Membership in ABPE

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Why Join ABPE?

Get the standards, resources, and community you need to advance a responsible, well-supported career in psychotraumatology.

ABPE supports professionals at every stage, from those beginning specialty training to those pursuing certification to those who have practiced trauma-related care for decades. Membership connects you to current standards, continuing education, peer consultation, and a community of professionals who take this work as seriously as you do.

Mental health professionals, physicians and allied health professionals, forensic examiners, crisis and disaster response professionals, researchers, educators, and students all find value in ABPE’s benefits and community.

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Membership Options

  • ABPE membership is anniversary-based. Your membership becomes effective when dues are paid and remains active for 12 or 24 months from your join date, depending on the duration selected.
  • Reduced membership rates are available to members living in countries classified as low and lower-middle income by the World Bank, applied automatically during the join process.
  • If you have lost your job or had a position eliminated due to organizational or government action, membership assistance may be available. Contact the membership department to discuss options.
  • Membership dues are nonrefundable and non-transferable.

Professional Member

For licensed clinicians, physicians, and other credentialed professionals actively practicing in psychotraumatology, mental health, forensic assessment, healthcare, or a related field. Full access to ABPE’s standards library, continuing education, member directory, and case consultation opportunities.
Professional Member — $245
Early Career (within 5 years of licensure) — $135
Retired — $90
Lifetime — $4,500

Associate Member

For professionals developing their knowledge and experience in trauma-related practice, including those working toward ABPE certification or working in adjacent, non-clinical roles.
Associate Member — $150

Student Member

For students pursuing degrees in psychology, counseling, medicine, social work, or a related discipline.
Graduate Student — $80
Undergraduate Student — $40

Organizational Member

For institutions, group practices, training programs, and organizations supporting trauma-informed work.
Organizational Member — pricing varies by size and scope; contact the membership department

Member Benefits

Standards and Research You Can Actually Use

Staying current on trauma research shouldn’t mean digging through journals with no time to read them. ABPE members receive:

  • Direct access to ABPE’s standards library, including current and draft revisions to certification requirements and practice guidelines
  • Plain-language research briefings, summarizing relevant findings from the broader trauma literature in terms practitioners can actually apply
  • Advance notice and input opportunities when standards are under revision

Members stay current through regular digital communications, including:

  • The ABPE Bulletin — a monthly digital publication covering developments in psychotraumatology research, standards, and practice
  • Standards Watch — a periodic e-notice flagging proposed changes to certification requirements and how to weigh in
  • Field Notes — case-based discussion content drawn from real-world practice dilemmas, contributed by members and reviewed by senior examiners

Case Consultation and Community

Trauma work can be isolating, especially for practitioners without a specialized peer group nearby. Members get access to:

  • Peer case consultation groups, organized by professional role and area of focus
  • The ABPE member community platform, for connecting one-on-one with colleagues, joining interest groups, and contributing perspective on issues shaping the field
  • The online member directory, to find and connect with other members in your specialty or region

Events and Discounted Rates

Members receive discounted registration for ABPE’s annual conference, bringing together practitioners, researchers, and examiners to share findings, discuss case complexities, and build professional connections across disciplines.

ABPE also hosts periodic virtual summits, offering additional opportunities for case discussion and professional exchange without the cost or logistics of travel.

Recognition

ABPE recognizes members who have made significant contributions to the field, from early-career achievement to lifetime contributions to psychotraumatology practice and standards development.

A Voice in the Field

ABPE exists to keep trauma credentialing meaningful, and that only works with real input from people doing the work. Members are not passive recipients of our standards. Membership includes structured opportunities to comment on proposed standards, contribute case material for training and exam development, and help shape where the field goes next.

And More

Membership also includes:

  • Student-specific benefits and mentorship opportunities
  • Employment and supervision-opportunity listings
  • Discounts on select continuing education providers and publications (partner discounts announced periodically)
  • Practical guidance for supervisors and training programs
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