COURSES ▶ MASP
Mastering the Art and Science of Psychotherapy
An Intensive Psychotherapy Certification Program
in the Principles and Practice of Control-Mastery Theory
October 26, 2026
12:00 - 1:30 pm PST every Monday
Learn From Some of Our Experienced Control-Mastery Clinicians
Why this course?
Why do some therapists consistently achieve better outcomes than others?
Research has shown that the most effective therapists help their patients improve more quickly, experience greater satisfaction with therapy, achieve better long-term outcomes, and are significantly less likely to drop out of treatment.
What do these therapists do differently?
Drawing on more than 50 years of research and clinical innovation at the San Francisco Psychotherapy Research Group (SFPRG), we have created an intensive online training program designed to answer this question—and help you bring these principles directly into your own clinical practice.
At the heart of the course is Control-Mastery Theory (CMT), an integrative psychodynamic, cognitive, and relational model that explains how psychotherapy facilitates meaningful change. Rather than prescribing a single set of techniques or a particular therapeutic orientation, CMT provides a powerful framework for understanding each patient’s unique goals, beliefs, and obstacles—and for tailoring your therapeutic approach to meet their individual needs.
Over 24 weeks, you’ll develop a deep understanding of CMT and learn how to translate theory into effective clinical practice. You’ll gain practical skills in case formulation, therapeutic responsiveness, and identifying what each patient needs to make the greatest progress in therapy.
The course is taught by an outstanding faculty of experienced clinicians and researchers, combining expert instruction with lively discussion and ongoing case conferences. Participants consistently describe these case conferences as one of the most valuable aspects of the program, offering rich opportunities to deepen clinical thinking, strengthen therapeutic skills, and learn from colleagues.
Whether you’re an experienced therapist looking to refine your practice or an early-career clinician seeking a solid conceptual foundation, this course will provide practical tools, a supportive learning community, and a clinically sophisticated framework that you can use with every patient you see.
Partial list of Topics:
Why does psychotherapy work?
Adaptation, Safety, Attachment
Trauma
Pathogenic Beliefs
Testing
Plan formulation
Culture and patient-specific variables
Using clinical data and observations
Responsiveness, coaching, testing
Integrating CMT in your own work roundtable
About This Course
CE Credit:
36 CE credits. If you would like CE credits you should indicate so during registration. COAs will be sent within 30 days of the conclusion of the entire lecture series. This lecture series will be separated into 6 separate course block/units of 4 classes each (6 CE credits per course block). You must attend all classes in a course block/unit to receive your 36 hour Certificate of Attendance for that block.
San Francisco Psychotherapy Research Group is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists and by the California Medical Association to provide continuing education to physicians. SFPRG is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists (# PSY-0315). San Francisco Psychotherapy Research Group maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Registration Cost:
$975 for SFPRG Members
$1,175 for General Public
$850 for Students (Unlicensed or within two years post-licensure; comes with free SFPRG membership)
Course Level: Introductory, Intermediate, Advanced
CE Credits:
36 APA approved CE hours. If you would like CEUs, you should indicate so during registration.
COAs will be sent within 30 days of the class. You must arrive on time to the course and stay for the entirety of the program to receive CE credit.
CME Credits:
SFPRG designates this for a maximum of 36 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
SFPRG is accredited by the California Medical Association (CMA) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
All planners and all presenters for this educational activity have no financial relationship(s) to disclose with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.
FAQ
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No refunds are provided for this event. If you have questions about your registration, please contact our office at cmt@sfprg.org 415-561-6771
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No
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The class is organized into 6 blocks with 6 CE credits each. If you miss a class, you will only lose the CE credits for that block.
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When participants bring in a case, they may find it helpful to stick with one case or with multiple. We are flexible and want to support the participants’ learning according to each of their needs.
registrations
Registration Opens:
Monday, July 20th, 2026 at 10:00 am PDT
Registration Closes:
Thursday, October 23th, 2026 at 3:00 pm PDT
No Class will be held on the following Days:
12/28/26 - Winter Break
1/18/27 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day
2/15/27 - President’s Day
Course Schedule: If you would like to know more about the schedule for this event, please contact our front office at cmt@sfprg.org or 415-561-6771
Cancellation Policy: No refunds are provided for this event. If you have questions about your registration, please contact our office at cmt@sfprg.org or 415-561-6771
Co-sponsorship: There is no co-sponsor of this event.
Commercial Support: There is no known commercial support for this program.
Please note that registrations for all PPI classes are handled by the website of our parent member organization SFPRG. You will be redirected to that website to complete your registration. You need not be a member to register, however, if you are a member or have registered for one of our classes before, you will be prompted to enter your information.