Continuing Education for Psychologists is Necessary

Continuing education for psychologists is important in order to keep professional licenses current. Many professionals are required to continue their learning throughout the course of their career. Teachers, doctors, lawyers and those who work in the counseling fields are required to take a certain number of hours of ongoing training.

This requirement is mandated for several reasons. For one thing, new information is being discovered each and every day.

A professional who went to graduate school twenty years ago would be lost without access to updated findings. Another reason these courses are necessary are to feed the brains and souls of the practitioners. Being a psychologist takes a lot of energy, stamina and internal resources to work with and heal clients.

Someone who is constantly feeding others needs to be fed as well in order to stay emotionally and physically healthy. Repeatedly taking water from a well without pouring some in will soon make the well run dry. Taking a variety of interesting coursework will be a way of pouring the water in.

Finally, a reason to mandate these CE units is because busy people might just keep plugging along in their employment and not take the time to refuel themselves and learn.

Courses are available in a variety of topics and can be delivered in different ways. Psychologists can take classes online, sign up for them at their local college, attend workshops or seminars, read periodicals or attend lectures. The flexible formats make earning these CEs doable. Some of the topics available include:

- Adolescents: For professionals working with teens, there are a variety of programs to hone skills. Working with an adolescent regarding his or her self esteem, goals, relationships and more can be enhanced with new information.

- Anxiety and depression: In modern society, anxious and depressed patients are a staple due to the stressful global climate that we all live in. Offering insight into new techniques can help the practitioner and the clients.

- Substance abuse: Treatment plans and motivational insights can be gleaned in many different offerings related to substance abuse. Drug, alcohol and food addictions are prevalent in today’s culture.

- Brain research: Learning about how the brain works is more interesting than ever. Every day more information is gained due to ongoing research on the human brain and how it impacts our behavior and well being.

- Trauma: Post traumatic stress disorder occurs more often than many would imagine. Especially with the high number of soldiers entering the war and military interventions, many need counseling to deal with their trauma. Coursework will prepare psychologists and counselors to be able to effectively offer help sufferers.

- Couples: Partner relationships have been a source of conflict since the beginning of time. New methods being developed may offer peacemaking tactics to help all couples.

Continuing education for psychologists is not only necessary, it is food for growth. It’s valuable for practitioners in order for them to be more effective in their work; it’s wonderful for clients who reap the benefits of their practitioners’ increased knowledge.