Overview of important changes in the recently updated 2025 SAP Bylaws

A Bylaws Revision Task Force was formed in early 2024 to address the need to update our Bylaws for the Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy (SAP). Task force members include this author as well as Linda Carter, and Tracey Martin, SAP Administrator. Task force members originally met in person during the 2024 Winter Board of Directors meeting and later met virtually for over a year to review and suggest edits of our Bylaws and address the Task Force’s charges.

The Bylaws Task Force’s charges:

1. Implement Board-approved recommendations from the 2023 Presidential Task Force, including structure and function of the Publications and Communications Board and collaborative work of the Domain Representatives and Committee Chairs;

2. Align Bylaws and current operation of the Society;

3. Remove unnecessary or outdated material from the Bylaws and move operational details to Policies and Procedures, which are more readily amended by Board action as needed;

4. Clarify existing language, fix typographical errors and minor reorganization for clarity.

From the Task Force’s review of the bylaws, four major discussion items were created. These four items include:

1. To review the definition of “member” and whether or not to allow non-APA member affiliates to vote and/or to hold elected office;

2. Whether or not to keep the Referenda section, as SAP has never had any referenda;

3. Whether Ad Hoc Committees or Task Forces may be appointed for more than one year;

4. Whether or not to keep the Sections section, as SAP has never had any sections.

Once these suggested edits were compiled and a draft document was made, these four main discussion items and the suggested changes were presented at the in person Winter 2025 Board of Directors Meeting. The aim was to find a consensus about the discussion items and suggested changes so that a motion could be made that reflected the views of the Board and our membership. The Board ultimately voted to update the definition of non-APA member affiliate, to keep the referenda section, to extend the timeframe of Ad Hoc Committees or Task Forces, and to keep the Sections section. Further details on these changes are shared at the end.

Aside from these four main discussion items, Board members were also asked to discuss a number of suggested changes identified by the Task Force. These include changing the name of Domain Representatives to Directors; shortening the term length of members on the Communications and Publications Board so that it matches other Board member term lengths, and multiple editorial changes. An example editorial change involved changing “his or her” to “his/her/their” throughout the Bylaws. Moreover, content that explained detailed procedures of how an action should be carried out were suggested to be removed from the Bylaws so that they can be instead put in SAP’s Policies and Procedures document. This is a useful move as the Policies and Procedures document is more easily amended by the Board as needed than the Bylaws. An example of the need for this is in the prior version of the Bylaws, some procedural content included mailing and/or faxing information, which may be outdated and not the best method for efficiency. With such specific procedures moved to SAP’s Policies and Procedures document, these procedures can be updated more easily and not be as cumbersome to the workings of the Board or the Society.

Finally, summarized below are the major changes that SAP membership should be aware of regarding the new 2025 version of our Bylaws. When applicable, the article number and section and part are defined, as well as a layman’s summary of the change.

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES

Section E

Board members voted to allow non-APA affiliate members to vote in SAP elections and that they may hold office as Domain Director but not hold office as part of the Executive Committee or as a Council Representative. Non-APA affiliate members are members of SAP that are not members of APA.

ARTICLE VI, BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section A, Part 4

Domain representatives are now known as Directors. For example, the Education and Training Domain now has a Education and Training Domain Director, rather than a Education and Training Domain Representative. This is helpful as the word Director is more universally recognized and will hopefully reduce confusion about our Directors’ roles in SAP. Other APA divisions also do not use the term domain representatives.

ARTICLE XI:  COMMITTEES

Section H

Ad Hoc Committees or Task Forces terminate at the end of the year unless the Board of Directors approves a longer term project that is deemed important. However, Committees or Task Forces should have a clear charge and expected outcome and if expected to go beyond a year they should also have a clear estimated end date. With regards to funding, if a Committee or Task Force requires funding, SAP’s budget allocation is determined on an annual basis as part of the Board’s routine budget development, so this would be based on yearly request and board approval.

ARTICLE XIV:  PUBLICATIONS

Section C

The Publications and Communications Board should consist of six members serving staggered three year terms. This is a change from the former 6 year terms.

Lastly, in 2025 SAP all members were invited to an electronic vote of the new draft and it was passed. As such the new 2025 version of bylaws are now in effect. The SAP Bylaws can always be found on our SAP website.