CEUs for counselors

There’s no shortage of opportunities to get continuing education units as a counselor. Most professional counselor state licensure boards accept the same approved CE providers as the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC). The NBCC recognizes thousands of continuing education providers like Violet, Psychotherapy.net, and the American Counseling Association.

It’s important to be aware of your license requirements so you can pursue the amount and type of hours required by your state. From there, Heckendorn recommends choosing CE that helps broaden and deepen your scope as a therapist. 

CE can help you deepen your understanding of something you’re already trained in or adopt new skills that help you reach a different group of clients. For example, you could get certified in particular treatment modalities, like cognitive behavioral therapy or EMDR. 

You may also choose to brush up on non-clinical skills, such as mental health documentation. “Many of us don’t get training on compliant documentation in school like we do for interventions and theoretical orientations,” says Heckendorn. “The PESI documentation course explains how to document from intake to treatment plan and progress notes, while also pulling in information on differential diagnosis and medical necessity.”

It’s also common to pursue additional training in working with specific populations, such as the LGTBQIA+ or BIPOC communities (both certifications offered through Headway’s partnership with Violet). It may also be useful to get certified in working with underserved groups, such as youth or teenagers.