Our Story – About the International Board for Certification of Group Psychotherapists
The Certified Group Psychotherapist (CGP) credential was established in 1993 to promote a national ‎standard for use by employers, third party payers, educators and consumers. In November of 1993, the ‎AGPA Board of Directors voted to incorporate the National Registry of Group Psychotherapists as an ‎arm’s length organization. One month later the Certification Task Force of AGPA became the founding ‎Board of Directors of the National Registry of Certified Group Psychotherapists and Sharon S. ‎Cheeseman, LICSW, CGP, AGPA-LF, became its first Chairwoman of the Board. The founding belief was ‎that the Registry would provide a way to establish national standards for the field and provide powerful ‎visibility for group psychotherapy in the national health care environment in an effort to strengthen group ‎therapy services for patients experiencing mental health concerns. The National Registry’s name was ‎changed in 2012 when it became the International Board for Certification of Group Psychotherapists, as ‎over the years we extended certification to group therapists practicing in other countries such as China, ‎Canada, and Ireland. ‎
Community Engagement
The American Group Psychotherapy Association as part of its mission provides intervention and outreach to diverse communities nationally and internationally based on group psychotherapy principles and established protocols.
