Frequently Asked Questions

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) and the Examining Board of Psychology oversee all licensing processes. You can find up-to-date information on the following pages:

• Psychologist Licensing Information
• DOH: Frequently Asked Questions
• You may also contact the DOH at psychology@doh.wa.gov for questions.

This depends on the nature of the concern. We recommend the following steps:

• Review Sections 1.04 and 1.05 of the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct for guidance on informal and formal responses.
• If the individual is not a psychologist, consult the ethical code for their profession.
• Review Washington’s relevant laws including the Health Professions Complaint Process and RCW 18.130 – Uniform Disciplinary Act.

If you are a WSPA Member and you’d like a confidential peer consultation, you can contact WSPA’s Director of Professional Affairs & Picies. Click here to connect via Circle.

Click here to view information from the American Psychological Association (APA).

The Washington State Psychological Association (WSPA) is a membership-based nonprofit organization that supports psychologists and the profession of psychology in Washington State.

Founded in 1947, WSPA’s primary focus is serving its members—licensed psychologists, graduate students, and retired professionals—through education, networking, advocacy, and professional development.

With over 800 members across Washington, WSPA is the voice of psychology in our state—working to strengthen the profession and support the communities our members serve.

Usually, a psychologist must be licensed in Washington to provide services to individuals located here—even temporarily. However, psychologists licensed through PSYPACT.
To check whether your psychologist is eligible, you can verify their PSYPACT authorization here.

Note: It is always the psychologist’s primary responsibility to clearly explain and provide evidence to you as the patient or client that they are legally permitted to provide services in any state that you are in.

Visit the DOH Provider Credential Search or call 360-236-4700.

Click here to join online. Membership is open to licensed psychologists, graduate students, post-docs, and retired professionals.

WSPA offers:

• Legislative advocacy at the state level
• Access to our Circle member community
• Free consultation groups and practice resources
• Discounts on CEs, Convention, and partner services
• Leadership and mentorship opportunities

   

Learn more on our Member Benefits page.

Yes! We are an APA-approved CE provider. WSPA offers the following opportunities, with discounted rates for WSPA members:

• In-person workshops
• Virtual events
• On-demand homestudy courses (asynchronous)
• Our annual Convention

We welcome members at all career stages! Visit our Committees page to explore current openings or email us at wspa@wspapsych.org to express interest. If you want to join WSPA’s Board of Trustees, elections are held annually in October. A call nominations will go out to members in September. 

WSPA offers:

• Peer consultation groups
• Mentorship opportunities
• ECP-specific events and programming
• Advocacy resources to support licensing and practice

We maintain a paid lobbyist and Director of Professional Affairs who work on behalf of psychologists statewide. Key issues include insurance reimbursement, licensure, and expanding prescriptive authority. WSPA also supports advocacy through member-driven committees and the United Psychologists PAC (UP-PAC).

Members can connect through:

• Regional meetups
• Statewide events
• Our online member platform, Circle
• Committees, taskforces, and consultation groups

WSPA’s Good Trouble Committee leads our efforts in equity and inclusion. We provide educational programming, support underrepresented psychologists, and actively review policies and practices through a JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) lens.

We accept proposals throughout the year for CE events and the annual Convention. To learn more, visit our Call for Proposals page or email us at wspa@wspapsych.org.