Certified Group Psychotherapists

Certifiable
by Marc G. Schramm, Psy.D., C.G.P.

I don't recall seeing any statistics on the matter (please let me know if you have), but I believe that most therapists who are practicing group psychotherapy received little or no training in that modality when studying for the degree in their discipline. That certainly hasn't prevented many therapists from getting very good training in group. There is, however, wide variation in the quality and depth of training that group psychotherapists get.

National and regional group psychotherapy organizations help, but there has not been a recognized standard for training. This situation began to change in 1994, with the establishment of the National Registry of Certified Group Psychotherapists. To quote their mission statement: "The National Registry of Certified Group Psychotherapists advances group psychotherapy by establishing and promoting standards for professional practice and for the public benefit. The Registry certifies group psychotherapists according to nationally accepted criteria, presents them to mental health professionals, employers, insurers, educators and consumers, and promotes the use of group psychotherapy as an autonomous method of treatment."

A number of managed care organizations have endorsed the Registry, but more to the point, approximately 3000 group psychotherapists have already been certified, throughout the United States and more than a dozen other countries, and representing a variety of professional disciplines.
The National Registry has drawn up guidelines of group psychotherapy practice, along with setting criteria for certification and continuing education.

For more information about the Registry, including how to meet certification standards, write them at 25 East 21st Street, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10010. Or call them at 212-477-1600 (fax 212-979-6627).