We have just finished our winter/spring board meeting and there’s a lot of exciting things happening in the Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy (SAP).

We have 231 students who have taken advantage of the free membership…welcome aboard!!!! Of course, we hope you’ll stay and contribute to SAP. We need your energy, ideas, and enthusiasm. This is a new initiative on the part of SAP, to support our students.

Another exciting new initiative is starting a series of webinars and talks. Members will receive free Continuing Education credits (non-members will pay a fee…hoping you’ll join the division and not have to pay the fee). One of the upcoming talks will be with Nancy McWilliams!!! The student group is offering presentations on student debt and getting internships.

Our journal (Psychotherapy) is a jewel and is now one of the top 10 in clinical psychology!!!!! 

We have lots of awards and grants because we want to encourage practitioners, researchers, and educators who are doing such a wonderful job.

We have programs to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion. The Advocacy and Mentoring Program for Diversity (AMPD) scholars has sponsored two young scholars (Ingrid Hastedt and Michelle Joaquin) and will now be recruiting for two new scholars.

We have a vibrant website and social media presence.

We will be at the APA convention in August in person (hopefully). We’ll get a full program, including panels, posters, a Presidential Address, Awards ceremony, and social hour. And join us for the Gab with the Greats….an exciting chance to meet some of the leading people in the field. Please join us!

The International group is actively involved in mentoring and encouraging representation at international congresses. They have expanded membership to other countries and are providing training opportunities particularly in China.

The Fellows Committee is actively looking for people who can be nominated for Fellows of APA. Please consider nominating yourself or others!

Finally, for my presidential Initiative, SAP approved a task force co-led by myself and John Norcross for a project following up on the highly successful three editions of Psychotherapy Relationships that Work…this time we are focused more specifically on Psychotherapy Skills and Methods that Work. The Task Force is co-sponsored by the Society for Counseling Psychology, Society for Psychotherapy Research, and the Society for the Exploration of Psychotherapy Integration. We have a contract with Oxford University Press for a book and an agreement to subsequently publish condensed article in Psychotherapy. We are very excited to have about 30 chapters commissioned with experts in the field reviewing the evidence for specific skills (e.g., challenges, advice) and methods (e.g., cognitive restructuring, mindfulness) used frequently across orientations in psychotherapy.

We welcome your participation in the Society. Most people start as members on committees, work their way up to being Committee Chairs, and then run for elected office. If you see a committee you’d like to be on, please contact the committee chair.

If there’s something you think we could be doing, let us know!

We also have new and returning Board members and committee chairs…welcome aboard!!!! I was blown away with all the enthusiasm and ideas for the SAP. Here’s are the newly elected Domain Reps:

• Rosemary Phelps, Public Interest and Social Justice
• Cheri Marmarosh, Education and Training
• Rebecca Ametrano, Membership
• Sheeva Mostoufi, Diversity

And thanks for those who are continuing as elected officers and Domain Reps:

• Jean Birbilis, President-Elect
• Stewart Cooper, Secretary
• Joshua Swift, Treasurer
• Jennifer Callahan, Past President
• Barbara Vivino, Psychotherapy Practice
• Bea Palma, Early Career
• Pat Spangler, Science and Scholarship
• Susan Woodhouse, Diversity
• Changming Duan, International Affairs
• Lillian Comaz-Diaz, APA Council Rep
• Lei Sun, Student Rep
• Terry Tracey, Publications Board

And the Editors of our Journal, Bulletin, and Website:

• Jesse Owen, Psychotherapy
• Joanna Drinane, Psychotherapy Bulletin
• Kourtney Schroeder, Internet

We have many standing committees:

• Ken Critchfield, Continuing Education
• Wonjin Sim, Diversity
• Kathryn Kline, Early Career
• Melissa Jones, Education and Training
• Bob Hatcher, Fellows
• Nili Solomonov, Finance
• Lauren Behrman and Maria Del Pilar Graziano, International Affairs
• Barbara Thompson, Membership
• Gerry Koocher, Professional Awards
• Astrea Greig, Program
• Jake Jackson-Wolf, Psychotherapy Practice
• Harold Chui, Psychotherapy Research
• Linda Campbell, Social Justice

Liaisons, Ad Hoc Committees, and Task Forces:

• Rosemary Phelps, Ad Hoc Committee of Advocacy and Mentoring Program for Diversity
• Armand Cerbone, Task Force on APA Boards/Committee Appointments
• Changming Duan, Committee on International Relations

And perhaps the most important person:

• Tracey Martin, Central Office

Let’s all work to enhance the science and practice of psychotherapy!

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Clara Hill, Ph.D.