FAQ | Certified Group Psychotherapist (CGP)
Well Staff writerQ
What is a Certified Group Psychotherapist (CGP)?
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A Certified Group Psychotherapist (CGT) is a clinical practitioner who meets internationally accepted standards of education, training, and experience and is an expert in group psychotherapy as an autonomous treatment mode. Not all practicing clinicians are CBPs, as this certification by the International Board for Certification of Group Psychotherapists (IBCGP) requires both a master’s degree (or higher) in a designated mental health specialty as well as recognized practice in group psychotherapy with supervision/consultation. Certifications are good for two years and must be renewed to show specialty and expertise in Group Therapy practice. What does this mean for patients? Certified Group Psychotherapists demonstrate personal and professional commitments to professional accountability, ethics, and education, and patients can use this certification to be sure they are receiving the best possible treatment.
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What is the history of Certified Group Psychotherapists?
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The CGP credential came into existence in 1993 in order to create a professional standard for the field and to increase visibility for group psychotherapy as a treatment option. The American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA) Board certification was originally a national certification when it was founded in the early 1990s, and expanded internationally, becoming the International Board for Certification of Group Psychotherapists (IBCGP) in 2012, and now extends certification in a variety of countries across the globe, including Ireland, Canada, and China.
The AGPA has 26 local and regional societies dedicated to maintaining high treatment standards and cutting-edge methodologies to provide the best possible standard of care in the United States. Certification was and remains a recognition of a practitioner’s ethics and expertise as recognized by the AGPA and IBCGP.
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What types of Group Therapy are there?
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Group therapy has been around for far longer than the certification, and can trace its history back to John Pratt’s tuberculosis “classes” in the early 19th century. Over time, group therapy has been organized into two types of groups: psychoeducational groups, which aim primarily to circulate information, often about a shared diagnosis or life experience, and psychotherapy groups, which are intended to help those who are in chronic or acute psychological distress.
CGPs focus on evidence-based group psychotherapy, working to maintain rigorous theory and practice in their therapy treatments to help patients achieve positive health outcomes for conditions varying from clinical DSM diagnoses to dealing with significant life events, including trauma. These groups focus less on imparting information and more on improving mental health outcomes and developing specific skills in a supportive group setting.
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Why Group Therapy?
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There are numerous studies available illustrating the efficacy of group therapy outcomes, both in relation to individual psychotherapy treatment and as compared to no treatment at all.
Group Therapy has a proven record of decreased regularity of diagnostic-specific symptoms and more general positive outcomes (for example, patient-reported self-esteem). Individual Psychotherapy also records these positive outcomes, but Group Therapy can add a sense of communal support that is impossible in one-on-one settings, which can be beneficial in terms of bonds formed between group members, and simply because it’s helpful to connect with others dealing with similar things. Groups support us as individuals and, by creating connections, help to facilitate a safe space for growth and reflection.
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What is the future for Certified Group Psychotherapists’ work?
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The AGPA has now been in existence for nearly 30 years, and will continue to maintain rigorous standards in professionalism and ethics by certifying Group Psychotherapists in years to come. As it has done, this certification will help patients continue to be certain that their treatment comes from the best possible practitioners, and, in turn, practitioners can use their membership with the AGPA to work together to expand Community Outreach and Distanced Learning programs, continue their engagement with cutting-edge research on Group Psychotherapy treatment outcomes, and contribute to the advancement of Group Psychotherapy methodologies in a new and changing world.
