The American Board of Psychotherapy grew out of an interest to encourage professional development and excellence in psychotherapy. It has been obvious that practitioners of multiple disciplines have identified themselves as psychotherapist, but until now, there has  been no unifying standard for education, training, and knowledge base.

We believe, given the enormity of the need and the opportunity to integrate the collective wisdom in our diversity, the time has come to consolidate and unify. As a group of concerned professionals, attempting to protect the professional identity of psychotherapy and insure quality care for the general public, we felt it would be helpful to identify areas of education and training that are essential in developing superb clinical skills.

We have sought to do this through:

• the integrity of a standardized core education,
• a verification of proficiency, and
• recognition of those committed to professional development.