About the Academy

We are a multidisciplinary community of psychotherapists dedicated to developing the person of the therapist. The mission of the American Academy of Psychotherapists is to invigorate and support the psychotherapist’s quest for excellence and growth through authentic interpersonal engagement.

With an emphasis on authentic “I-Thou” engagement, we explore the relationship between the person of the therapist and the process of therapy, in an ongoing effort to develop the art and science of psychotherapy. We value the therapist-client relationship as fundamental to the psychotherapy process, and are committed to developing ourselves in relationship as authentic human beings. We see this as foundational to healing in therapeutic relationships.

As a community, the Academy seeks to provide learning and growth opportunities for both seasoned professionals and new therapists. AAP values relational workshop experiences over lecture formats and encourages authentic interaction over prescribed formality. To this end, our meetings offer process groups, experiential workshops, and therapy demonstrations in addition to more traditional didactic workshops and panels. Master clinicians offer combined experiential and didactic intensive training institutes as well. Members also have the opportunity to join long-term peer groups of Academy members that are designed to promote ongoing, in-depth interpersonal learning.

In an increasingly technical and manualized treatment climate, AAP maintains a commitment to in-depth personal engagement, respect for the unconscious, and attention to current developments in both theory and research in the field of psychotherapy.