How ACEP Was Born

Knowing time was of the essence, and with all this in mind, three psychologists joined together to become catalysts of the next step in the maturation of the Energy Psychology field. In the Fall of 1998, Dorothea Hover-Kramer, Ed.D., R.N., Rebecca Grudermeyer, Psy.D. and David Grudermeyer, Ph.D., started to create the structure for The Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology (ACEP). The three believed that it was time for the Energy Psychology field to move toward mainstreaming, and that, to do this, splintering and parochialism within the field needed to be avoided.

They knew they had the administrative backgrounds to be able to facilitate the birth of a professional organization. And they hoped that their differences in training would set a tone of collaboration rather than factionalism. Dorothea, one of the developers of Healing Touch and the author of two books on psychoenergetic healing approaches, was an expert in biofield and chakra (energy center) diagnosis and treatment. The Grudermeyers were highly skilled in diagnosis and treatment of the meridians (energy pathways) and their related acupoints. All three were Continuing Education providers approved to teach Energy Psychology courses to mental and physical health professionals.

Dorothea, Rebecca and David brought their organizational know-how to bear in developing the policies and structures necessary to file in the USA to have the Association awarded non-profit status. They developed a marketing plan and lent their skills in acquiring Continuing Education Credits approval to this fledgling organization. And they brought the ACEP Internet web site online (http://www.energypsych.org ).

ACEP was born in December, 1998, when non-profit status was legally applied for. Approval arrived in early 1999, in time for ACEP to be publicly unveiled at the first international Energy Psychology Conference, which was held in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, in April 1999. The instant and enthusiastic response brought ACEP to critical mass, as though its birth was being awaited. People came forward to chair and participate on a number of committees, including the all-important Research Committee, the Publications Committee (beginning to develop the Collected Papers of ACEP), the Conference Committee, and the Humanitarian Services Committee. (There are six more committees being developed as this is written, to round out the Association's functions.)

Before the conference ended, requests were being made to develop ACEP Regional Chapters. These are now being developed as well. ACEP has received enthusiastic endorsements from leading figures in the field, who have also agreed to sit on its Advisory Council: Nahoma Clinton, Gary Craig, Tapas Fleming, Fred Gallo, Greg Nicosia and others. The daily continuing rush of requests and membership applications from around the world that have been received since the Las Vegas conference, has re-confirmed to Dorothea, Rebecca and David that, as they believed, the time has indeed come for an international association whose purpose is to help congeal the Energy Psychology profession into a respected and sought-after area of expertise.

On behalf of the steadily growing membership of ACEP, we hope you will learn more about this organization, and that what you find will encourage you, too, to join in this effort to bring much-deserved credibility to Energy Psychology treatment approaches. Sincerely, David Grudermeyer, Ph.D., Rebecca Grudermeyer, Psy.D. and Dorothea Hover-Kramer, Ed.D., R.N., co-founders of ACEP Web Site: http://www.energypsych.org