Dr. Nystrom serves on the Council of Representatives for the American Psychological Association (APA) as the representative of Kansas psychologists.  This is for a three year term and involves two council meetings per year with several committee meetings and discussions inbetween.  The Council of Representatives is the governing body of the APA; the APA Board of Directors and the Chief Executive Officer all report to the Council of Representatives.   With 154,000 members, the APA is the world’s largest association of psychologists; it is also a very complex organization.  The mission of the APA is to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people’s lives.  The APA aspires to excel as a valuable, effective and influential organization advancing psychology as a science, serving as:

• A uniting force for the discipline
• The major catalyst for the stimulation, growth and dissemination of psychological science and practice
• The primary resource for all psychologists
• The premier innovator in the education, development, and training of psychological scientists, practitioners and educators
• The leading advocate for psychological knowledge and practice informing policy makers and the public to improve public policy and daily living
• A principal leader and global partner promoting psychological knowledge and methods to facilitate the resolution of personal, societal and global challenges in diverse, multicultural and international contexts
• An effective champion of the application of psychology to promote human rights, health, well being and dignity