How time flies when one is having fun! I am amazed to find myself writing my final presidential column as the weather chills and we near the holidays. It has been a great honor to serve the Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy over the past year and I look forward to continuing my involvement next year as past president, following the leadership of the exceptional Jennifer Callahan as President.

In September, your Board of Directors had its semiannual meeting in beautiful Kansas City, Missouri. The meeting was very productive, ending in approval of the budget for the 2020 year. We engaged in many thoughtful discussions about how to best support the advancement of psychotherapy and created new ways to acknowledge the contributions of our membership in the form of three new awards, the Early Career Practice Award, the Distinguished Career Practice Award, and the Social Justice and Public Interest/Public Policy Award for Early Career Professionals. Please do be sure to review all of the SfAP awards and grants on our website and nominate someone or apply yourself! Most of the deadlines are January 31, 2020. By the time you read this, I also hope that you have submitted a proposal for the SfAP program at the 2020 APA convention. I’ll look forward to seeing you all there!

As the year ends, it is always good to reflect on our accomplishments and to recognize the many contributions of those who volunteer to serve your organization.  I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks to the hardworking members of your Board of Directors and the many committees that keep the division running. Our various editors (e.g., web, Bulletin, Psychotherapy) deserve kudos for continuing SfAP’s tradition of offering high quality content about psychotherapy to both members and the public. I also express my gratitude to three very special people who have supported me in my year-long presidential journey—the other members of the presidential trio, Mike Constantino and Jennifer Callahan, and our awesome administrator, Tracey Martin.

My best wishes to all for a wonderful holiday season and grand new year.

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Nancy L. Murdock, Ph.D.

Nancy L. Murdock, Ph.D. is Professor of Counseling Psychology at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She teaches graduate level courses in family systems theory, advanced counseling theory, research design and analysis and supervises couples and family practicum. Dr. Murdock is active in numerous professional organizations, having served as the Vice President for Education and Training of the Society of Counseling Psychology and as president of the Council of Counseling Psychology Training Programs. Dr. Murdock's research interests include family systems theory, professional issues, and counseling process. She is the author of Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy: A Case Approach (4 nd Ed., 2017). A licensed psychologist in Missouri, Dr. Murdock practiced as a staff psychologist for Catholic Charities of Kansas City for 10 years and currently maintains a limited independent practice which includes serving as the psychological consultant for the Kansas City Ballet. She is currently president-elect of the Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy, Division 29 of the American Psychological Association.