Mental health is a constantly evolving industry, and best practices often change over time. So therapists need to stay on top of trends and new developments to ensure clients receive the best possible care. Continuing education (CE) credits help keep therapists up to date on advancements in the mental health field. Plus, many states and licensing boards require therapists to obtain CE credits to stay licensed.
CE is an opportunity for therapists to fine-tune existing their skills, explore new passions, and expand their knowledge. It can also help therapists better support clients by helping them learn new therapy techniques or develop a deeper understanding of topics that impact clients’ mental health, such as racial trauma and social justice.
Here are how online courses can supplement therapists’ online profiles.
Continuing education is valuable to you and your clients. Show clients how your specialized training can help them.
Continuing Education Explained
Some people might think that earning a degree is a one-and-done proposition for therapists. But, like many other professions, the regulations, techniques, and technology that therapists use in their practice can change rapidly. This means there is always something new to learn to be a responsible, effective therapist.
In most states, remaining a licensed therapist means earning a certain number of CE credits every year or every two years. CE credits are essentially the number of hours a therapist has dedicated toward learning new things that increase their skills or knowledge.
Typically, CE courses must be approved by a licensing agency to ensure they meet certain requirements. In general, CE for therapists need to meet the following three criteria:
- It is relevant to the field of psychology
- It enables therapists to keep pace with emerging issues or technologies
- It allows therapists to maintain, develop, and increase their competencies to improve the services they offer
The CE requirements vary from state to state, so it’s recommended that therapists learn the requirements for the state they practice in and make a plan to meet those requirements.
Where to Earn CE Credits
The good news is that therapists can earn their CE credits in several different ways from various places. The essential thing is to make sure the CE courses you are taking are accredited by a legitimate, nationally recognized accrediting body, such as the American Psychological Association or the American Counseling Association.
Therapists can earn their required CE credits through various formats, including:
- Academic institutions
- Professional associations
- Online providers
- Workshops/seminars
- Peer consultations
- Research
- Community service
Benefits of Continuing Education for Mental Health Professionals
Therapists can benefit professionally and personally from investing time into learning. The benefits of continuing education go beyond simply fulfilling requirements to renew a license. It also helps them fine-tune their skills to better support clients and remain on top of changes in the field.
1. Continuing Education Makes You a Better Therapist
From courses on topics ranging from increasing cultural competency to ethical considerations of online therapy, CE helps therapists provide quality care for their clients.
2. Continuing Education Leads to Better Networking
Many CE opportunities provide therapists with an opportunity to meet other professionals in the field. Even if it’s an online course, there are often online groups or forums that allow therapists to connect with one another. Connecting with other mental health professionals provides therapists with a resource to reach out to when they have questions or need insights into how to help a particular client.
3. Continuing Education Keeps You Up to Date
For therapists to make sure they are providing clients with the very best care and treatment possible, they must be up to date on the field. CE courses provide therapists with information on new theories and research that enable them to make smarter choices about which method will best meet the needs of their clients.
4. Continuing Education Helps You Develop New Professional Interests
Therapists looking to expand their client base or find a new niche can benefit from taking CE courses that broaden their horizons to other types of therapeutic techniques or models. Therapists may even discover they have an innate talent for a niche they had never explored before.
5. Continuing Education Helps You Become More Innovative
Taking the time to learn about the various facets of mental health provides therapists with a more holistic approach to their therapy sessions. Learning about a groundbreaking technique or theory introduces therapists to new concepts and ways of thinking. Plus, getting a broader understanding of a topic can help therapists brainstorm more creative and innovative ways to work with clients. This, in turn, helps therapists stand out and can attract more clients.
6. Continuing Education Helps You Stand Out
Mental health professionals are in high demand in America. CE can be the difference between why a client chooses one therapist over another. Additional courses enable therapists to create a completely unique offering that helps them stand out when clients search for a therapist online.
Using Continuing Education to Stand Out in Online Profiles
Once therapists have accumulated additional training, they can prove to potential clients that they are equipped to help them with their problems. A therapist who clearly states they have training in innovative or specific therapeutic techniques in their online profile will likely be a top choice by those searching for a particular mental health service. Here are some examples of how therapists can use CE to stand out in their online profiles.
A marriage and relationship therapist for those struggling with emotional disconnection and insecure attachment:
I enjoy helping couples and families who need a new way of dealing with their relationship struggles. I have specialized training in Emotionally Focused Therapy, an evidence-based approach to help individuals and couples move beyond conflict and get to the root cause of disagreements.
A therapist who works with teens who have experienced trauma:
I enjoy working with adolescents who are actively ready to grow and change but know that growth and change can be uncomfortable for those who have been through a traumatic experience. I have specialized training in treating trauma using Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). This type of therapy helps reduce anxiety, depression, trauma, and PTSD.
A therapist who works with individuals living with gender identity issues:
I seek to hold space for my clients wherever they are on their journey of exploring gender identity. Although I am cisgender, I have made efforts to gain specialized training to help meet the mental health needs of transgender, intersex, nonbinary, and nonconforming individuals. This has included training on how to be a gender affirmative therapist, how to write letters to other providers, and working with significant others and family members.
A therapist who helps veterans with insomnia:
I focus on treating veterans with behavioral sleep disorders, particularly chronic insomnia. I am certified in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) and have adapted this approach for both individual and group sessions. CBT-I is a highly effective method that can help veterans and their family members fall asleep more easily, wake up less often during the night, and reduce the frequency of nightmares.
The Ravel Mental Health online platform provides an opportunity for therapists to reach the right clients. Clients can use the comprehensive filters to find mental health providers who don’t just offer the services they are looking for, but those who specialize in that need.
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