About APT

The Association for Psychological Therapies (APT)

The Association for Psychological Therapies (APT) is an independent professional training organisation dedicated to improving mental health care through high-quality post-qualification training.

Founded in the UK in 1981 by psychologists William Davies and Derek Perkins, APT was established with a simple aim: to help mental health and related professionals develop practical knowledge and skills that make a genuine difference to the people they support. More than four decades on, that aim hasn't changed.

Over 150,000 professionals have now attended APT training worldwide. Alongside our work in the UK, Australia and the United States, we've been training professionals in Canada for more than 15 years, and we recently opened an office in Toronto to support that growing part of our work — across healthcare, mental health, education, community services, justice and independent practice.

Why "Association" rather than "training company"?

Although APT was founded by two psychologists, it grew quickly into a community of professionals working towards a shared goal: improving mental health care through better training. Today, that community includes a core group of experienced psychologists and other professionals who develop and deliver our courses, alongside a wider network of tutors, contributors and delegates.

Independent and purpose-led

APT is an independent training organisation. Quality and long-term value have always mattered more to us than short-term commercial gain, and that shapes everything from how we develop courses to the support we provide after training ends. This has sometimes led people to assume we’re a charity, a regulator, or a statutory professional body — in fact we’re none of those, simply an independent organisation that has chosen its own standards.

How we work

Our tutors are experienced psychologists, clinicians and other professionals from healthcare, education, community, forensic and independent settings. Their insights, together with ongoing feedback from delegates — including the professionals we work with across Canada — shape the continuing development of every course we run.

Our aim

To help mental health and related professionals develop the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to make a positive difference in people's lives. Everything else follows from that.

APT at a glance

Full name: Association for Psychological Therapies (APT).
Founded: 1981, United Kingdom.
Founders: William Davies and Derek Perkins (psychologists).
Type: Independent professional training organisation (not a charity, regulator, or statutory body).
Headquarters: United Kingdom
Countries served: United Kingdom, Canada, United States, Australia.
Canada office: 2300 Yonge Street, Suite 1600, Toronto, ON M4P1E4, Canada — opened 2026.
Delegates trained to date: 150,000+
Years training in Canada: 15+
Focus: Post-qualification training for mental health and related professionals.

Exclusive Courses.

The majority of our courses are provided this way - we deliver the training exclusively for your team (live online or face-to-face) or an all-inclusive fee.

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