How to Apply to Become a CGP
Becoming a Certified Group Psychotherapist (CGP) signifies that a clinician has met nationally accepted standards to practice as a group psychotherapist. This requires that the applicant has documented clinical credentials and specific group psychotherapy credentials. Candidates must have completed a graduate degree in a mental health discipline accepted by the Certification Board and achieved the highest state clinical licensure and/or clinical membership/certification in their designated national professional organizations. They must also meet specific group training requirements and provide documentation that they hold a current license and current malpractice insurance either through their practice, agency, or university. The IBCGP requires recertification every two years to maintain the CGP. Please see below for details on the requirements as well as application costs.
Clinical Credentials
Requires a graduate degree and the highest state clinical licensure to practice independently and/or clinical membership/certification in designated national professional organizations as further described below.
Documentation by Discipline
Please refer to your specific professional discipline listed below for required clinical credential documentation.
Most states now regulate clinical practice with discipline licensure. You must have the highest level license available to practice independently for your discipline in your state. Please submit a copy of your current license with your CGP application. (Applicants who practice in states that have more than one level of licensure for independent practice should contact the IBCGP office.)
Please note that membership/certification in national professional organizations is only for use by applicants for whom discipline licensure is not available. In states where licensure is applicable, required documentation will be a copy of your current license.
Psychiatrists
State licensed to practice medicine
AND: Completion of an APA approved residency training program in psychiatry
Psychologists
State licensed at the highest level
Social Workers
State licensed at the highest level
Nurses
State licensed to practice as a Registered Nurse
AND: Registration or license by the State Board of Nursing at the highest level as a Clinical Nurse Specialist/Advanced Nurse Practitioner in Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing
Documentation Required: Copy of State Board of Nursing authorization to practice
OR: American Nurses Credentialing Center: Certification as a Clinical Specialist in Adult or Child and Adolescent Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing
Documentation Required: Copy of certification certificate and recertification (if applicable)
Marriage and Family Therepists
State licensed at the highest level
OR: American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists: Clinical Member
Documentation Required: Letter of verification of active Clinical Member status from AAMFT
Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors
State licensed at the highest level in one of the disciplines recognized by the Certification Board.
OR: National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors: Master Addiction Counselor
Documentation Required: Copy of certification certificate
OR: International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC): Advanced Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Counselor
Documentation Required: Copy of certification certificate
Clinical Mental Health Counselors
State licensed at the highest level
OR: National Board of Certified Counselors: Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor
Documentation Required: Letter of verification of active CCMHC credential from NBCC
Creative Arts Therapists
State licensed at the highest level in one of the disciplines recognized by the Certification Board
OR: American Art Therapy Association: Art Therapist Registered-Board Certified
OR: American Music Therapy Association Music Therapist Board Certified (with Creative Arts Master’s Degree) Advanced Certified Music Therapist
OR: American Dance Therapy Association: Dance Therapist Registered or Academy of Dance Therapists Registered
OR: American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama: Board Certified Practitioner or Board Certified Trainer, Educator and Practitioner
OR: National Association for Drama Therapy: Registered Drama Therapist
OR: National Association for Poetry Therapy: Registered Poetry Therapist
Documentation Required: Copy of certification certificate and recertification (if applicable) for any of the above creative arts credentials
Pastoral Counselors
State licensed at the highest level in one of the disciplines recognized by the Certification Board
OR: Association for Clinical Pastoral Education: Psychotherapist Member
Documentation Required: Copy of current membership
Psychoanalysts
State licensed at the highest level in one of the disciplines recognized by the Certification Board
OR: American Psychoanalytic Association: Active Member
Documentation Required: Copy of current membership
School Psychologists
State licensed at the highest level or in one of the disciplines recognized by the Certification Board
OR: National Association of School Psychologists: National Certified School Psychologist
Occupational Therapists
State licensed at the highest level
AND: Board Certification, National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy
Group Therapists
State licensed at the highest level in one of the disciplines recognized by the Certification Board
OR: American Group Psychotherapy Association: Professional Member or Fellow
Documentation Required: None
International Applicants
For clinicians residing outside the United States, if you do not meet one of the memberships/certifications listed above, please contact the Certification Board office.
Group Psychotherapy Credentials
Includes group psychotherapy education, experience, supervision, and references.
Group Psychotherapy Education
Required: Completion of 15 clock hours of study in group psychotherapy theory and practice. Applicants may meet this requirement through one 15-hour course, or through multiple workshops, graduate courses and/or training program segments. The following content areas should have been covered within the 15 hours of coursework:
- Group Psychotherapy Foundations: Historic, Contemporary and Cultural Perspectives
- Group Structure and Group Dynamics
- Group Formation and Group Development
- Group Leadership: Tasks and Skills
- Group Psychotherapy in Action: Ethics, Neuroscience and Personal Style
Please list the course(s) which covered these areas (total time must equal at least 15 hours), date(s), instructor(s), and sponsoring organization(s), training program(s) or schools(s). Verification of completed coursework will be affirmed by applicant’s signature on applicant statement. Applicants may be asked to provide syllabi from their listed coursework to help reviewers confirm that the coursework covers the content areas noted above.
Please note: the 15 hours will be required for all courses beginning January 1, 2021. However, courses taken before this date will be accepted for the CGP at 12 hours as long as the required content was covered. It is strongly recommended that the curriculum Core Principles of Group Psychotherapy: An Integrated Theory, Research & Practice Manual be used as a text for this course as it covers all of the required content areas.
Group Psychotherapy Experience
Required: 300 hours of group psychotherapy experience as a leader or co-leader accrued during or following clinical graduate training.
Definition: To qualify as group psychotherapy experience, the groups must be clearly for the purpose of providing psychotherapy services to designated client/patient populations for valid mental disorders listed in DSM-V. Family therapy (unless multi-family groups), peer groups, self-help groups, training groups, and any groups that are not clearly designated to provide psychotherapy services to designated clients/patients do not qualify. Please list only those groups that meet the above definition.
As hours are a determinant, please list carefully the dates groups began and ended and the hours accumulated for each group. For ongoing groups, write “ongoing” with today’s date in lieu of the ending date. Only 300 hours of group psychotherapy experience must be listed, not all groups in which you have been a leader or co-leader.
Group Psychotherapy Supervision
Required: 75 hours of group psychotherapy supervision accrued during or following clinical graduate training.
Definition: To qualify as group psychotherapy supervision, such supervision must have occurred with an approved group psychotherapy supervisor in either an individual or group format and must have involved the regular presentation of group psychotherapy clinical material. The CGP 75-hour consultation/supervision requirement is able to be fulfilled through traditional ongoing consultation/supervision and/or through accredited continuing education events that meet the criteria as specified by the CGP Board and may be amended from time to time for format, duration and leadership.
As supervision hours are a determinant, please list carefully the dates such supervision began and ended and the hours accumulated for each supervision experience. Only 75 hours of group psychotherapy supervision must be listed.
Addendum: Please note, the term “supervision” used on the application refers to both supervision and clinical consultation of group therapy. The term “supervisor” refers to both supervisor and consultant of group therapy.
Approved Group Psychotherapy Supervisor:
Required: All group psychotherapy supervisors who are listed under the 75 hour group psychotherapy supervision requirement must fill out a Supervision Verification Reference Form.
Definition: To qualify as an approved group psychotherapy supervisor, the supervisor must be a group psychotherapist who is listed, or is eligible for listing, with the International Board for Certification of Group Psychotherapists and who has a total of 600 hours of group psychotherapy experience. This requires an additional 300 hours beyond CGP eligibility standards. Verification of supervisor qualifications will be affirmed by supervisor signature on the Supervision Verification Reference Form.
Group Psychotherapy Reference Forms
Required: All applicants must submit two completed reference forms with the application.
The Certification Board will use two types of reference forms to meet this requirement: the Supervision Verification Reference Form and the Group Psychotherapy Colleague Reference Form. Supervision Verification Reference Forms are completed by the applicant’s group psychotherapy supervisors. Group Psychotherapy Colleague Reference Forms are completed by colleagues who are practicing group psychotherapists and are familiar with the applicant’s group psychotherapy skills. Please note that family members may not be used on either type of reference form.
Applicants are required to submit completed Supervision Verification Reference Forms for all supervision used to meet the 75 hour group psychotherapy supervision requirement with the following exceptions:
In those cases where a single group psychotherapy supervisor has provided the 75 hours of group psychotherapy supervision, applicant may substitute a Group Psychotherapy Colleague Reference Form for the second reference.
In those cases where applicant cannot locate one or both supervisors, Group Psychotherapy Colleague Reference Forms may be substituted provided applicant states, on the Eligibility Form, the reasons supervisor(s) is not reachable.
WAIVER: Applicants with 10 or more years of group psychotherapy experience following completion of clinical graduate training will be exempt from listing group psychotherapy supervision hours; please indicate the number of years of practice and submit two completed Group Psychotherapy Colleague Reference Forms to meet CGP reference requirements.
Professional Liability Insurance
The International Board for Certification of Group Psychotherapists requires that you submit a current copy of your professional liability insurance certificate (not the policy). Please be aware that most third party reimbursers require verification that clinical providers have liability coverage.
Fees
- Current AGPA Members receive a discounted application fee: $300
- AGPA Non-members: $420: Apply for your CGP and get your first year of AGPA membership free.
- 50% of the amount paid is a non-refundable processing fee.
- Please note that this is a one-time, initial application fee; there is a fee for recertification every two years.
- Recertification Fee: CGP Member $180, CGP Non-Member $270, CGP-Retired Member $90, CGP-Retired Non-Member $180
