Group Specialty Council Petition

The proposed specialty of group psychology and group psychotherapy is represented by a specialty council or one or more organizations that provide systems and structures sufficient to assure the organized development of the specialty. The Div. 49 petition provides a full overview of the specialty’s administrative organization (PDF, 400KB)opens in new window.

The services of the group psychology and group psychotherapy specialty are responsive to identifiable public needs. The Div. 49 petition provides a full description of these public needs (PDF, 813KB)opens in new window.

The group psychology and group psychotherapy specialty demonstrates recognition of the importance of cultural and individual differences and diversity. The Div. 49 petition provides more information about the specialty-specific knowledge required for culturally competent practice (PDF, 431KB)opens in new window.

A specialty differs from other recognized specialties in its body of specialized scientific knowledge and professional application. The Div. 49 petition provides a full overview of the distinctiveness of group psychology and group psychotherapy as a specialty (PDF, 937KB)opens in new window.

In addition to a shared core of knowledge, skills and attitudes required for all practitioners, a specialty requires advanced, specialty-specific scientific knowledge, as detailed in the Div. 49 petition (PDF, 453 PDF)opens in new window.

A specialty requires the advanced didactic and experiential preparation that provides the basis for services with respect to the essential parameters of practice, as described for the group psychology and group psychotherapy specialty in the Div. 49 petition (PDF, 5209KB)opens in new window.

The specialty has structures and models to implement the education and training sequence of the specialty. The Div. 49 petition provides details regarding the education and training of group psychology and group psychotherapy as a specialty (PDF, 1044KB)opens in new window.

A specialty provides its practitioners a broad range of regularly scheduled opportunities for continuing professional development in the specialty practice and assesses the acquisition of knowledge and skills. Div. 49 provides more information about these opportunities in its petition (PDF, 100KB)opens in new window.

Petitions demonstrate the effectiveness of the services provided by its specialist practitioners with research evidence that is consistent with the APA 2005 Policy on Evidence-based Practice. Div. 49 demonstrates the effectiveness of group psychology and group psychotherapy through manuscript references and other reputable sources (PDF, 181KB)opens in new window.

A specialty promotes ongoing investigations and procedures to develop further the quality and utility of its knowledge, skills and services, as described in the Div. 49 petition (PDF, 231KB)opens in new window.

The specialty has developed and disseminated guidelines for practice in the specialty that expand on the profession’s general practice guidelines and ethical principles. Div. 49 describes these guidelines and principles in its petition (PDF, 264KB)opens in new window.

A specialty recognizes the public benefits of developing sound methods for permitting individual practitioners to secure an evaluation of their knowledge and skill and to be identified as meeting the qualifications for competent practice in the specialty. Div. 49 provides further information about these methods and qualifications for group psychology and group psychotherapy as a specialty (PDF, 399KB)opens in new window.