Marquisha R.G. Lee, PhD, ABPP, CBSM
Welcome to the webpage of the American Board of Clinical Health Psychology (ABCHP), a specialty board of the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). The goals of ABCHP are to ensure that psychologists board certified in clinical health psychology have the appropriate education, training, and experience for specialty practice in clinical health psychology, as well as possess, demonstrate, and maintain functional and foundational competencies required to provide quality clinical health psychology services while adhering to the ethical standards of the profession. We welcome all qualified clinical health psychologists to complete the board certification process. Obtaining board certification is an attestation to your commitment to excellence in professional psychology.
If you are a psychology trainee or psychologist interested in pursuing board certification in clinical health psychology, please review the candidate manual which can be found in our document library. The manual contains the instructions for submitting an application, preparing practice samples and a professional statement, and preparing for the oral examination. Please note that the oral examination process is not like a dissertation defense. The oral exam process is collegial, discussion oriented, and provides applicants an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of the core functional and cross-cutting foundational competencies in clinical health psychology. It is noteworthy that we are working to update the candidacy criteria for board certification in clinical health psychology to be more consistent with the clinical health psychology taxonomy and include a pathway for psychologists to pursue board certification post-licensure who did not complete a postdoctoral fellowship.
Working together with ABCHP, the American Academy of Clinical Health Psychology (ACHP) represents and supports the professional interests of applicants pursuing board certification and specialists board certified in clinical health psychology. ACHP offers mentoring to qualified candidates, facilitates educational seminars on preparing for board certification, and additional resources. To find out more about the options offered, please visit the ACHP webpage.
I would like to invite specialists who are already board certified to encourage your peers and trainees to become board certified. Please note that doctoral students, interns, fellows, and unlicensed psychologist may be eligible to start the board certification process through the ABPP Early Entry Option Program. Also, ABCHP reimburses some of the costs of certification fees for members of APA Division 38 (Society of Health Psychology) upon completion of board certification in clinical health psychology. In addition, we appreciate specialists who are willing to serve as mentors, practice sample reviewers, and oral examiners. The members of our board, which can be found on the specialty board officers page, are available to discuss questions you might have about the board certification process. Please feel free to contact me directly if you have feedback for the board or questions regarding the board certification process.
Sincerely,
Marquisha R.G. Lee, PhD, ABPP, CBSM
Board Certified in Clinical Health Psychology
Certification in Behavioral Sleep Medicine
President, American Board of Clinical Health Psychology