Award for Distinguished Contributions to Independent Practice

The Board of Professional Affairs decided to pause these awards for 2025. APA is reviewing all of its awards and pending the outcome of that review, BPA will make a decision regarding continuing these specific awards. If these awards are resumed in 2026, deadline information will be posted accordingly.

Nominations will be considered for psychologists working in any area of clinical specialization, health services provision, or consulting, and services provided to any patient population or professional clientele in an independent setting.

Awardees receive an honorarium of $1,000 and have the opportunity to participate in a formal presentation of this award during a virtual Awards Ceremony later this year. They may also submit a short video describing their research or other contributions to a broad audience for use on the APA website.

To be eligible, services should have been provided to diverse client groups or patient populations, including but not limited to:

• children/adolescents/adults/older adults

• urban/rural/frontier populations

• minority populations

• persons with serious mental illness will be considered

Contributions may be judged distinguished by virtue of peer recognition, advancement of the public's recognition of psychology as a profession, relevant professional association honors, or other meritorious accomplishments denoting excellence as a practitioner including advancement of the profession.

All nominees must have excellent overall personal and professional reputations. Nominees should not have received disciplinary action from a state board of examiners in psychology and must have no history of ethical violations at the state or national level.

2025

Rhalf Jayson Ferrer Guanco, PhD

2024

Erin E. Emery-Tiburcio, PhD

2023

Jeanette Mayse, PhD, ABPP

2022

Delishia Pittman, PhD, ABPP

2020

Adam S. Weissman, PhD

2019

Shane S. Bush, PhD, ABPP

2018

Paula E. Hartman-Stein, PhD

2017

Mary O’Leary Wiley, PhD, ABPP

2016

Sam Tsemberis, PhD

2015

Glenn J. Larrabee, PhD

2014

Thomas J. Wolff, PhD

2013

David Schnarch, PhD, ABPP

2012

Sandra L. Shullman, PhD

2011

Antonio E. Puente, PhD

2010

Lisa R. Grossman, PhD, JD

2009

Jeffrey E. Barnett, PsyD

2008

Grady Dale Jr., EdD

2007

Melba J.T. Vasquez, PhD

2006

Jeffrey J. Magnavita, PhD

2005

Edward A. Wise, PhD

2004

Miki Paul, PhD

2003

Philip G. Levendusky, PhD

2002

William R. Safarjan, PhD

2001

Reuben J. Silver, PhD

2000

Mathilda B. Canter, PhD

1998/1999

Dorothy W. Cantor, PsyD

1997

Jack G. Wiggins, Jr., PhD

1996

Christine A. Courtois, PhD
Robert J. Resnick, PhD

1995

Patricia M. Bricklin, PhD

1994

Robert D. Weitz, PhD

1993

Charles D. Spielberger, PhD

1992

Herbert Freudenberger, PhD

1991

Stanley R. Graham, PhD

1990

George Stricker, PhD

1989

Patrick H. DeLeon, PhD, JD 
Florence W. Kaslow, PhD

1988

Stanley Moldawsky, PhD
George D. Goldman, PhD

1987

Carl Zimet, PhD
Alfred Wellner, PhD

1986

Wilbert E. Fordyce, PhD

1985

Rogers Wright, PhD

1984

Nicholas A. Cummings, PhD

1983

Donald R. Peterson, PhD

1982

Milton Theaman, PhD

1981

Jack I. Bardon, PhD

1980

Zygmunt A. Piotrowski, PhD
Douglas W. Bray, PhD

1979

Herbert Dorken, PhD

1978

Arthur L. Benton, PhD

1977

George Katona, PhD

1976

John C. Flanagan, PhD
David Shakow, PhD

1975

George W. Albee, PhD

1974

Nobel H. Kelley, PhD

1973

David Wechsler, PhD

1972

Carl R. Rogers, PhD