Special Interest Groups (SIGs)

SIGs provide valuable support and growth opportunities for CPA members, both at annual conferences, and throughout the year! SIG leaders are encouraged to facilitate meetings and discussions throughout the year, formally or informally, and be responsive to CPA members who contact them regarding questions and needs related to the focus of the group. SIG leaders (and ongoing members) must be current members of the CPA.

Groups of CPA members sharing a common professional interest or specialization may form a SIG to enjoy benefits such as:

    • Networking and peer collaboration
    • Meet at annual conferences and remotely (as organized by SIG leaders)

SIG leaders will (at minimum):

    • Facilitate a meeting or discussion at the annual CPA Conference
    • Be listed and function as points of contact for the SIG

A new SIG may be considered and formed by following the steps below.

Current SIGs

SIG membership is open to all current CPA members who meet the listed criteria for the individual SIG. Reach out to the contact(s) below to learn more and join the SIG(s) that fit your interests, needs and areas of expertise.

  • Seminary Psychology - Vocational assessment instruments, counseling seminarians and best practice.

Public resource page Members only resource page

Contact: Eric Gudan, PsyD. dr.gudan@integritaspsych.com
  • Students & Emerging Leaders - CPA members who are students in, and/or within 5 years post-graduation from a masters or doctoral program in a mental health field.

Contact: Chris Stravitsch, DMin, LPC-S, LMFT-S. c.strav@gmail.com

  • Catholic School and Parish Based Counseling - This SIG provides a forum for clinicians and others who are interested in developing counseling services for Catholic Schools (preschool through University level) and parishes as well as those who are already providing services.

     Contacts: Joan Huss, LMHP joanh@ccomaha.org and Courtney Miller, PhD cmiller@cssisus.org

  • Infant Mental Health - The purpose of this SIG is to offer CPA members who work with or have backgrounds serving children prenatal through age 6 with a shared milieu for professional education, collaborative case analysis, and reflective support drawing from our faith and infant mental health perspectives. This group’s focus will be relationship-based approaches of keeping the baby in mind, rooted in a faith-integrated psychodynamic infant mental health philosophy that we best help infants and young children thrive by supporting the adults who are in their lives.
Contact: Robin Lynn Treptow, PhD, PhD. drrobin@better4babies.org 
  • Deliverance & Exorcism Ministry - CPA members who are current Academic, Clinical and clergy or religious within other member classifications who are interested in participating in this SIG may send documentation of the listed criteria to the SIG contact below

Because of the sensitive nature of the subject matter, members who apply will be expected to verify the following:

  1. Current, active participation in a ministry team, diocese, or collaboration with clergy

  2. Attestation to the Catholic understanding of the demonic as an active creature which can influence the health and well-being of people

  3. Absolute acceptance of and obedience to the apostolic authority of one's Bishop in combating the enemy

  4. Ability to work from a trauma-informed perspective with clients

  5. Current and ongoing reception of spiritual direction or guidance in support of their work in this area

Contact: Frank Moncher, PhD. Frank.Moncher@arlingtondiocese.org

  • Applied Discernment of Religious Experience 
  1. Acknowledge/normalize the fact that many people do have religious/spiritual experiences, and that these experiences can be very healing.  
  2. Provide the tools for therapists to discern if an experience is of God or not, and how to proceed either way.
  3. Begin a conversation about the three ages/stages (purgative, illuminative, and unitive) of the interior life to discern how a deepening relationship with the Lord may be affecting clients.

To inquire about joining contact Becky Ward: bward_313@comcast.net

Members only resource page 

  • Gospel-based Schema Therapy Special Interest Group

Criteria for membership:

No previous experience in Schema Therapy is needed. This is an introductory Special Interest Group for CPA members only. It is not necessary to attend all of the meetings, but regular attendance is encouraged.

To Join:

Contact: Dr. Chiara Simeone-DiFrancesco by email or telephone: SchemaHealing@gmail.com or (920) 233-2347

  • Catholicism and Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy - This Special Interest Group is formed to explore and develop the intersections between the Catholic theological and philosophical tradition and various schools of classical and contemporary psychoanalytic thinking. Its purpose is to enhance the knowledge and practice of psychoanalysis and depth psychology to grow the psychotherapist’s mind and heart by means of this exploration.
Criteria to join:

1. A desire and openness to explore intersections, paradoxes, and incompatibilities between Catholicism and psychoanalytic theories.

SIG Leadership

Angelyn Arden, PHD: angelyn.arden@gmail.com

Lisa Fischer, PHD, ABPP: lisafischer@cox.net

Gabriel L.M. Crawford, M. Div; M.A.C.P in process: Gabriel.crawford@theseattleschool.edu

  • Peer Consultation - This SIG is intended for clinical and student CPA members with a masters or doctoral degree in a mental health field to consult on patient/client cases. The focus will be exploring various clinical cases through Zoom or in local areas when possible.  

    (Note: Some CPA Regional Networks and Local Chapters also have established peer consultation groups. Find your Region Representative here)

    Contacts: Becky Ward bward_313@comcast.net and Zach Dorsch thezdorsch@gmail.com

    Members only resource page


      Forming and Leading a SIG

      Forming a New SIG

      CPA members interested in forming a new SIG may take the following steps:

      1) Identify at least 2 CPA members who are interested in serving in the formation and leadership of the SIG, and who have some level of expertise and experience in the chosen area of interest.

      2) Construct a title and description of the proposed SIG, similar to the information listed on current SIGs, including any criteria for joining the group. Submit this information to the Membership Committee Chair (dmora@catholicpsychotherapy.org).

      3) Upon initial approval by Membership Committee Chair (and the CPA Board if deemed necessary), the SIG leader(s) will announce the formation of the new SIG via the CPA Listserv and Member News, inviting interested/qualified members to join.

      4) When member interest has been verified with at least 5 additional CPA members indicating that they wish to join the new SIG, the SIG will be considered officially formed and posted on the CPA website.

      Further steps and activity of the SIG will be determined by the SIG leaders in cooperation with the Membership Committee Chair and CPA staff.

      Annual Commitments

      Each January, SIG leaders will be asked by the Membership Committee Chair to:

      1) Verify or update their status as official contact for and leader of the SIG, and

      2) Select a meeting time within the schedule for the upcoming CPA conference.

      Coordinating SIG Activity

      The SIG contact/leader will function as the point of contact for interested CPA Members, and communicate with the CPA Board via the Membership Committee Chair regarding the activities of the SIG. Activity of SIGs beyond the minimum requirements listed above may include: meetings of SIG members throughout the year (e.g. monthly, quarterly), assembling and posting a resource page addressing the topic/needs of the SIG, facilitating a SIG Listserv (via CPA admin), promoting scholarly work related to the SIG topic via CPA webinar/poster/conference presentations.

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