Background

Personal Profile

Dr. Whittingham is an internationally-renowned expert on group psychotherapy. The approach he founded, focused brief group therapy, was recently named in the "Trends of 2024" issue of the APA Monitor by the American Psychological Association. The book and video, by APA Press, can be found on the APA website here. Focused brief group therapy is currently being utilized across the world, in university counseling centers, agencies and hospitals. He has also c-o-edited a book on group therapy and measurement-based care, which can be found here.

Dr. Whittingham has received numerous national and regional awards, including the prestigious APA Group Psychologist of the Year award, 2023, Group Dynamics Teacher of the Year award (APA Division 49), 2021 and the Group Practice Award with Dr. Erin Frick by the Association for Specialists in Group Work. He is a a Fellow of APA and the American Group Psychotherapy Association.

Dr. Whittingham also conducts research on national mental health utilization and payment. This work has featured in the American Psychologist. He serves on the Board and Public Affairs Committee for the American Group Psychotherapy Association. He is also a Past-president of the Society of Group Psychology and Group Psychotherapy, a Division of the American Psychological Association.

Over the years, Dr. Whittingham has served in multiple roles - academic, health care executive, theorist and researcher, consultant, author, speaker and psychotherapist. He has taught Doctoral students in clinical psychology for several years, reaching the rank of associate professor. He has also been asked to lead transformative change at one of the largest health systems in the USA. During his time in this role, he launched primary care integration across two States, the largest implementation in the USA at the time. The system was also awarded a commendation for excellence in group therapy by AGPA for system improvements in the inpatient and outpatient units. He has since worked as a consultant, giving workshops and trainings for hospital systems, university counseling centers and and as a private practitioner.

To learn about how he works as a therapist, go to the "Psychotherapy" link on this website.

About Dr. Whittingham

Awards

Group Psychologist of the Year, 2023, American Psychological Association, Division 49
Group Dynamics Teacher of the Year, 2021, American Psychological Association, Division 49
Fellow of the American Group Psychotherapy Association
Fellow of Division 49, Group Psychology and Group Psychotherapy, American Psychological Association

Select publications

Books:

Whittingham, M. (2024). Focused Brief Group Therapy: An integrative approach to reducing interpersonal distress. APA Press.

Whittingham, M., & MacNair-Semands, R. (2023). Group therapy assessment: A practical guide to measurement-based care. Taylor & Francis.

Peer-reviewed publications

Whittingham, M., Marmarosh, C. L., Mallow, P., & Scherer, M. (2023). Mental health care equity and access: A group therapy solution. American Psychologist, 78(2), 119–133. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0001078

Whittingham, M., Lefforge, N. L., & Marmarosh, C. (2021). Group psychotherapy as a specialty: an inconvenient truth. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 74(2), 60-66.

Whittingham, M., & Graham, L. (2018). The impact of providing group performance feedback on a large mental health system. Psychotherapy, 55(2), 203-206. doi:10.1037/pst0000177.

Select presentations and invited addresses

Whittingham, M. (February, 2021). Focused Brief Group Therapy: A practice-based evidence approach. Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Singapore.

Whittingham, M. (March, 2022). Focused Brief Group Therapy: A measurement-based care approach. The Tree of Healing Tribal Convention, Spokane, Washington.

Whittingham, M., Martin, J., Diedrich, L. (June, 2020). COVID-19 Office Hours: Telehealth with groups. National Council for Behavioral Health.

Whittingham, M. December, (November, 2019). Focused Brief Group Therapy: A practice- based evidence approach. Grand Rounds, McLean Psychiatric Hospital, MA.

Whittingham, M. (November, 2018). Focused Brief Group Therapy: An integrative, interpersonal practice-based evidence approach. Grand Rounds, Stanford University Psychiatry, CA.

Education

1999-2006

Ph.D.

Indiana University, Bloomington

Counseling Psychology, Ph.D.

1997-1999

Indiana University, Bloomington

Therapeutic Recreation

1990-1994

Sociology
Birmingham City University, United Kingdom

Sociology, BA (Hons), 1st Class