Continuing Education Options

In a recent BLOG Statement, I mentioned the utility of the American Counseling Association (ACA) website for practicing counselors and students, even if you are not a member of ACA.

Most practicing counselors will need to acquire continuing education hours (units) to maintain professional certifications and licensure. A useful tab on the ACA website (www.counseling.org) is titled Continuing Education. Here you will find a variety of instructional options covering a wide array of topics. These options include podcasts, webinars and courses. Graduate students and practicing counselors may find topics that address an information area or skill development that may be desired. Counselors who are already nationally certified or licensed are likely to need these continuing education units.

Nearly 30 podcasts are listed which you can download to your computer or iPod. These may be interviews, presentations or panel discussions. Topics include: Mastering the Art of Solution-Focused Counseling, Cyberbullying, and Counseling Queer (LGBT) Youth. Podcasts are usually about an hour in length.

Webinars and courses also offer continuing education units and can be much longer in length. For example, the course on Depression provides 6 CEUs; the course titled Counseling Our Troops will earn 7 CEUs. There are many webinars and courses with fewer hours of commitment and earned CEUs. You must purchase access to these continuing ed items and the cost is determined by the number of CEUs awarded and whether or not you are an ACA member.

Another tab on the ACA website addresses Public Policy. This site reviews legislation pertinent to counseling. The current status of professional counseling in relation to Medicare, School Counseling funding, TRICARE, VA, and the Affordable Care Act are discussed.