2025 President’s Column 60 (3)

Perhaps one of the most famous first lines from a novel is from Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities (1859).

“It was the Best of times, it was the Worst of times, it was the age of Wisdom, it was the age of Foolishness… it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of Hope, it was the winter of Despair…”

The Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy works to help its members promote Wisdom, Light, and Good among their clients (and themselves), many of whom are facing darkness and despair caused by external factors beyond their control. I would like to start this, my third Presidential Column, with highlighting three current efforts that are promoting these positive outcomes.

First, I am very excited that the SAP Governance Board engaged in a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) inspired process with all voices being involved to revise the Division’s Mission and Priorities. These were formally approved in the May Governance Board meeting and can be viewed at https://societyforpsychotherapy.org/about/mission/ I believe you will find many elements of this revision to be energizing and motivating.

Second, I am very inspired by our current call for articles for the July issue of our Psychotherapy Bulletin. In specific, July’s theme is related to politics and psychotherapy. “We invite you to submit articles on topics such as, but not limited to, gun control, abortion rights, political stress, and climate change policies” (Z. Ross-Nash, personal communication, June 1, 2025). This topic is very timely demonstrating the capacity of the Society to address societal needs as they emerge.

Third, I am eagerly anticipating our terrific upcoming APA Divisional Convention Program. The Division 29 schedule of offerings can be viewed at https://societyforpsychotherapy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/APA-2025-Div-29-Program.pdf  It is my hope to see each of you in Denver or, if you are not able to be there in person that you will access the program as a remote participant.

I am profoundly grateful to Alice Coyne, PhD, SAP APA Convention Co-Chair, for her endless hours of effort to assemble this exceptional program. Gratitude also is due to her Co-Chair Heather Muir, PhD, our Association Manager Tracey Martin, and the several SAP members who served as reviewers for the proposals. The 2025 APA Annual Convention which will take place on August 7^th – 9^th in Denver Colorado. Don’t miss it!

As mentioned above, this is the third of four Presidential Columns I will share with you this year, each being the lead article in every issue of the Psychotherapy Bulletin and as the featured article on the SAP Website Homepage. Presidents and past president columns can be found under the news tab as well. Each of my articles will center on one of my four Presidential Initiatives respectively, as highlighted in my July 8, 2024 President-Elect column linked here. For those interested in learning about each of the first two initiatives and actions the Society has taken to actualize them, my first column as SAP President is linked here and my second column is linked here.

My third Presidential Initiative focuses on increasing the value and engagement of SAP membership across the professional lifespan. The majority of the remainder of this column will feature what each of our seven Domains (in their alphabetic order) plus our Publications Board have done, are doing, or plan to do as aligned with this third priority. At the end of the column, I will provide a summary including a call for you to utilize SAP knowledge and tools and to contribute to the Division.

Diversity Domain

Domain Representatives: Changming Duan, PhD, and Susan Woodhouse, PhD

Committee Chair: Wonjin Sim, PhD

Coordinator of the Advocacy and Mentoring Program for Diversity (AMPD) program: Rosemary Phelps, PhD

• Propose a symposium and roundtable at SPR and APA. Wonjin Sim and Changming Duan are planning to coordinate a structured discussion with the international committee for SPR.
  • Completed – the program has been presented at SPR 2025.
• The Diversity Domain provided mentorship to the AMPD scholars on submission of one Critical Conversation symposium and one poster, both of which were submitted to APA. The Critical Conversation was not accepted as such, and instead both AMPD scholar presentations will be done in August 2025 as poster presentations.
• Do a review of Division 29 membership and do a project to increase diverse members’ involvement and making their contributions visible – that may attract more diverse members to the Division.
  • We completed a brief review of membership, which shows that about 7% of our divisional membership 2025 (1,470 in total – including students, fee-waiving and lifetime members) is non-White, 80% White, and 11% no-report.
  • Discussions are ongoing on strategies to attract more diverse members.
• Strengthening the Diversity Committee by attracting committed members (including student members).
  • We recruited committee members and had a meeting to develop projects and subcommittees. Below is the list of subcommittees/projects.
    • A participatory study on concepts of mental wellness and mental illness from diverse perspectives.
    • Organizing round table discussions or webinars on best practices or common factors in producing positive outcomes psychotherapy with culturally diverse clients.
    • Developing survey/needs assessment regarding effective ways of addressing diversity issues in psychotherapy in today’s social context and disconnect between research/information and clinical work.
    • How to navigate the shift in funding resources.
    • Adaptation of psychotherapy interventions for individuals with marginalized identities.
    • International Student Project.
    • Potential Publishing in Psychotherapy Bulletin – a Discussion Forum or a series of organized articles on Address on Cultural and diversity Relevance in Psychotherapy.
• A collaboration with SAP student representative and student representatives on the International Committee to support international students in research and training (e.g., applying for internship).
  • We plan on reaching out to the International Committee for this project.
• Possible project: We realized that the multicultural/diversity literature does not adequately address issues related to identity and diversity in psychotherapy outside the U.S. well (sometimes it may cost harm if we blindly apply it in different countries). Initiated by the International Committee, a participatory study is being pursued focusing on “social location” as a concept.
  • Initiated by the International domain, this project is moving forward.  Our diversity domain is participating.
• The Diversity Domain and Diversity Committee will continue to support AMPD and its activities.

• The two current AMPD scholars, Cordaris Butler and Shenelle Dell, will complete their two-year participation in the AMPD initiative at the end of August 2025. Their culminating AMPD activity will be at the 2025 APA convention where they will present their projects during the Division 29 poster sessions.

• The process has started for the selection of the next AMPD Scholars. Program applications will go out in early August and will be accepted until September 15, 2025.

Early Career Psychology (ECP) Domain

Domain Representative: Yujia Lei, PhD 

Committee Chair: Peter Franz, PhD

• Aid psychologists in expanding the inclusiveness of their clinical practice and increasing competency regarding work with minoritized/marginalized groups.
  • We are hosting a webinar on deliberate practice, featuring Dr. Jordan Harris. The webinar will focus on the deliberate practice of perceptual skills intended to enhance therapists’ abilities to connect with and identify needs of diverse clients.
• Increase integration of research and clinical practice.
  • We have organized a webinar focused on the integration of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, in clinical practice. This webinar, featuring Dr. Matthew Nock, will discuss ways that medical systems are starting to use these technologies to enhance clinical care, with a particular emphasis on the practical uses of these technologies to improve everyday practice.
• Improve awareness of career trajectories for Counseling and Clinical Psychologists.
  • Recruited three new student members to our Committee. Each have helped shape the trajectory of our work to align with the goals of early career psychologists.

Education and Training Domain

Domain Representative: Erica Marshall-Lee, PhD

 Committee Chair: Melissa Jones, PhD

• Clara E. Hill and Patricia Spangler, Webinar 1: I will present a rationale for working with dreams in psychotherapy, describe the steps of the model for working with dreams, and facilitate an experiential component of how to work with dreams. Thid is set to occur in Mid-October 2025.

• Clara E. Hill and Patricia Spangler, Webinar 2: Pat Spangler will present a rationale for working with nightmares, describe the steps of the model for working with nightmares, and facilitate an experiential component for how to work with nightmares. This is set to occur 2-4 weeks after webinar 1.

International Domain

Domain Representative: Xu Li, PhD

Committee Chairs: Changming Duan, PhD & Dana Tzur-Bitan, PhD

• International Research Grant: The call for applications is officially out, and we’re excited to announce that we’ve already received two strong applications. We anticipate more submissions as the deadline approaches.
• International Member Award: We’re making excellent progress on the new International Member Award. The criteria and official announcement flyer are currently in development and will be distributed widely as soon as they are finalized.
• In 2025, new members of the Membership Engagement Committee will be elected and the work plan for 2025 will be developed.
• Continuing the member engagement activities. With the new leaders on the committee, more initiatives may occur.

Updates:

1. The Membership Engagement Committee has been elected.  They have met and discussed the activity plan for 2025.  Xu Li and Changming Duan attended their first meeting in February.

Membership Domain

Domain Representative: Jairo Fuertes, PhD

Committee Chair: Firouz Ardalan, PhD

• The membership continues to focus on diversifying our offerings and increasing membership. This includes exploring mentoring, reaching out to students, highlighting student grant award winners, offering continuing education credits, test pilot advertising for DIV 29 within regional psychology associations, and finding more effective methods for processing and tracking membership. In addition, we have begun an email retention/engagement plan for new members that aims at making new members feel connected to the DIV. We hope to pilot it in the fall.

Professional Practice Domain

Domain Representative: Amy Ellis, PhD

Committee Chair: Marcy Rowland, PhD

•     Understanding APA’s changes on Master’s-level therapists. We’ll be focusing on a series of articles describing APA policy changes regarding Master’s-level therapists and how these shifts impact the field of psychotherapy. The articles will explore the evolving role of Master’s-level clinicians and how these changes affect all levels of psychotherapists and provide information on how to navigate the changing landscape of mental healthcare. We will also be examining how these changes are implicated in a broader global context considering other countries’ structure of their mental health workforce and how this may help the U.S. in our service delivery, workforce diversity, and the overall accessibility of psychotherapy. The first article in this series authored by Jake Jackson-Wolf, LCPC and Dr. Libby Nutt Williams has been published in the Bulletin and the link to that article is here: https://societyforpsychotherapy.org/the-future-of-masters-level-psychotherapists-trained-in-psychology/
•     We are working to develop a CE-bearing webinar to focus on building a niche practice which will include contributions from a diverse group of clinicians in practice across a broad spectrum of professional training and practice experiences.

Public Interest and Social Justice Domain

Domain Representative: Andreas Perez-Rojas, PhD

Social Justice Committee Chair: Linda Campbell, PhD

The Public Interest and Social Justice Domain is actively advancing several key projects:

• Convention Presentation on Psychotherapy with Marginalized Clients: Linda Campbell and Susan Woodhouse are preparing a presentation for an upcoming convention. Their focus is on culture and context-specific factors in psychotherapy for diverse, socioeconomically marginalized clients.

• Understanding the Needs of Asian Students: In collaboration with the Diversity Committee, we’re developing a project titled “Determining the Needs of Asian Students on Large University Campuses.” This initiative aims to understand the challenges faced by Asian students and identify necessary resources. This will serve as a pilot study, and insights gained will inform future efforts with other student identity groups.   

• Structural Competency Case Conceptualization Rubric: We are developing a rubric to assess how well a therapist’s case conceptualization aligns with principles of structural competency. This approach encourages therapists to root their understanding of individual and community outcomes in the structural determinants of health. This tool will allow therapists to self-evaluate and trainers to assess the effectiveness of their training in fostering a structural lens. While the influence of systemic and structural factors on health outcomes is increasingly recognized, many practitioners are not equipped to directly address these root causes. We have formed a committee for this project and are seeking to expand it, and we will consult with psychometrics experts during development. 

• Fall Webinar Series on Structural Competency: We are also planning a fall webinar series dedicated to the topic of structural competency. 

Science Domain

Domain Representative: Patricia Spangler, PhD

Committee Chair: Harold Chui, PhD

• Science and Scholarship continues to encourage psychotherapy scientists from across the world to apply for our grants. Proposals for the Charles J. Gelso, PhD., Psychotherapy Research Grant and the Norine Johnson, PhD., Psychotherapy Research Grant for Early Career Psychologists were announced in the Psychotherapy Bulletin in February, were received on May 1, 2025. The grants committee was pleased that both the Gelso and Johnson grants received multiple applicants, several of them from outside the United States. The 6 Gelso and 5 Johnson grant applications were highly competitive with quality research proposals coming from across the United States from 4 international applicants. The committee chair was able to recruit 4 reviewers from among SAP member to rate the applications. The committee chair and domain representative were pleased that our goal of encouraging international applicants was met for both the Gelso and Johnson grants.
• Thedomain representative, Patricia Spangler, and committee chair, Harold Chui, continue to work with grant recipients on grant administration issues, which have typically involved processing requests for extensions due to unforeseen issues.

In addition to our above Domains, our Bulletin and Psychotherapy publications continue to have a focus on this third initiative.

• As part of our commitment to increasing the value and engagement of SAP membership across the professional lifespan, we’ve launched several initiatives that reflect our evolving mission. We published a forward-looking article advocating for the inclusion of master’s-level psychotherapists trained in psychology, underscoring our dedication to supporting diverse pathways into the field. We also updated our mission statement to explicitly recognize the training and practice concerns of graduate-level and early-career professionals. Looking ahead, we’re hosting a September 19th webinar on building a niche private practice—featuring five clinicians whose innovative work spans LGBTQ+ care, trauma, immigrant mental health, child services, and divorce mediation. This event will offer real-world insights into creating meaningful, sustainable psychotherapy careers across diverse practice areas.
• As part of the third Presidential Initiative to enhance the value and engagement of SAP membership across the professional lifespan, both the Psychotherapy journal and the Psychotherapy Bulletin play vital roles in advancing this goal.
• The Psychotherapy Bulletin regularly features articles, interviews, reflections, and training-focused pieces that speak directly to the developmental needs of SAP members—ranging from graduate students to seasoned professionals. It provides a space for timely, practical, and inclusive perspectives on psychotherapy practice, supervision, and professional identity.
• APA’s Psychotherapy journal publishes high-impact, peer-reviewed research that advances clinical science and supports evidence-informed practice across the full range of psychotherapist career stages. The journal serves as a key platform for scholarly dialogue, clinical innovation, and translational work that benefits both emerging and established clinicians.

To further support this initiative, we also invite member engagement in the form of serving as a reviewer for Psychotherapy (contact Jesse Owen at Jesse.Owen@du.edu) or contributing to the Bulletin (details here).  

I am humbled by the contributions of so many individuals and teams within the Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy and grateful for all of our current offerings and efforts. While I have highlighted our Revised Mission and Priorities, our upcoming issue of Psychotherapy Bulletin, and our APA Convention Program in this Presidential Column, SAP leaders and members are currently making numerous other contributions many of which were outlined above. With anticipation, I look forward to what we will accomplish this second half of 2025.

I want to end my third article with encouragement for each of you to utilize all the knowledge and tools that the Society is providing through its Website, Psychotherapy Journal, Psychotherapy Bulletin, the listserv, and Various Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Bluesky coming soon) outlets as well as opportunities for involvement on its various committees. I also encourage you to contribute to each of these outlets. Opportunities for leadership are available. If you are not sure how you would like to contribute but would value a conversation, please reach out to me.

Stewart Cooper, PhD, ABPP

SAP President