American Psychological Association, Division of Psychotherapy 29
Task Force on Psychologist-Psychotherapists (TOPPs)
President: Jeffrey J. Magnavita
Task Force Chair: Jeffrey E. Barnett
Task Force Members:
Louis Castonguay, Miguel Gallardo, Clara Hill, Jennifer Kelly, Lindsay Klimik, and Bruce Wampold
Magnavita, Klimik, Barnett
Lindsay Klimik, M.S. a Doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at Loyola University Maryland, receives a Presidential Citation for her significant and outstanding contributions as a member of the Division of Psychotherapy’s Task Force on Psychologist Psychotherapists. Also present in the photo presenting the award are Jeffrey Magnavita, Ph.D., ABPP, President of the Division of Psychotherapy (on Left) and Jeffrey Barnett, Psy.D., ABPP, Chair of the Task Force on Psychologist Psychotherapists and Ms. Klimik’s faculty mentor at Loyola University Maryland (on Right).
Mission Statement
The Task Force on Psychologist-Psychotherapists (TOPP) of the Division of Psychotherapy was formed as a Presidential initiative of Jeffrey J. Magnavita and led by Jeffrey Barnett to explore the myriad of issues related to this topic and make recommendations to the Board of Directors during the October 2010 board meeting. The task force was initiated for a one-year period to coincide with the 2010 presidential term following which recommendations will be made and relevant domain areas tasked with the mission of carrying these out as appropriate to their specialized area and mission of D29. A psychologist-psychotherapist is defined as a doctoral level licensed psychologist who possesses the specialized training and competence necessary to practice evidence-based psychotherapy. The issue of the psychologist-psychotherapist represents an important intersection of multiple areas of practice, education and training, scholarship, and credentialing. Thus, there are a number of issues of vital importance to psychology and psychotherapy that cut across many domains of science, education/training and practice, and public interest. These include but are not limited to the following:
- What differentiates a psychologist-psychotherapist from other disciplines who conduct psychotherapy? For example, what are the specialized competencies unique to the psychologist-psychotherapist? Should these specialized competencies be featured in a Divisional brochure and used in marketing on our website?
- Is there evidence to suggest differential value for the psychologist-psychotherapist?
- What specialized set of knowledge, skills, and attitudes are necessary to possess basic or advanced competence as a psychologist-psychotherapist? What does it mean to be an effective psychotherapist and how is this achieved?
- Would it benefit D29 to create an award to fund investigators who conduct research on the topic of psychologist-psychotherapist in a variety of areas such as the effectiveness of psychotherapy provided by psychologists in comparison to others, innovative models for service delivery by psychologist/psychotherapists, relevant training issues and needs, the role of public education and perception, and the like.
- What kind of information would be useful for the general public to help them decide whether there is advantage to selecting a psychologist-psychotherapist? Should Division 29 play a role in disseminating this information to the public, and if so, how?
- What does the empirical literature offer about the effectiveness of psychotherapy? What does the literature say about the positive and negative effects of treatment and how should we address the issue of potential negative effects? How can this be effectively conveyed to the public?
- What kind of mechanism would be useful for members of D29 to serve as a referral source?
- Should we have a way to honor our leading psychotherapists as we do our researchers and mentors?
- What role should each of the relevant domains in Division 29’s governance play in the activities and initiatives recommended?
At the Fall 2010 Board Meeting the Task Force provided a status report. Before the Winter, 2011 the Task Force will make further recommendations to the Board.
Click Here to Read the Task Force Report to the Board of Directors, Fall, 2010
Click Here to Read Appendix A (Literature Review and References) for the Task Report Report
Click Here to Read the Status Report and Post a Comment.
Click Here to View Previous Comments and Responses
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 Jeffrey Barnett |
Jeffrey E. Barnett, Psy.D., ABPP
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 Louis Castonguy |
Louis G. Castonguay, Ph.D.
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 Miguel E. Gallardo |
Miguel E. Gallardo, PsyD
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 Clara Hill |
Clara E. Hill, Ph.D.
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 Jennifer Kelly |
Jennifer F. Kelly, Ph.D.
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 Lindsay Klimik |
Lindsay Klimik, M.S.
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 Bruce Wampold |
Bruce E. Wampold, Ph.D., ABPP
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