group psychotherapy practice for consumers, the professional community, training institutions and the third-party payers.

• As a CGP, you will be listed in the CGP online directory on our comprehensive group psychotherapy website www.agpa.org, which helps consumers find a group therapist. This valuable referral tool shows your particular areas of expertise and is searchable by name and geographic locale.

• The Group Solution, the Registry newsletter, keeps CGPs informed of changes in the behavioral healthcare field, presents suggestions for developing a successful group therapy practice, addresses ethical issues specific to group psychotherapy, and keeps members informed about the Registry’s ongoing efforts on behalf of its membership.

• The Registry advocates for group psychotherapy as a treatment modality in a number of professional and popular publications, as well as with insurance companies, government agencies, and opinion leaders.

• The Registry promotes professional accountability through the regular recertification process by requiring continuing education and testament to ethical practice.

• Your CGP listing in the National Registry of Certified Group Psychotherapists includes a complete practice profile, which is distributed to your colleagues and third-party payers.

As a special benefit, your certification fee includes one year of membership in the American Group Psychotherapy Association. The Registry can present you to the outside world as a qualified group psychotherapist, but AGPA can help you stay one. From providing group psychotherapy training and continuing education through its Annual Meetings and thirty-three local and regional societies to keeping you up-to date on news in the field through the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy and The Group Circle, the Association perfectly complements the Registry; not to mention the international network of over 3,000 group psychotherapist colleagues you will have at your fingertips. As soon as your certification is approved, you will immediately become a Clinical Member of AGPA (instead of the usual entry category of Associate Clinical Member). Basically this all means that you'll receive two for the price (and the paperwork!) of one.

We hope that you will take this opportunity to take the next step in your group psychotherapy career by becoming certified. Please call the Registry office toll-free at 877-668-2472 or 212-477-1600, or e-mail us at info@agpa.org if you have any questions.