An Award to Recognize Outstanding Contributions in Education and Training in the Field of Group Psychotherapy.

Rationale: In an effort to promote the visibility of practice standards and to encourage life-long learning, an award was established by the International Board for Certification of Group Psychotherapists in 2011 to recognize individuals, programs or institutes that make and outstanding contribution to group psychotherapy education and/or training, or to standards of practice in a meaningful way. This highly regarded, prestigious award is presented at the Community Meeting at the AGPA Annual Meeting.

Endowment: In 2012, the annual training award was renamed the "Harold S. Bernard Group Psychotherapy Training Award" though a legacy gift provided to the Group Foundation for Advancing Mental Health by Dr. Bernard's estate for the purpose of endowing the award. Dr. Bernard was an esteemed leader, teacher, colleague and friend in the field of group psychotherapy and AGPA and its related organizations were his second family. His contributions to the field in general and AGPA specifically were impressive in their scope and their impact on the field. Throughout his lifetime, training in group psychotherapy was near and dear to Dr. Bernard's heart. His legacy bequest insures that individuals and programs meeting a high standard of training quality are identified and honored for their contributions to the field in developing the next generation of clinicians who use group psychotherapy to help people.     

Guidelines for applying:

1. Nominations are solicited annually and must be submitted from September 1 - November 1 for individuals or programs. 

2. Nominations must include:

a) a letter from the person making the nomination (people can nominate themselves) describing the accomplishments of the nominee, including such things as: courses developed and taught, writings of significance and relevance, impact of the nominee on trainees and training,

b) a current curriculum vitae for the nominee.

3. Submission of at least three letters supporting the nomination. These can be included in the original submission, or may be submitted separately by the letter writer and should be from trainees and/or former trainees, colleagues and peers describing the achievements and influence of the nominee. In recent years, this award has elicited nominations of outstanding candidates and has been decided largely on the strength of the nomination and the supporting letters. The winning nominations have frequently been supported by ten or more letters.

4. Nominations and supporting documentation must be submitted by email to info@agpa.org with a copy to the AGPA office.

Honored Recipients:

2013: David Panzer, Psy.D., CGP and the Group Psychotherapy Services at the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology    at Rutgers University

2012: The Menninger Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences Group Therapy Program, Baylor College of Medicine

2010: The Systems-Centered Training and Research Institute

2009: Robert H. Klein, Ph.D., ABPP, CGP, DLFAGPA

2008: The Center for Group Studies

2007: Walter Stone, M.D., CGP, DFAGPA

         One Year Training Program in Group Psychotherapy of the Eastern Group Psychotherapy Society

2006: Marvin L. Aronson, Ph.D., CGP, LFAGPA

2005: Wendi Cross, Ph.D., CGP

         Saul Scheidlinger, Ph.D., CGP, DLFAGPA

2004: K. Roy MacKenzie, M.D., FRCP, CGP, DFAGPA

2003: Gary M. Burlingame, Ph.D., CGP

2002: Henry I. Spitz, M.D., CGP, DFAGPA