psychodramacertification.org-Contents

https://psychodramacertification.org/cp-standards/

 

Certified Practitioner Standards

1. EDUCATION

A. A master’s degree from an accredited university in a field relevant to the applicant’s areasof practice. Note: Individuals certified by the Board are expected to practice and/or train onlywithin their areas of competence.

B. Applicants must document undergraduate and/or graduate training /education in thefollowing areas: human growth and development, theories of personality, abnormal behavior(psychopathology), methods of psychotherapy, and social systems. Applicants who aremaster’s level licensed mental health professionals or applicants who have master’s levelmental health degrees are assumed to have these competencies and are not required todocument the training and education. Examples of these master level mental health degreesinclude Master’s level degrees in Counseling or Clinical Psychology, Social Work, MentalHealth Counseling or Pastoral Counseling, Expressive Arts Therapies, Art Therapy, Dance/Movement Therapy, Drama Therapy, Music Therapy and Psychodrama.

2. TRAINING

A. A minimum of 780 hours of face-to-face training in psychodrama, sociometry, and grouppsychotherapy from Trainers, Educators, and Practitioners (TEPs) certified by the Board ,except for the exemptions listed below (B,C,D, and E).

B. A maximum of 100 hours of the required 780 training hours may be waived if theapplicant is either a master’s level licensed mental health professional, or certified orregistered from the following professional associations: American Art Therapy Association,American Dance Therapy Association, American Music Therapy Association, and NorthAmerican Drama Therapy Association.

C. A maximum 160 hours of the required 780 training hours may be from individuals certifiedas practitioners and formally admitted as a Practitioner Applicant for Trainer (PAT) or certifiedtrainer/educator/practitioners (TEPs) by Board of Examiners from other countries that haveestablished formal reciprocity agreements with the Board.

D. A maximum of 100 hours of the required 780 hours may be obtained from individualsother than TEPs and PATs provided that the training occurred at local, regional, and nationalconferences sponsored by the American Society of Group Psychodrama and Psychodrama,2/3 

The American Group Psychotherapy Association, the North American Drama TherapyAssociation, The Taiwan Association for Psychodrama, or the International GroupPsychotherapy and Group Processes Association.

E. A maximum of 120 hours of distance learning training hours from approved distancelearning activities may be credited by the primary trainer toward the required 780 traininghours. All distance learning activities must be designed, implemented, and authorized by anABE certified Trainer, Educator and Practitioner (TEP).

3. PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

A. Fifty-two weeks of supervised experience in the practice of psychodrama, sociometry andgroup psychotherapy is required. The supervised experience practice must be concurrentwith the application for certification. The supervised experience must be completed withinfour years from the date of application for certification.

B. The fifty-two weeks of supervised experience can only begin after a minimum of 80 hoursof training has been completed and the primary trainer approves the supervised fieldexperience.

C. The fifty-two weeks of supervised experience is to be comprised of 80 psychodramasessions, each a minimum of 60 minutes in length. The population served by these sessionsmay be individuals, couples, families and groups. All the sessions may be group sessions,but if they are not, a majority of these sessions (41 or more) must be group sessions. Theformat for all these psychodrama sessions must use action based experiential methods thatmay include but are not limited to psychodrama, sociodrama, action sociometry, behavioralrehearsal, social skill training, bibliodrama, and play-back theater. All the sessions may bepsychodrama sessions, but if they are not, a majority (41 or more) must be psychodramasessions. The supervised experience may take place over a time period of not less than oneyear and not more than four years.

4. SUPERVISION

A. At least 40 supervision sessions of at least fifty minutes each must be obtained for the 80psychodrama sessions that make up the field experience.

B. One half of these supervision sessions (20) must be provided by a TEP, while theremaining half (20) may be provided by any clinical supervisor who has been approved bythe primary trainer as qualified to supervise sessions in psychodrama, sociometry and grouppsychotherapy.

5. PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

Appropriate professional memberships, activities and/or publications which demonstrate theapplicant’s participation in the fields of psychodrama, sociometry and group psychotherapy.3/3 

6. ENDORSEMENTS OF COMPETENCY

A. Following successful completion of the above minimum requirements for professionaltraining, supervision and practice candidates are required to obtain three endorsements ofprofessional competency.

B. Two of the three endorsements must be made from a primary trainer (TEP) and asecondary trainer (TEP) who attest to the applicant’s professional competence andreadiness to take and successfully complete the examination process. The thirdendorsement may be from any professional in the applicant’s area of practice who attests tothe applicant’s professional competence.

C. Each endorser must have witnessed a candidate direct a psychodrama session on atleast two occasions within the past three years and must be willing to endorse the applicantfor certification. Endorsements of competency cannot be obtained from family members,personal friends, professional colleagues who are financial or business partners, andcolleagues who were on-going group members in the applicant’s training groups.

The Examination Process

Individuals who are formally admitted to the examination process are candidates forcertification.

1. COMPREHENSIVE WRITTEN EXAMINATION

Candidates must successfully complete a comprehensive written examination in theknowledge, skills, and abilities to conduct group sessions in the fields of psychodrama,sociometry and group psychotherapy.

The comprehensive written examination assesses candidates on seven areas: History,Philosophy, Methodology, Sociometry, Ethics, Research/Evaluation and Related Fields.

2. ON-SITE EXAMINATION

A Board examiner will be appointed to assess the session using a standardized evaluationform. The on-site examination assesses a candidate’s ability to conduct a grouppsychodrama session which includes a warm-up, action structures, closure and sharing. Theon-site examination also assesses the ability of the candidate to process the session with theexaminer after the group session is completed, and the group members are no longerpresent.

Time Deadlines

There is no expiration deadline for training hours, but the supervised professional practiceand supervision must be completed within four years of the application for certification.