Potential candidates for board certification in Cognitive and Behavioral Psychology do not always know what is involved. This section will provide you with answers to Frequently Asked Questions and a list of academy members who have offered to talk with you about any other questions you might have and guide you through the process. For detailed information on the preparation of the application, the practice sample and the oral exam please open the Candidate’s Manual link directly below. The specialty brochure will provide you with more general information. You can also click here to view some frequently asked questions.

Many psychologists think that they must have completed a post-doctoral fellowship in Cognitive and Behavioral Psychology or possess many years of experience to qualify to sit for the exam. However, it is only necessary to have had supervised experience and perhaps taken workshops to qualify. Furthermore, many psychologists may qualify because of their professional activities, work experience, and reading and scholarly activities over the years, so they may have acquired the necessary knowledge and skill by "on the job training." The specific eligibility requirements are as follows:

The applicant must have completed an acceptable internship program and two years of post-doctoral experience predominantly in behavioral psychology. The board recognizes that not all of a candidates experience may be in behavioral psychology. The candidate should belong to and identify with one or more of the major professional organizations in behavioral psychology.

Supervision is required by recognized experts in behavioral psychology during at least the first few years after the awarding of the doctoral degree. This supervision can be in part satisfied by appropriate Continuing Education activities in some aspect of behavioral psychology.

The applicant first applies to the American Board of Professional Psychology for a credentials review. The generic eligibility requirements are as follows:

• A doctoral degree from a program in professional psychology which at the time the degree was granted was accredited by the APA, CPA, or was listed in the publication Doctoral Psychology Programs Meeting Designation Criteria. Applicants credentialed in the most recent directory of the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology, the Canadian Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology, or who hold the Certificate of Professional Qualification in Psychology (CPQ) from the ASPPB qualify as meeting the doctoral degree requirements.

• Licensure or Certification: All ABPP candidates in the U.S., its territories or Canada must be licensed as a psychologist for independent practice in a jurisdiction in the U.S., its territories or Canada.

• Note: Limited exceptions exist for prior to 1983 doctoral preparation, degrees granted outside the U.S. or Canada, formal retraining, and substantial equivalents to accreditation requirements. Exception criteria and procedures are available from Central Office.

Once the applicant has passed the generic eligibility requirements, (s)he is accepted as a Candidate and is invited to prepare and submit a practice sample. This is based on the Candidate’s typical practice. You can obtain a more detailed description of the practice sample from the Cognitive & Behavioral Psychology section of the ABPP website (attached as a link to the academy website as “application information”). Mentoring is also available from any of the board certified psychologists listed below regarding the preparation of this practice sample.

Once the practice sample has been accepted by the Practice Sample Coordinator, the Examination Coordinator then schedules the oral exam. The examination committee consists of three board certified psychologists. This exam can take place at the annual convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies or anywhere in the country mutually convenient to the candidate and examiners.

• Initial application fee - $125.00
• Practice sample fee - $250.00
• Examination fee - $450.00

These fees are typically spread out over a year or longer.

1. Stand out from the crowd! Obtain peer and public recognition of competence in the specialty of Cognitive & Behavioral Psychology.
2. Increased compensation in certain employment settings. For example the Veterans Administration and the Department of Defense grant pay increases to holders of an ABPP board certification.
3. Greater mobility. About 2/3s of the states waive the written psychology exam based on the possession of ABPP board certification.
4. Possession of a clear identity for referral sources.
5. Board certification entitles the recipient to a 20% reduction in liability insurance through the American Professional Agency.

For more detailed information, see the two “Benefits of Board Certification” articles under the News section of this website.

The American Board of Professional Psychology, of which the American Board of Cognitive & Behavioral Psychology is a member board, has more than 50 years of certifying practitioners via a competency-based assessment. Many other boards are not competency-based and none has ABPP’s long history of fostering excellence. Some other boards are multi-disciplinary in nature and not necessarily psychology-based.

1. E. Thomas Dowd, Ph.D., ABPP
   (Phone: 330-672-7664, edowd@kent.edu)
2. Arthur Freeman, Ed.D, ABPP
   (Phone: 260-969-5583, artcbt@aol.com)
3. Christopher Martell, Ph. D., ABPP
   (Phone: 206-329-5255 Ext. 305, cmartell@comcast.net)
4. Howard Kassinove, Ph.D., ABPP
   (Phone: 516-463-5625, howard.kassinove@hofstra.edu)
5. Arthur Nezu, Ph.D., ABPP
   (Phone: 215-762-4829, amn23@drexel.edu)
6. Christine Nezu, Ph.D., ABPP
   (Phone: 215-762-3677, christine.nezu@drexel.edu)
7. George Ronan, Ph.D., ABPP
   (Phone: 989-774-6476, ronan1gf@cmich.edu)
8. Bruce N. Eimer, Ph.D., ABPP
   (Phone: 215-947-7867, Fax: 215-947-7860, dr.eimer1@comcast.net)
9. Gerald Tarlow, Ph.D., ABPP
   (Phone: 310-208-4077, gtarlow@earthlink.net)
10. Steven Friedman, Ph.D., ABPP
    (Phone: 718-270-1750, Fax: 718-270-3355, steven.friedman@downstate.edu)
11. Steven Taylor, Ph.D., ABPP
    (Phone: 604-822-7331, Fax: 604-822-7756, Taylor@interchange.ubc.ca)
12. Robert Ammerman, Ph.D., ABPP
    (Phone: 513-636-8209, Fax: 513-636-7756, robert.ammerman@cchmc.org)
13. Arthur MacNeill Horton, Ph.D, ABPP
    (Phone: 410-823-6408, Ext. 20, DRMAcHorton@hotmail.com)
14. Andrew Berger, Ph.D., ABPP
    (Phone: 631-499-4143 drpsych@optonline.net)
15. Cory Newman, Ph.D., ABPP
    (Phone: 215-898-3466, Fax: 215-898-1865, psydoc@mail.med.upenn.edu)
16. Thomas Moyer, Ph.D., ABPP
    (Phone: 207-363-7142, trmoyerphd@roadrunner.com)
17. Barbara Rothbaum, Ph.D., ABPP
    (Phone: 404-712-8866, brothba@emory.edu)
18. Steve Gordon, Ph.D., ABPP
    (Phone: 732-873-1212, Fax: 732-873-2584, behaviortherapy@aol.com)