Your thoughts on the value of APA membership

[R. Matey]

It's September so naturally I'm getting spammed by APA to renew my membership. I am, however, on the fence about doing so. I used the ethics consult service this past year who just referred me to my liability insurance carrier (despite the question had nothing to do with my own practice) and APA has staked out so pretty far left positions recently that I as a center-left moderate don't really support. I also have journal access through my AMC affiliation. That said, I do want to participate in advocacy for my profession and since I have funds to cover my membership fees its not a question of personal finance. It's more a question of whether my resources are better spent on say, an ABCT membership, or paying for training in CPT. Also, I'm already a member of my state org so I am participating in advocacy at the local level.

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[ClinicalABA]

I have never been a member so maybe I don't know what I'm missing, but I have never felt the need. I have spent my membership dues on more niche (inter)national orgs, such as AABT/ABCT, as well as local and regional organizations, such as state psych, neuropsych, and ABA organizations. As a student and young career professional,, I found the networking opportunities at the local and niche organization conferences to be invaluable.. I access journals though my institution. Local organizations (especially ABA) have done some pretty amazing lobbying for good legislation. While I've never really considered APA membership, their recent endorsements of questionable training training programs and models would keep me from doing so. It's always seemed more of a guild aiming to protect all dues paying members- no matter the cost-than a professional organization aiming to protect the science and integrity of the field.

 

[futureapppsy2]

I think APA is what you make of it--getting involved can help it feel more "worth it", in my experience.

 

[WisNeuro]

I get a discount on my malpractice insurance and 5 free CEs 🤷‍♂️

 

[Sanman]

I keep an active membership and contribute to their PAC as well. It a relatively small sum of money and much like voting, you can't really complain everything is going to hell if you are part of the problem.

 

[Istilldontknow]

I stopped joining after graduate school. I don't agree with many of their positions, and I would rather my money go elsewhere.

 

[borne_before]

I stopped joining after graduate school. I don't agree with many of their positions, and I would rather my money go elsewhere.

same

 

[WisNeuro]

Regardless of some of their more questionable advocacy issues, a bulk of their advocacy is still on reimbursement and practice issues. So, if you're not supplementing that somehow, you have no reason to bitch about lowered reimbursements.

 

[futureapppsy2]

Regardless of some of their more questionable advocacy issues, a bulk of their advocacy is still on reimbursement and practice issues. So, if you're not supplementing that somehow, you have no reason to bitch about lowered reimbursements.

Yeah, and they actually do really active, connected advocacy for psychology reimbursement.

 

[R. Matey]

Has APA's advocacy on reimbursement resulted in any deliverables?

 

[psycho1391]

Has APA's advocacy on reimbursement resulted in any deliverables?

Yep!
Increased testing reimbursement rates

They also advocated for increasing reimbursement rates for health and behavior codes

 

[WisNeuro]

Has APA's advocacy on reimbursement resulted in any deliverables?

As was pointed out, yes. Unfortunately, some of the efforts are hampered by apathy and lack of investment from psychologists as a whole. It's a pitifully low number of folks who will spend 5 minutes sending a pre-constructed form letter to their representatives when asked. Likewise when asked to submit a form letter when CMS changes come around.

 

[cara susanna]

I belong to some of the subdivisions but that's it. There are other professional organizations that I value more (e.g., ISTSS)

 

[PsyDr]

They are the only organization that negotiates for our CPT codes. Absent the APA, there is no testing CPT code, no H&B CPT codes, no group therapy CPT codes, no feedback CPT codes, etc.

You can either have someone represent your financial interests, or have no one represent your financial interests.

 

[WisNeuro]

They are the only organization that negotiates for our CPT codes. Absent the APA, there is no testing CPT code, no H&B CPT codes, no group therapy CPT codes, no feedback CPT codes, etc.

You can either have someone represent your financial interests, or have no one represent your financial interests.

some people are big fans of cutting off their noses, to spite their face

 

[AcronymAllergy]

As has been said, they're the only major player negotiating and advocating for us on a national level. I don't agree with all of their semi-political (or outright political) stances and past actions, but change is more effective from within than without. And I haven't seen much in the way of their lobbying efforts that I've disagreed with. I regularly donate to their PAC.

 

[R. Matey]

The Fielding lady was elected for APA president in 2026. I'm all for payor advocacy, but her platform seems ultra political, if you ask me.

Fielding Graduate University provost elected APA president

Wendi S. Williams, PhD, provost at Fielding Graduate University, has been elected 2026 president of the American Psychological Association, bringing her expertise in liberation psychology and feminist perspectives to promote the well-being of diverse women and girls.

www.apa.org

 

[quickpsych]

Honestly I think, and this is more recently, they provide more value and benefit than my state psychological association. The only reason to really keep paying my state membership is they do have deeply discounted CEs for members and do advocate on the state level, but their cons is the membership costs more than APA, their annual convention costs double the APA, they are getting rid of list servs in lieu of an app. I get more value out of my APA membership lately.

Went to my first APA convention this year (had been to other APA events and meetings as a graduate student) and it really opened my eyes to just how large and involved the APA is across the board and across the world. As others said the APA advocates and pushes for CPT reimbursement increases and advocates for our work. They also are the gold standard in accrediting and reviewing doctoral training programs and internships. Despite their flaw of still supporting some known diploma mill, they do ensure and regulate standards of education and training. The membership also offers some free CEs and I've gotten some deep discounts on CE bundles as well as discounted access to convention and the included live CEs.

 

[R. Matey]

I did end up renewing my APA membership for 2025 for payor advocacy reasons. I don't agree with many of APA's position, but we do need someone fighting specifically for psychologists in the room.

 

[DoubtfulDoc]

I’ve not renewed my membership since shortly after graduate school about a decade ago. I appreciate the advocacy piece for our profession but don’t get anything out of their American Psychologist publication and I have access to their journals through work. I’ve also felt that the main messages and advertising they promote are no longer about the things I care about—effective and efficient psychotherapy, dismantling psychotherapy studies, moderator and mediator studies, combating pseudoscience and training capable therapists that provide an actual healthcare service, not a professional friendship.

I just don’t see myself as a researcher, psychotherapist, and assessment provider when I look out into the APA anymore. I stay connected to the field by tracking with the ABPP (a little better) and ABCT. I’ve found the most value lately in finding people smarter than me and getting onto their research projects doing some of the less exciting work to practice and update my skills as well as benefit from just hearing them articulate how things work about a broad range of related topics.