Psychologists conducting psychotherapy in 2001: A study of the Division 29 membership.

T h is stu d y u p d ated sim ilar investig ations cond u cted in 1 9 8 1 and 1 9 9 1 on th e A m erican P sych olog ical A ssociation D ivision of P sych oth erap y m em b ersh ip to p rovid e a contem p orary p ortrait of p sych olog ists cond u cting p sych oth erap y and to ch ronicle h istorical trend s. F ive h u nd red th irty-eig h t p sych olog ists ( 5 7 % resp onse rate) com p leted a q u estionnaire in su m m er 2 0 0 1 reg ard ing th eir d em og rap h ic ch aracteristics, p rofessional activities, th eoretical orientations, and career ex p eriences. T h e resu lts p oint to an ag ing and increasing ly d iverse m em b ersh ip th at continu es to b e em p loyed p rim arily in p rivate p ractices (6 6 % ) and u niversity setting s ( 1 4 % ) and th at continu es to em b race eclectic/integ rative (3 6 % ) , p sych od ynam ic (2 1 % ) , and cog nitive (1 6 % ) orientations. P rofessional activities h ave rem ained q u ite sim ilar across th e p ast 2 0 years, w ith th e ex cep tion of a notab le d ecline in p ersonality and p rojective testing . Th e 4 ,0 0 0 p lu s m e m b e r s o f th e Div is io n o f Ps y c h o th e r a p y r e p r e s e n t o n e o f th e la r g e s t d iv is io n s o f th e Am e r ic a n Ps y c h o lo g ic a l As s o c ia tio n (APA) a n d c o n s titu te o n e o f th e p r o m in e n t c lu s te r s o f p s y c h o lo g is ts c o n d u c tin g p s y c h o th e r a p y . Alth o u g h Div is io n 2 9 m e m b e r s a r e n o t r e p r e s e n ta tiv e o f a ll lic e n s e d p s y c h o lo g is ts p r a c tic in g th e r a p y in th e U n ite d Sta te s , th e y a r e a d iv e r s e a n d s e a s o n e d c a d r e o f d o c to r a lle v e l c lin ic ia n s d e v o te d to th e s tu d y a n d p r a c tic e o f p s y c h o th e r a p y . Ev e r y 1 0 y e a r s , No rc r o s s , Pro c h a s k a , a n d a s s o c ia te s h a v e s tu d ie d th e Div is io n 2 9 m e m b e r s h ip . In 1 9 8 1 , Pro c h a s k a a n d No rc r o s s ( 1 9 8 3 ) c o n d u c te d th e f ir s t n a tio n a l s tu d y o f th e m e m b e r s h ip in o r d e r to p r o v id e a c o m p r e h e n s iv e p r o f ile o f Div is io n 2 9 p s y c h o lo g is ts . In 1 9 9 1 , No rc r o s s , Pro c h a s k a , a n d F a r b e r ( 1 9 9 3 ) a g a in in v e s tig a te d th e c o m p o s itio n , p r a c tic e s , a n d a ttitu d e s o f m e m b e r s . In k e e p in g w ith th is 1 0 y e a r in te r v a l, in 2 0 0 1 w e r e a s s e s s e d th e c h a r a c te r is tic s , p r a c tic e s , th e o r ie s , a n d s a tis f a c tio n s o f Div is io n 2 9 p s y c h o lo g is ts u s in g th e s a m e m e th o d o lo g y a s in o u r p r e v io u s s tu d ie s . Th e r e s u lts p r o v id e a c o n te m p o r a r y p o r tr a it o f p s y c h o lo g is ts c o n d u c tin g p s y c h o th e r a p y a s w e ll a s h is to r ic a l c o m p a r is o n s o f th e m e m b e r s h ip .