Goals and Purpose

Goals:

To be the preeminent national association for psychotherapists of various disciplines: Counseling, Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, Psychology, Nurse Psychotherapy, Pastoral Counseling, Psychiatry, Psychoanalysis, Psychotherapy, and related fields

To assist, educate and support the individual member and bring together professionals to enhance the art and science of psychotherapy.

To strive to promote healing through a trusting, therapeutic relationship.

To support the personal and professional development of psychotherapists by providing opportunities for exchange of ideas and training that will enhance their skill with children, adults, couples and families in both individual and group settings.

To advance psychotherapy as a profession by acknowledging over 100 years of psychotherapeutic practice while moving into the next millennium with a focus on improving service delivery to diverse cultural and economic groups.

To develop and implement a comprehensive communication network which provides professional resources, training opportunities, and professional support for its membership.

To promote the highest standards for the psychotherapists-client relationship.

To educate the general public and managed care entities about the efficacy of psychotherapy for individuals, families, and society.

To represent a variety of professionally trained therapists who are committed to advance and protect the interests of their clients. Additionally, the APA desires to preserve the therapists' ability to practice and provide the best treatment for those who seek their help.

To promote, clarify, describe, and communicate new discoveries, techniques and strategies related to creating a balance for both individuals and society.

To provide a forum and resource for psychotherapists to enhance and improve their professional skills.

To preserve the practice of psychotherapy as a distinct intellectual endeavor and to protect the practice of psychotherapy from market forces which threaten to distort and eventually destroy its purpose and benefit.

Purpose:

The American Psychotherapy Association (APA) was formed to provide credentialing, standards of practice, professional identity and self-regulation for the psychotherapy profession.

The American Psychotherapy Association's goal is to improve the public perception of psychotherapy. In recent years, the psychotherapeutic process has been devalued by insurance companies, the court system and other professional membership associations. The APA promotes the field of psychotherapy and those professionals who are committed to the practice. The APA encourages individual professional growth and works to elevate professional standards for practicing psychotherapy.

The purpose of the APA is to establish a cohesive national organization that credentials ethical, highly-educated and well-trained psychotherapists. The APA provides members with opportunities to associate with one another. The Common goal of APA members is to maintain a tradition which is of great value to individuals and society as a whole.

The American Psychotherapy Association is concerned with establishing guidelines, promoting education and training, confirming the professional identity of the members, educating the public about the benefits of psychotherapy and providing networking and resource development.