Professional Groups
This is a selection of professional organizations related to Psychology. Joining a professional organization adds to your professional knowledge (most offer continuing education and development opportunities), allows you to network in the field, and shows future employers you are engaged in the professional community.
Most offer discounted student rates.
Why Get Involved?
- Expand your network: Make new connections with professionals who can hire or refer work to you. Participating in an organization should provide you with many opportunities to connect with professionals on a local, regional, national, and sometimes global level. Participating in special interest groups, sections, or discussion boards sponsored by an organization is another way to connect with people who are likeminded and/or working in the same niche you are.
- Boost your credibility and visibility: Being actively involved in your professional community can boost your credibility among your peers, your clients, and your prospects. Associations generally look to their members to share their unique expertise and their connections through their participation in the organization. Raise your hand for a leadership role to not only develop your skills as a leader but also to boost increase your visibility. Relating to other professionals who share common interests is a great way to strengthen your reputation.
- Professional development: Join a professional organization that directly aligns with your interests. Organizations often offer articles, webinars, reports, white papers, courses, workshops, seminars, conferences, and certifications to keep their members current on the latest industry research, innovations, and trends.
- Mentorship opportunities: Finding professionals—junior and senior—who can support your growth is a huge benefit in joining a professional association. There are also meaningful rewards in mentoring others, including honing your leadership abilities, learning new perspectives and insights, and feeling a sense of contribution.
- Build a support system: Making connections outside of your school who understand your circumstances and can offer guidance and insight is one of the most important reasons to join a professional organization. Strong bonds within professional organizations will improve your career opportunities, will help you garner more influence, and most importantly, will make work and life more fun.
Best practice: Don’t wait until you are in need to build your support system. Make the investment into developing authentic relationships early to build a network of advocates who want to see you succeed and are happy to help as needs arise.
- American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP)The mission of AACAP is to promote the healthy development of children, adolescents, and families through advocacy, education, and research, and to meet the professional needs of child and adolescent psychiatrists throughout their careers.
- American Academy of Forensic Psychology (AAFP)The American Academy of Forensic Psychology is a non-profit organization of board certified forensic psychologists. Their mission is to contribute to the development and maintenance of forensic psychology as a specialized field of study, research and practice.
- American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law (AAPL)The American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law (AAPL, pronounced "apple") is an organization of psychiatrists dedicated to excellence in practice, teaching, and research in forensic psychiatry.
- American Counseling Association (ACA)The ACA is a not-for-profit, professional and educational organization that is dedicated to the growth and enhancement of the counseling profession.
- American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA)Mission Statement: The mission of the AMHCA is to advance the profession of clinical mental health counseling by setting the standard for: Collaboration, Advocacy, Research, Ethical Practice, Education, Training, and Professional Development.
- American Psychiatric Association (APA)The mission of the American Psychiatric Association is to promote universal and equitable access to the highest quality care for all people affected by mental disorders, including substance use disorders; promote psychiatric education and research; advance and represent the profession of psychiatry; and serve the professional needs of its membership.
- American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA)APNA is committed to the practice of psychiatric-mental health nursing, health and wellness promotion through identification of mental health issues, prevention of mental health problems, and the care and treatment of persons with mental health disorders.
- American Psychoanalytic Association (APsA)APsA's mission is to advance clinical, scholarly, scientific, and social progress within the framework of the following areas: Professional education and development, Research and scholarship, Advocacy and public relations, Marketing, advancement, and communications, Membership, institute, center, and local society operations, Governance and management.
- Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT)The purposes of ABCT are: To encourage innovations that advance scientific approaches to behavioral, cognitive, and biological evidence-based approaches to behavioral health. To promote the utilization and dissemination of behavioral, cognitive, and biological evidence-based approaches to behavioral health. To facilitate professional development, interaction, and networking among members. To promote ethical delivery of science-based interventions. To promote health and well-being through a commitment to diversity and inclusion at all levels.
- Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI)ABAI is a membership organization for those interested in the philosophy, science, application, and teaching of behavior analysis.
- American Psychological Association (APA)The mission of the APA is to promote the advancement, communication, and application of psychological science and knowledge to benefit society and improve lives.
- Association for Psychological Science (APS)The APS is dedicated to advancing scientific psychology across disciplinary and geographic borders.
- Association for Women in Psychology (AWP)AWP is an interdisciplinary organization that attends to issues and concerns at the intersections of feminism and psychology.
- Association of Black Psychologists, Inc. (ABP)The Association of Black Psychologists sees its mission and destiny as the liberation of the African Mind, empowerment of the African Character, and enlivenment and illumination of the African Spirit.
- International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP)Mission Statement: The mission of the IAAP is to promote the science and practice of applied psychology and to facilitate interaction and communication among applied psychologists around the world.
- National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)The NASP vision is that all children and youth access the learning, behavior, and mental health support needed to thrive in school, at home, and throughout life.
- The Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP)Mission Statement: To advance the science, teaching, and application of personality and social psychology for the benefit of all people.