Criteria for Membership

Click here for an Psychotherapy Society Membership Application Form

Members come from a broad cross-section of disciplines, nationalities, training backgrounds and expertise. Membership categories include "Member", which is available to persons with professional education and supervised training in psychotherapy, and "Associate Member", which is open to other persons who have an interest in the aims of the Society. Associate Members receive all the benefits of membership except eligibility to hole the position of Officer. The Membership Committee is responsible for determining membership status of new members according to criteria approved by the Society.

Members pay an annual membership fee of $350 as Full Members and $250 as Associate Members. Membership benefits include regular communication about events and news of the Society, assistance with joining or forming a peer supervision group, discounts for events such as guest speakers, inclusion in the membership directory, and the opportunity to work with colleagues to enhance the practice of psychotherapy in Hong Kong.

Full Member

To be eligible for Full Membership in the Society, the applicant must meet the following requirements:

• Hold a Master's degree (or equivalent) or a Doctoral degree from a program in mental health or a related field (e.g. clinical psychology, counseling psychology, marriage and family counseling/therapy, educational psychology, psychological counseling, psychiatric/clinical social work) which is recognized by a regional or national accreditation body in that country; AND
• Have completed an approved training which would include both theoretical courses in psychotherapy/ counseling and approved, supervised clinical work experience, AND
• Have completed at least 450 hours of approved, supervised clinical practice in psychotherapy/counseling.
• Psychiatrists with College membership/fellowship are included in this category.

Associate Member

• Any person who works in a mental health or related field with clinical experience/interest in psychotherapy/counseling; OR
• Any person who is undergoing training in a mental health or related field; OR
• Any person with an undergraduate degree or diploma in counseling, psychology, social work or nursing.

Examples of members in this category include counselors, psychiatric or other registered nurses, social workers, physicians other than psychiatrists.