Why You Should Join the Association of Black Psychologists

 

(Photo credit: Rewire.com)

Joining the Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi) is an excellent idea if you are a black psychologist who wants to network with others in your profession and participate in activities that will help you advance your career. 

Read on to learn more about the benefits of membership, how to get involved, and how to apply to become an ABPsi member.

What is ABPsi?

The Association of Black Psychologists is a community of psychologists committed to community empowerment and social justice. They aim to improve health and well-being for African Americans. 

ABPsi was founded in 1968 to make psychology more accessible to people of color by providing equal access to culturally competent mental health services. In addition, ABPsi is at work increasing cultural competency among psychologists and increasing diversity within psychology as a whole. 

As an ABPsi member, you will join with over 6,000 members worldwide in your commitment to serving communities that have historically been marginalized from quality mental health services.

What Can I Gain From Joining?

By joining ABPsi, you can stay on top of your career growth. It’s hard to grow professionally if you don’t know what opportunities are available or what the trends are in your profession.

ABPsi offers a variety of professional development opportunities, like career workshops and professional events, that will help provide knowledge and insight on how to make yourself more valuable as a member of your field. 

The Association comprises of black psychologists, which means that every person has an understanding and appreciation for your challenges in one way or another because they’ve been there themselves! 

How Do I Become a Member?

Becoming a member of ABPsi is pretty straightforward. Any psychologist who identifies as Black or African American can join. 

Additionally, any non-black mental health professional who wants to support the work of these Psychologists, may join as an associate member. 

An individual must have a Ph.D. or PsyD degree and be licensed in their jurisdiction to be a full member of ABPsi. Associate members do not need to hold these credentials. 

Still, they can demonstrate support for our mission through either their commitment to social justice issues or advocacy with their clinical practices and research. 

Associate members can participate fully in all ABPsi activities and are eligible for election as delegates at our annual convention but cannot vote on association matters without joining as full members.

If you’re interested in exploring a career in psychology, use our Career Insights tool to discover the skills and credentials needed in this profession.

Want to explore salaries, skills, education and credentials needed to thrive in psychology? Search your dream profession using our Career Insights tool.