Why do we need to build our skills as therapists? Yes, we have to get a certain amount of CEU's to get/maintain our licenses. Beyond this, it is unethical to refuse to improve our skills as therapists. Our clients depend on us to be professional and knowledgeable. They deserve our best.
If you need more convincing, you also need to Cover Your Ass (CYA). One of the ways we can protect ourselves is by demonstrating that we have training in the areas of expertise we claim to have.
Disclaimer: This article contains external links. However, I am not associated with these resources aside from me having used most of the various resources. I receive no profit if you choose to use any of these sites. As always, I encourage you to do additional research.
Reasons to Build Clinical Skills
- Get/Maintain Our Licenses
- Stay Up-To-Date With the Latest Evidenced-Based-Practices and Trends
- Better Support Our Clients
- C.Y.A. (Cover Your A** by proving you are competent in your line of work)
1. NASW Online CE Institute- The National Association of Social Workers provides CE trainings, at lower cost if you are a member. Similarly, your specific field may have resources for online training. (Example: Inland Empire Chapter of California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists)
2. Clearly Clinical- These trainings last about an hour, and you can listen to them as podcasts. You can listen for free, but you can buy a subscription to be able to receive CE credits.
3. Counselor Toolbox Podcast (Doc Snipes on YouTube)- These trainings can be listened to as a podcast or viewed on YouTube.
4. PESI- This option does have some pricey options. However, some are not as pricey, and there are often free online trainings that you can watch for two weeks at no cost.
5. Simple Practice Learning- These options seem relatively cheap, though the selection is small. Also, at the time of writing this, there are several free trainings.
6. AllCEUs.com- With a subscription, you can access different trainings.
7. CE4less.com- This site also requires a subscription, but I did note that the CE classes I took were all reading, not videos.
8. Audible or any online book/audiobook resource. I personally use Audible, which includes some free books with a subscription. Check out any of my book recommendations if you are looking for paperback books.
9. Check with your county Department of Mental Health (or similar departments in your area). For example, LA County DMH offers free trainings to people who work for DMH or DMH-contracted agencies.
10. Google Scholar- This site will allow you to review research articles, many of them for free. It's not a training resource, but it does help you stay up-to-date on research. You might also consider looking into journals that publish mental health information.
Thank you for reading and I hope something was helpful!
Please browse this website for more resources and books for social workers and mental health professionals!