Ethics & Boundaries in Psychotherapy is a new 3-hour online continuing education (CE) course intended to give psychotherapists the tools they need to resolve ethical and boundary issues and dilemmas that may be encountered in their everyday professional practice.
The psychotherapeutic process itself is all about boundaries – boundaries that join therapist and client, and boundaries that separate them; boundaries that define what is to be part of therapy and what is not; boundaries that the client may have compromised and must reinstate. It is this latter point that makes the issue of boundaries in psychotherapy one of the fundamental agendas for any therapeutic process: the fact that many clients find themselves in adverse situations they themselves have created by failing to establish effective boundaries. The ethics component is the therapist’s roadmap for providing assurance that therapeutic boundaries will be established and maintained throughout the client’s therapy experience.
Topics discussed include common ethics violations, boundary violations versus crossings, multiple/dual relationships, sexual boundary violations, erotic transference, disclosure, domains of boundary guidelines, confidentiality, privileged communication, HIPAA privacy rule, informed consent, ethics codes that apply to dangerous clients, ethics and cultural humility, ethics and boundaries in a digital age (including texting, Googling, telehealth, and AI), and steps in the ethical decision-making process.
- This course satisfies the ethics and boundaries requirement for license renewal of Florida counselors, social workers, and MFTs.
- It also includes teachings from the 2014 ACA Code of Ethics to meet the ethics requirement of West Virginia counselors.
Course #31-61 | 2026 | 20 posttest questions
- CE Credit: 3 Hours
- Target Audience: Psychologists | Counselors | Social Workers | Marriage & Family Therapists | School Psychologists
- Learning Level: Intermediate
- Course Type: Online
Course Directions
Ethics & Boundaries provides instant access to the course materials and the CE test. The course is text-based (reading), and the CE test is open-book (you can print the test to mark your answers on it while reading the course document).
Successful completion of this course involves passing an online test (80% required, 3 chances to take) and we ask that you also complete a brief course evaluation.
Professional Development Resources is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Professional Development Resources maintains responsibility for all programs and content. Professional Development Resources is also approved by the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC ACEP #5590); the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB #1046, ACE Program); the Continuing Education Board of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA #AAUM); the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA #3159); the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR Prior Approval Program); the Alabama State Board of Occupational Therapy; the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners, Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners, and Board of Psychologist Examiners; the Arkansas Board of Examiners in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and State Medical Board for Occupational Therapy; the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling, Board of Psychology, Office of School Psychology, Board of Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology, Board of Occupational Therapy, and Dietetics and Nutrition Practice Council; the Georgia Board of Examiners of Licensed Dietitians and Licensed Nutritionists, Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and MFTs, State Board of Examiners of Psychologists, and the State Board of Occupational Therapy; the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board for Marriage & Family Therapy, Professional Counseling, Psychology, and Social Work, and Board of Healing Arts for Occupational Therapy; the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners for Occupational Therapy; the Michigan Board of Occupational Therapy, Board of Psychology, Board of Speech-Language Pathology, and Board of Social Work; the Mississippi State Board of Examiners for Licensed Professional Counselors, the Bureau of Professional Licensure for Occupational Therapists, and Dietitians; the New Hampshire Board of Licensed Dietitians, Board of Mental Health Practice, Board of Psychologists, and Occupational Therapy Governing Board; the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology (#PSY-0145), State Board for Mental Health Practitioners for licensed mental health counselors (#MHC-0135) and marriage and family therapists (#MFT-0100), and the State Board for Social Workers (#SW-0664); the North Carolina Psychology Board; the North Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners, State Board of Occupational Practice, and State Board of Psychologist Examiners; the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Family Therapist Board and Speech and Hearing Professionals Board; the Oklahoma Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision for Occupational Therapy; the South Carolina Board of Professional Counselors and Marriage & Family Therapists (#193), Board of Examiners in Psychology, Board of Examiners in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, Board of Occupational Therapy, and Board of Social Work Examiners; the Tennessee Board of Examiners of Psychology, Board for Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists, and Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapists, Board of Occupational Therapy, and Board of Social Workers; the Texas State Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists (#114), State Board of Social Worker Examiners (#5678), State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors, and State Board of Examiners of Psychologists; the West Virginia Board of Examiners in Counseling and Board of Social Work; the Wyoming Board of Psychology; and is CE Broker compliant (#50-1635 – completions are reported within 24 hours).
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