Council Policy Manual: Professional Practice Policies

• APA guidelines for psychological evaluations in child protection matters
• Guidelines for integrating the role of work and career into professional psychology practice (PDF, 293KB)opens in new window
• Guidelines for psychological practice with lesbian, gay and bisexual clients (PDF, 1.5MB)opens in new window
• Guidelines for psychological practice with transgender and gender nonconforming people (PDF, 617KB)opens in new window
• Model act for state licensure of psychologists (PDF, 111KB)opens in new window
• Professional practice guidelines for occupationally-mandated psychological evaluation (PDF, 223KB)opens in new window  
• Professional practice guidelines for operational psychology
• Resolution on appropriate affirmative responses to sexual orientation distress and change efforts
• Resolution on transgender and gender identity and gender expression non-discrimination
• Specialty guidelines for forensic psychology
• Supervisors for psychological services in schools

• Resolution in support of education and implementation of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)

There are currently no policies relating to this topic.

There are currently no policies relating to this topic.

• APA Resolution on Confidentiality and Reproductive Health

• Psychology’s understanding of the challenges related to the COVID-19 global pandemic in the United States (PDF, 250KB)opens in new window

• Clinical practice guideline for psychological and other nonpharmacological treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain in adults (PDF, 2MB)opens in new window (2024)
• Clinical practice guideline for the treatment of depression across three age cohorts (2019)
• Clinical practice guideline for multicomponent behavioral treatment of obesity and overweight in children and adolescents: Current state of the evidence and research needs (2018)
• Clinical practice guideline for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults (2025)

• Developing and evaluating standards and guidelines related to education and training in psychology: Context, procedures and criteria (PDF, 125KB)opens in new window
• Education and training guidelines: A taxonomy for education and training in professional psychology (PDF, 186KB)opens in new window
• Guidelines for clinical supervision in health service psychology (PDF, 605KB)opens in new window
• Guidelines for education and training at the doctoral and postdoctoral level in consulting psychology/organizational consulting psychology (PDF, 137KB)opens in new window
• Guidelines for education and training in industrial-organizational psychology (PDF, 270KB)opens in new window
• Guidelines for the undergraduate psychology major
• Guidelines on core learning goal's for master's degree graduates in psychology (PDF, 1.3MB)opens in new window
• Guidelines on trauma competencies for education and training (PDF, 527KB)opens in new window
• Principles for quality undergraduate education in psychology
• Suggested guidelines for the evaluation and training of clinical, counseling, and school psychologists who graduated prior to 1979 (PDF, 91KB)opens in new window
• Taxonomy for postdoctoral and continuing education and training in psychology (PDF, 413KB)opens in new window

• Guidelines for the optimal use of social media in professional psychological practice (PDF, 637KB)opens in new window
• Guidelines for psychological practice with military service members, Veterans, and their families (PDF, 1.2MB)opens in new window
• Model legislation for prescriptive authority (PDF, 28K)opens in new window

• Applied behavior analysis
• Clinical practice guideline for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults
• Criteria for evaluating treatment guidelines
• Evidence-based practice in psychologyopens in new window
• Evidence-based psychological practice in health care (PDF, 331KB)opens in new window
• Guidelines for engaging in the contractual provision of psychological services in schools
• Guidelines for integrating the role of work and career into professional psychology practice (PDF, 293KB)opens in new window
• Guidelines for psychological assessment and evaluation (PDF, 660KB)opens in new window
• Guidelines for psychological evaluations in child protection matters
• Guidelines for psychological practice in health care delivery systems
• Guidelines for psychological practice with boys and menopens in new window
• Guidelines for psychological practice with girls and women
• Guidelines for psychological practice with military service members, veterans, and their families (PDF, 1.2MB)opens in new window
• Guidelines for psychological practice with older adults
• Guidelines for psychological practice with sexual minority persons (PDF, 1.5MB)opens in new window
• Guidelines for psychologists in the assessment of psychological trauma in adults
• Guidelines for psychologists’ involvement in pharmacological issues
• Guidelines for psychology’s role in pediatric to adult health care transition
• Guidelines for the evaluation of dementia and age-related cognitive change (PDF, 488KB)opens in new window
• Guidelines for the optimal use of social media in professional psychological practice (PDF, 637KB)opens in new window
• Guidelines for the practice of telepsychology
• Guidelines on key considerations for working with adults with PTSD and traumatic stress disorders
• Professional practice guidelines for diagnosis of intellectual disability in forensic settings
• Professional practice guidelines for operational psychology
• Professional practice guidelines for occupationally-mandated psychological evaluation (PDF, 223KB)opens in new window
• Professional practice guidelines for working with adults with complex trauma histories (PDF, 429KB)opens in new window
• Professional practice guidelines: Guidance for developers and users (PDF, 219KB)opens in new window  
• Specialty guidelines for forensic psychology

• APA guidelines for psychological practice for people with low-income and economic marginalization
• Guidelines for psychological practice with transgender and gender nonconforming people (PDF, 617KB)opens in new window
• Multicultural guidelines: An ecological approach to context, identity, and intersectionality
• Resolution on transgender and gender identity and gender expression non-discrimination

• Ethical conduct of behavioral projects involving human participants by high school students
• Ethical conduct in the care and use of nonhuman animals in research
• Principles for the validation and use of personnel selection procedures (PDF, 358KB)opens in new window
• Standards for educational and psychological testing
• Guidelines for the use of nonhuman animals in behavioral projects in schools (K-12) (PDF, 73KB)opens in new window

There are currently no policies relating to this topic.

• APA guidelines for psychological practice with boys and menopens in new window
  
• Child and adolescent mental and behavioral health resolution
• Clinical practice guideline for multicomponent behavioral treatment of obesity and overweight in children and adolescents: Current state of the evidence and research needs (PDF, 892KB)opens in new window
  
• Guidelines for integrating the role of work and career into professional psychology practice (PDF, 293KB)opens in new window
  
• Guidelines for psychological practice with girls and women
  
• Impaired psychologists
• Psychological treatment as part of the professional preparation of a psychologist
• Psychology’s understanding of the challenges related to the COVID-19 global pandemic in the United States (PDF, 250KB)opens in new window
• Resolution in support of education and implementation of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)
  
• Resolution on child and adolescent mental and behavioral health (PDF, 77KB)opens in new window
  
• Resolution on psychological issues related to child abuse and neglect
  
• Resolution on psychologists in integrated primary care and specialty health settings
  
• Resolution on terrorism

• Criteria for the evaluation of quality improvement programs and the use of quality improvement data  
  
• Recognition of psychotherapy effectiveness

• Resolution on prescription privileges for psychologists

• Criteria for evaluating treatment guidelines
  
• Criteria for the evaluation of quality improvement programs and the use of quality improvement data 
  
• Guidelines for psychological evaluations in child protection matters
  
• Guidelines for the evaluation of dementia and age-related cognitive change (PDF, 488KB) opens in new window
  
• Professional practice guidelines for occupationally-mandated psychological evaluation (PDF, 223KB)opens in new window
  
• Specialty guidelines for forensic psychology
  
• Strategies to promote increased public understanding of the independent practice of psychology

• Application of hypnosis
  
• Guidelines for assessment of and intervention with persons with disabilities
• Recognition of psychotherapy effectiveness

• Professional practice guidelines: guidance for developers and users (PDF, 219KB)opens in new window
  
• Disaster response network
  
• Policy on challenges to the doctoral standard for psychology
  
• Reclaim the distinctiveness of the term “psychology”
  
• Strategies to promote increased public understanding of the independent practice of psychology

• Guidelines for the evaluation of dementia and age-related cognitive change (PDF, 488KB)opens in new window
• Guidelines for the optimal use of social media in professional psychological practice (PDF, 637KB)opens in new window
• Guidelines on race and ethnicity in psychology

• Resolution on APA endorsement of the concept of recovery for people with serious mental illness

• Managed care accessibility and reimbursement criteria
  
• Managed health care programs
  
• Reclaim the distinctiveness of the term “psychology”
  
• Use of “Dr.”

• Resolution on prioritizing the behavioral health needs of rural communities (PDF, 96KB)opens in new window

There are currently no policies relating to this topic.

• Model act for state licensure of psychologists (PDF, 111KB)opens in new window
  
• Model legislation for prescriptive authority (PDF, 28K)opens in new window
  
• Policy on challenges to the doctoral standard for psychology
  
• Psychology as an independent science and profession
  
• Removal of licensure exemptions for psychologists in public health care programs
  
• Resolution on independence of psychologists
• Resolution on licensing for psychoanalysts
  
• Resolution on prescription privileges for psychologists
  
• Resolution on the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) reciprocity agreement

• Application of hypnosis
  
• Criteria for the recognition of organizations that provide certifications in specialties and proficiencies in professional psychology (PDF, 217KB)opens in new window
  
• Resolution on psychologists in integrated primary care and specialty health settings

• Designation criteria for education and training programs in preparation for prescriptive authority (PDF, 61KB)opens in new window
  
• Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct
  
• Industrial and organizational psychology as a specialty in professional psychology
  
• Policy on half-time internships
  
• Recommended postdoctoral education and training program in psychopharmacology for prescriptive authority (PDF, 63KB)opens in new window
  
• Standards and criteria for approval of sponsors of continuing education for psychologists (PDF, 139KB)opens in new window
  
• Standards of Accreditation for Health Service Psychology (SoA) (PDF, 1.23MB)opens in new window

• Education Policies
• Ethics Policies
• Health Policies
• Governance, Operations and Administration Policies
• International Policies
• Legal Issues Policies
• Science Policies
• Social Issues Policies
• Special Populations Policies

• Guidelines for the practice of telepsychology
• Psychology’s understanding of the challenges related to the COVID-19 global pandemic in the United States (PDF, 250KB)opens in new window