ASPPB at 65: The Central Hub for Psychology Licensure, Mobility, and Regulatory Excellence
Advocacy , Psychology and Regulation Trends
For 65 years, the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB)® has served as the central coordinating body of psychology regulation across the United States and Canada. In an increasingly complex regulatory environment—marked by workforce mobility demands, public protection expectations, and evolving scopes of practice—ASPPB occupies a singular role: the hub where licensing standards, mobility tools, and regulatory best practices converge.
A 65-Year Commitment to Consistent, High-Quality Licensing Standards
At its core, ASPPB exists to support psychology licensing boards in their primary mission: protecting the public. ASPPB advances this mission by developing, maintaining, and continually improving shared licensing standards that promote consistency without compromising jurisdictional authority.
Through its leadership in examination development, ASPPB provides licensing boards with psychometrically sound, legally defensible tools that reflect contemporary practice. The Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP®) and related assessment resources are not mere tests; the regulatory community has influenced the content of the exam as have subject-matter experts, and psychometricians. This collaborative model ensures that licensure decisions are grounded in evidence, fairness, and relevance.
By serving as a centralized steward of these standards, ASPPB reduces duplication of effort across jurisdictions, supports defensible regulatory decisions, and reinforces public trust in the licensure process.
ASPPB at 65 — Milestones in Regulatory Leadership
- Established a unified regulatory community by bringing U.S. states and Canadian provinces together around shared public protection goals.
- Developed and stewarded the EPPP®, creating a psychometrically rigorous, defensible examination that has become the cornerstone of psychology licensure.
- Expanded assessment and credentialing tools to reflect evolving practice, education models, and regulatory needs.
- Pioneered mobility pathways, including E.Passport®, CPQ®, and IPC®, enabling jurisdictions to facilitate practice across borders while maintaining standards.
- Created centralized credential verification and data-sharing systems to improve efficiency, consistency, and regulatory confidence.
- Launched the Centre for Data and Analysis on Psychology Licensure to assist our member psychology boards and the larger profession in making research-based decisions.
- Served as a trusted forum for regulatory collaboration, offering boards access to peer expertise, research, and emerging best practices.
ASPPB, the Clearinghouse for Regulatory Best Practices
Data-driven decision making is a cornerstone to protecting and promoting best practices in licensure in the U.S. and Canada. In 2021, the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB)® launched the Centre for Data and Analysis on Psychology Licensure to assist our member psychology boards and the larger profession in making research-based decisions.
ASPPB also produces a variety of publications and guidelines and serves as a knowledge hub for regulatory best practices. Through data collection, research initiatives, and peer collaboration, ASPPB helps boards anticipate emerging issues and respond with informed, coordinated strategies.
ASPPB’s meetings, committees, and communities of practice provide forums where regulators can exchange insights on topics such as jurisprudence, telepsychology, disciplinary processes, supervision models, and evolving scopes of practice. This shared learning environment allows boards to benefit from one another’s experience rather than operating in isolation.
Importantly, ASPPB does not prescribe one-size-fits-all solutions. Instead, it equips jurisdictions with evidence-based options, comparative data, and implementation guidance, empowering each board to make decisions aligned with its statutory mandate and public needs.
A Trusted Partner to Regulators and the Profession
ASPPB’s effectiveness as a hub is rooted in its governance model and mission-driven focus. As an association led by and for psychology regulators, ASPPB is uniquely positioned to align operational services with regulatory realities. Its work is informed by ongoing engagement with licensing boards, volunteer experts, and strategic partners across the profession.
This trust extends beyond regulators to educators, professional associations, and policymakers who look to ASPPB for trustworthy information on licensure requirements, mobility pathways, and regulatory trends. In this way, ASPPB serves as both an operational backbone and a strategic thought leader for the regulatory community.
Looking Ahead: Building on 65 Years of Leadership
The future of psychology regulation will demand even greater coordination, adaptability, and clarity. As practice models evolve and public expectations grow, the need for a central, reliable hub will only intensify.
A central part of the Association’s work in 2026 will continue to be the development of an integrated blueprint for the EPPP. To be effective, this blueprint will be a proper integration—not just a mechanical stacking of the EPPP (Part 1-Knowledge) and the EPPP (Part 2-Skills) blueprints—and it requires the coordinated effort of six different exam committees and countless hours of work by subject matter experts, volunteers, and the input gathered from thousands of psychologists through the Job Task Analysis conducted in 2025.
ASPPB stands ready to meet that need by strengthening licensing standards, expanding mobility solutions, and elevating regulatory best practices. In doing so, ASPPB will continue to support jurisdictions in protecting the public, advancing the profession, and ensuring that psychology regulation remains both rigorous and responsive in a changing world.
Mariann Burnetti-Atwell, PsyD
ASPPB’s CEO
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