Continuing Education (CE)


This webpage provides information to (1) people who would like to earn continuing education (CE) credit from the Society of Counseling Psychology (SCP) and (2) people/groups who would like to offer a webinar/workshop/learning activity for which attendees can earn CEs sponsored by SCP, an American Psychological Association (APA) Approved Psychology CE Sponsor.

Information about CEs Offered by SCP

SCP sponsors a variety of CE activities such as:

In the last couple years, some of the CE webinars were offered through the SCP Virtual Learning CE platform. However, we discontinued use of this platform in December 2023 and are using more streamlined methods to facilitate CE registration, evaluation, and certificate dissemination.

The SCP Professional Practice CE Series webinars are advertised to SCP members via the DIV17DISCUSS listserv, but may be advertised via other relevant mental health professional listservs. Typically, these CE webinars are free for all to attend, but only dues-paying SCP members are permitted to obtain CE certificates (submitted to state psychology licensure boards during licensure renewal). Thus, the best way to earn CE credit is by becoming a dues-paying SCP member

Background on Psychology CEs, APA, and SCP

Like all licensed mental health professionals, licensed psychologists must earn continuing education (CE) credits to maintain licensure in the state where they practice.  Psychology CEs can be earned in a variety of ways, which vary state by state.  A common way to earn psychology CEs is to participate in a CE activity (e.g., presentation, workshop, program, webinar, audiovisual or text homestudy) offered by a qualified psychology CE sponsor.  Each state psychology licensing board has different criteria and processes for designating an organization as a qualified psychology CE sponsor.  However, state psychology licensing boards tend to recognize the American Psychological Association (APA) as a qualified psychology CE sponsor.

In addition to being a qualified CE sponsor itself, APA sponsors individual organizations as Approved Psychology CE Sponsors. Sponsors are authorized by APA to offer psychology CEs to any professional who wants psychology CEs. Typically, only licensed psychology professionals are interested in obtaining such CEs, but there are exceptions (e.g., Licensed Clinical Social Workers whose state social work licensing board permits Licensed Clinical Social Workers to count earned psychology CEs toward their social work CE requirements for licensure renewal). One can always attend a CE event for the learning experience, even if one does not need to obtain CE credit for having done so. CE events may or may not cost money to attend and/or earn CE credit for.

Approved Psychology CE Sponsors have been vetted by APA to ensure that any psychology CE activities sponsored by those organizations are of sufficient quality. APA Division 17, Society of Counseling Psychology (SCP) is approved by APA to sponsor CE for psychologists. SCP maintains responsibility for all CE programs (including their planning, management, delivery, and evaluation) sponsored by SCP. Because SCP is an Approved Psychology CE Sponsor, the CE activities that SCP sponsors are generally accepted by state psychology licensing boards as legitimate. However, it remains the individual licensed psychologist’s responsibility to verify with their state psychology licensing board that a given CE program sponsored by SCP will be accepted for continuing education purposes. SCP works with organizations and individuals connected to SCP and/or our psychological specialty of Counseling Psychology to offer CE activities. The Committee, in consultation with SCP Leadership, maintains discretion around who may be authorized to offer psychology CEs sponsored by SCP.

How to Inquire with the SCP CE Committee regarding Offering Psychology CE’s sponsored by SCP for Attending Your Learning Activity

Persons/groups who wish to offer a learning activity (e.g., presentation, workshop, program, webinar, audiovisual or text homestudy) sponsored by SCP for psychology CEs can inquire about this possibility by emailing the SCP CE Committee Chair (see contact information below) well in advance.

For groups that hope for SCP to sponsor CEs at their conference, please contact the Chair at least 2 months prior to distributing any call for presentation proposals, as specific information is needed from presenters in order to plan CE events. Please note that SCP typically only sponsors CEs at counseling psychology-aligned conferences and that compensation for the labor of sponsoring CEs can come in different forms (e.g., labor fee).

If the SCP CE Committee Chair asks you to submit an SCP CE Application (this will apply to only some persons/groups), this will be the five-step process involved in offering the CE:

  • STEP 1: At least 6 weeks prior to the date of the CE program, please submit an SCP CE APPLICATION via google forms.  Please review the Application now to see what information is required.  Email the SCP CE Committee Chair to request a consultation meeting where your outstanding questions can be answered.
  • STEP 2: The CE Committee reviews your application. We like to have these returned to you within about two weeks. It is likely that you will be asked to make revisions to adhere to the APA CESA Standard and Criteria.
  • STEP 3: Make requested revisions and re-submit to the CE Committee Chair. Often, unless additional significant revisions are necessary, the Chair can determine that all requested changes have been made and provide approval within one week of your revision submission.
  • STEP 4: Offer the CE activity.  The CE Committee will work with you to determine how attendance will be tracked and evaluations and CE Certificates of Attendance handled.
  • STEP 5: Within 2 weeks of offering the CE activity,  email the CE Committee Chair a single PDF containing a copy of all promotional materials (e.g., brochures, pamphlets, emails, web pages) used to advertise the CE activity and an excel file of the email addresses for all attendees whose full attendance could be verified.

Questions about SCP CE's can be directed to the SCP CE Committee Chair, Richa Khanna, PhD, DrKhanna2018(at)gmail.com