Tag Archives: Online Courses

New Online CE Course Meets CDR Health Equity Requirement

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The Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) is the credentialing body for registered dietitians (RDs) and dietetic technicians, registered (DTRs). RDs and DTRs are required to complete at least 1 hour of continuing professional education (1 CPEU) related to ethics OR health equity during each five-year recertification cycle. 

Professional Development Resources, a non-profit provider of online continuing education (CE) courses for healthcare professionals, has published a new online course that meets the CDR health equity requirement:

PDR has published a new online course that meets the CDR health equity requirement.

Cultural Awareness in Healthcare is a new 3-hour online continuing education (CE) course designed to examine cultural disparities within the healthcare system. It includes activities aimed at enhancing awareness and fostering greater cultural competence among participants. Course #31-55 | 2025 | 57 pages | 20 posttest questions

Awards 3.25 CPEUs in accordance with the Commission on Dietetic Registration’s CPEU Prior Approval Program (Activity #188399 | Performance Indicators: 2.3.1, 3.3.2, 4.3.2, 5.2.2 | End Date: 5/12/2028). This course meets the CDR Health Equity requirement.

Click here to learn more.

The course begins with a definition of cultural awareness, and what it means to be culturally aware. This section will cover various subjects, including cultural competence and intercultural competence, prevalent models of cultural competence, and the influence of factors such as ethnocentrism, individualism versus collectivism, masculinity versus femininity, power distance, tolerance for uncertainty, and short-term versus long-term orientation on cultural awareness. Additionally, the course will address cultural intelligence and the four capabilities associated with cultural quotient.

We will then examine the significance of cultural awareness, addressing various issues such as the misinterpretation of culture within the medical field, which has resulted in healthcare systems that often overlook personal interactions between patients and caregivers. We will also consider the impact of language on cultural comprehension, the disparities in access to life-saving cancer treatments, and the differences in recovery rates among minority groups. Additionally, we will discuss how social isolation and loneliness can elevate the risk of heart attacks and strokes, the implications of individualistic cultures on perceptions of loneliness and the associated stigma, and the contrasting post-career quality of life experienced by Black and White NFL players. Furthermore, we will highlight the disproportionate mental and physical health challenges faced by racial and ethnic minorities during the pandemic, the cultural variations in the likelihood of receiving bystander CPR, and the heightened risk of misdiagnosis in mental health contexts. We will also explore the connection between cultural awareness and the misinterpretation of emotions, including the ability to distinguish between a genuine Duchenne smile and a feigned one, the influence of racial bias on empathy development, and finally, the detrimental effects of cultural insensitivity on our overall quality of life.

Next, we will examine the ways in which cultural awareness can benefit us. This includes the development of more trustworthy networks, enhancement of affective trust, promotion of open idea sharing and cross-cultural collaboration, and improvement in the effectiveness of educators and managers. Additionally, it plays a crucial role in reducing cultural biases that adversely affect minorities, enabling us to better recognize stressors that are specific to certain cultural groups and comprehend how these stressors may influence health outcomes.

The final section of this course will examine the development of cultural awareness. It will feature a range of activities that can be employed daily to confront implicit biases, enhance understanding of indigenous perspectives, promote conversations with individuals from diverse cultures, and ultimately improve our cultural competence.

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Professional Development Resources is a nonprofit educational corporation 501(c)(3) organized in 1992. We are approved 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 Provider #1046, ACE Program); the Continuing Education Board of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA Provider #AAUM); the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA Provider #3159); the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR Prior Approval Program); the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists (#PSY-0145), State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors (#MHC-0135) and marriage and family therapists (#MFT-0100), and the State Board for Social Workers as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers (#SW-0664); the Texas Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists (#114) and State Board of Social Worker Examiners (#5678); and is CE Broker compliant (#50-1635 – all courses are reported within two business days of completion).

PDR offers over 150 accredited online CE courses for healthcare professionals. 

Target Audience: Psychologists, School Psychologists, Counselors, Social Workers, Marriage & Family Therapists (MFTs), Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs), Occupational Therapists (OTs), Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs), and Teachers

Enjoy 20% off all online continuing education (CE/CEU) courses @pdresources.org! Click here for details.

Earn CE Wherever YOU Love to Be!

PSYPACT: The Pros and Cons

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What is PSYPACT?

The Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT®) is an interstate compact designed to facilitate the practice of telepsychology and the temporary in-person, face-to-face practice of psychology across state boundaries.

PSYPACT allows psychologists to practice telepsychology in any state that participates in the compact. Here are the pros and cons:

The compact allows psychologists to practice telepsychology in any state that participates in PSYPACT, without having to obtain additional licenses.

History of PSYPACT

PSYPACT came about following the creation of the Telepsychology Task Force established by The Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) in 2011. This task force was charged with “drafting Standards and Guidelines around the use of technology in the provision of psychological services as well as explore the use and impact of technology across jurisdictions” (PSYPACT website).

PSYPACT was approved by the ASPPB in February of 2015, and Arizona was the first state to enact it in May of 2016. As of May 8, 2025, 43 states have enacted PSYPACT:

The Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT®) is an interstate compact designed to facilitate the practice of telepsychology and the temporary in-person, face-to-face practice of psychology across state boundaries.

To qualify, you must complete a two-step process—first with ASPPB and then with the PSYPACT Commission. Step-by-step directions are available on ASPPB’s website @ https://asppb.net/credentials-related-records/telepsychology-credentials/.

Pros and Cons of PSYPACT

The National Psychologist has compiled these articles regarding the pros and cons of PSYPACT:

The Psychological Interjurisdictional Compact has proven to be of immense value, according to Jonathan Perle, PhD:

While I have been offering telehealth services for many years, a substantial portion of these services was historically confined to patients within my state of licensure. This limitation became problematic as many patients receiving specialized care relocated during their treatment, which compelled me to prematurely terminate their interventions because I was not licensed in their new state of residence. Despite numerous patients expressing a desire to continue working with me, it was impractical—both in terms of time and finances—for me to obtain licenses in each state to which they moved.

PSYPACT was relatively easy and quick to apply for and has been simple to maintain year-to-year. It took about a month to get approval and two weeks to receive my maintenance certificate after completing the online form.

Living in a rural area, I see patients from multiple states who often face challenges attending in-person due to illness, weather, or transportation issues. Video-based services across state lines have been crucial in maintaining continuity of care during winter months.

Although I need to adjust my methods based on evidence-informed recommendations, such as modifying my office, being more enthusiastic, and changing how I speak, video-based therapy usually works well, and patients enjoy it.

As I frequently receive inquiries about providing services in X state, I find the PSYPACT website, which features a consolidated list/map of PSYPACT-approved locations, to be an easy resource to identify and utilize.

While generally positive, it requires more effort to provide and maintain video-based services compared to in-person sessions. This includes adapting the presentation, troubleshooting issues, and keeping patients, particularly children, engaged. One of the primary challenges is allocating time to thoroughly review each jurisdiction’s laws (e.g., abuse reporting) to ensure compliance with their regulations.

Justin D’Arienzo, PsyD, was part of the legislative team of Florida psychologists who worked to implement PSYPACT in the state. D’Arienzo already had PSYPACT credentials through a Texas license (a PSYPACT state since 2020) and traveled from Florida to Texas to provide organizational psychological services and see patients virtually in other PSYPACT states via a satellite office in Austin, Texas. D’Arienzo shares his experience with PSYPACT:

After Florida’s PSYPACT law passed in July 2023, I transferred my home state status to Florida, where my main office is in Jacksonville. I’ve been seeing patients and organizational clients across jurisdictions since November 2022. It’s hard to believe it’s been over two years.

From a business standpoint, PSYPACT presents both advantages and disadvantages that are interrelated, with the overall impact contingent on one’s economic strategy. It has enabled me to access more lucrative markets with a higher concentration of affluent patients, in contrast to Jacksonville, Florida, where I reside.

Due to COVID-19 and the acceptance of virtual meetings, I have had the opportunity to work with several corporations across the U.S. in PSYPACT states to provide employment assessments, psychological fitness for duty evaluations, and consultation services. This has resulted in additional opportunities with these companies. Providing high-quality service has led to a broader reach beyond the home state. Consequently, PSYPACT has significantly increased the revenue for our practice.

On the other hand, there are some drawbacks. Although it may seem counterintuitive, PSYPACT has made me feel more isolated. I no longer feel comfortable consulting and brainstorming with other psychologists across state lines about business ideas. These psychologists and friends, who once had little impact on our practice, now feel like competitors.

Overall, PSYPACT can benefit patients by potentially reducing rates and providing more care options in various areas. For psychologists, it may lead to improved psychological services as they compete. However, those lacking distinctive approaches or effective branding may find it challenging to succeed in private practice.

Nina Shiffrin Starin, PhD, told The National Psychologist,

PSYPACT has been an invaluable tool for both assisting with continuity of care and expanding access to evidence based treatments.

Prior to 2020 a majority of patients I saw were children and younger teens and when they graduated high school, I would have to transfer their care to their college counseling center, which often had long wait lists, only offered brief treatment and frequently did not offer CBT, or try in rare circumstances to find a provider offering evidence-based treatments in walking distance to their campus as most college freshman don’t have cars.

As more states have joined PSYPACT, I have been able to continue providing care for patients as they transition to college, graduate school, or new job locations. Currently, many of my patients are college students or young adults, some of whom I treated in their earlier years, while others began treatment more recently but would not otherwise have access to CBT during their college years.

I currently see patients in at least 7 states. Further, PSYPACT has helped make treatment more convenient. While my office is in MD, adjacent to Washington, DC and Virginia, patients no longer need to drive out to the Maryland suburbs to see me.

I am able to maintain continuity of care effectively when patients attend residential summer camps or travel. Previously, I obtained licensure in the District of Columbia to provide treatment during snow days while residing there; my office was in Maryland. The PSYPACT initiative has now eliminated the need to worry about continuing treatment during inclement weather.

My only complaint is, I wish more states would join PSYPACT. When I visit my hometown in upstate New York, despite holding a license in New York, I cannot provide treatment unless patients are in a state where I hold licensure. Many of my patients attend college or camp in Massachusetts. I hope that New York, Massachusetts, and other remaining states will soon participate in PSYPACT.

For more information, please visit:

Course excerpt from Therapy Tidbits – Winter/Spring 2025

Therapy Tidbits – Winter/Spring 2025 is a 1-hour online continuing education (CE) course comprised of select articles from the current issue of The National Psychologist, a family-owned, independent publication founded in 1991 to keep clinicians informed about practice issues. Click here to learn more.

Therapy Tidbits – Winter/Spring 2025 is a 1-hour online continuing education (CE) course comprised of select articles from the current issue of The National Psychologist, a family-owned, independent publication founded in 1991 to keep clinicians informed about practice issues.

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Professional Development Resources is a nonprofit educational corporation 501(c)(3) organized in 1992. We are approved 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 Provider #1046, ACE Program); the Continuing Education Board of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA Provider #AAUM); the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA Provider #3159); the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR Prior Approval Program); the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists (#PSY-0145), State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors (#MHC-0135) and marriage and family therapists (#MFT-0100), and the State Board for Social Workers as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers (#SW-0664); the Texas Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists (#114) and State Board of Social Worker Examiners (#5678); and is CE Broker compliant (#50-1635 – all courses are reported within two business days of completion).

PDR offers over 150 accredited online CE courses for healthcare professionals. 

Target Audience: Psychologists, School Psychologists, Counselors, Social Workers, Marriage & Family Therapists (MFTs), Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs), Occupational Therapists (OTs), Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs), and Teachers

Enjoy 20% off all online continuing education (CE/CEU) courses @pdresources.org! Click here for details.

Earn CE Wherever YOU Love to Be!

Why Should SLPs Study Medical Errors?

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Why should Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) study medical errors? Florida SLPs are required to complete 2 hours of continuing education (CE) on the prevention of medical errors every 2 year for license renewal.

Why Should SLPs Study Medical Errors?

We are educated, we are trained, we are credentialed, and we are experienced. Our focus has been on learning and doing what is right in clinical practice and avoiding what we know to be harmful to our patients. So why do we need a continuing education course on the prevention of medical errors? The answer is really quite simple. We know that in the realm of health care practice errors do happen, and they happen every day. They happen in spite of the fact that we are educated, trained, credentialed, and experienced. When they do happen, they can cause serious – even irreparable – harm to those we treat. We are all human and we all make mistakes.

But I don’t work in a hospital.

You may be reading this and thinking that your practice setting is not hospital-based, and medical errors are not likely to occur with your patients. After all, what could happen in private practice, a school setting, daycare, or an audiologist’s office? While the risk of medical errors is highest in an acute setting such as a hospital or skilled nursing facility, they can occur in almost any setting. The risk is on a continuum based on the setting. An SLP performing a swallowing evaluation in a hospital intensive care unit, for example, is on the high end of the continuum; an audiologist creating an ear mold impression is at medium risk, while an SLP working on accent reduction in a corporate setting would be the lowest risk.

There are, of course, many ways to harm patients, most of which arise from inadequate attention to the various educational, clinical, ethical, and legal resources we have available to us.

Why Study Medical Errors?

The perennial bad news about medical errors is that they continue to occur at relatively high levels, but there is good news – a high proportion of errors are preventable. Retrospective studies have shown that 3–17% of patients in acute care hospitals experience one or more adverse events caused by hospital care, resulting at least in prolonged hospital stay. In these studies, carried out in various countries, nearly 50% of those events were considered avoidable (Halfon et al., 2017). Medical errors are “reported as the third leading cause of death in the US. One study reported that approximately 400,000 hospitalized patients experience some preventable harm each year (James, 2013), while another estimated that >200,000 patient deaths annually were due to preventable medical errors” (Rodziewicz et al., 2024, para. 1).

Most SLPs and audiologists do not perform invasive tests, surgery, or dispense medication. It is easy to think that little or no harm would ever come to a patient, nor would a patient file a claim of harm. However, there is a risk in any interaction with patients, even if low risk. This means that errors maybe infrequent, but not nonexistent.

Course excerpt from Preventing Medical Errors in Speech-Language Pathology

Preventing Medical Errors in Speech-Language Pathology is a 2-hour online continuing education (CE) course that examines how medical errors can be prevented in the practice of speech-language pathology.

Preventing Medical Errors in Speech-Language Pathology is a 2-hour online continuing education (CE) course that examines how medical errors can be prevented in the practice of speech-language pathology.

In this course we will attempt to illustrate the kinds of errors that can occur in the various practice settings of speech-language pathology and audiology and to offer strategies for avoiding them. Through a combination of heightened awareness, increased understanding of potential problem areas, and thoughtful integration of proposed strategies, clinicians can increase their effectiveness and reduce the potential for making medical errors.

The intent of this course is to include all of the elements required for an approved medical errors course for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and audiologists, including topics and case examples that will resonate with both novice and seasoned clinicians. It is a required course for Florida licensees and satisfies their biennial requirement. It is intended to be of clinical interest to all SLPs and audiologists who wish to increase their awareness of the ways in which patients can be harmed and the many strategies for anticipating and avoiding such undesirable outcomes. Click here to learn more.

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Professional Development Resources is a nonprofit educational corporation 501(c)(3) organized in 1992. We are approved 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 Provider #1046, ACE Program); the Continuing Education Board of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA Provider #AAUM); the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA Provider #3159); the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR Prior Approval Program); the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists (#PSY-0145), State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors (#MHC-0135) and marriage and family therapists (#MFT-0100), and the State Board for Social Workers as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers (#SW-0664); the Texas Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists (#114) and State Board of Social Worker Examiners (#5678); and is CE Broker compliant (#50-1635 – all courses are reported within two business days of completion).

PDR offers over 150 accredited online CE courses for healthcare professionals. 

Target Audience: Psychologists, School Psychologists, Counselors, Social Workers, Marriage & Family Therapists (MFTs), Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs), Occupational Therapists (OTs), Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs), and Teachers

Enjoy 20% off all online continuing education (CE/CEU) courses @pdresources.org! Click here for details.

Earn CE Wherever YOU Love to Be!

Factors that Lead to Successful Intercultural Interactions

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To achieve successful intercultural interactions, it is essential to exercise cultural self-control. Cultural self-control involves self-monitoring to eliminate any behavior or expression that may be deemed unacceptable by another culture (Baehr, 2022).

There are a variety of definitions used to describe cultural awareness. What all these definitions say, in one way or another, is that cultural awareness is the knowledge, awareness, and acceptance of other cultures. Implied in this broad definition is what is known as cultural sensitivity, or the acceptance of people from different backgrounds. Said another way, it is the ability to recognize the differences inherent in diverse cultures without placing any particular value on those differences. That is to say that no specific way of thinking, feeling, or behaving is superior to another. Rather, cultural differences only describe cultures, they do not determine the worth of those cultures.

Cultural competence can be defined as the ability of both parties involved to have a pleasant and successful interaction. Here are 8 factors that lead to successful intercultural interactions.

Cultural competence can be defined as the ability of both parties involved to have a pleasant and successful interaction. Here are eight factors that help to ensure successful intercultural interactions:

Open-Mindedness

In an article titled The Structure Of Open-Mindedness, Jason Baehrdefines an open-minded person as one who “characteristically moves beyond or temporarily sets aside his own doxastic commitments in order to give a fair and impartial hearing to the intellectual opposition” (Baehr, 2022, p. 209). Naturally, to set aside one’s doxastic commitments, one must first acknowledge that they are there. These commitments may have arisen for several reasons, however, fundamentally they exist to avoid cognitive inconsistency and the ambiguity it creates. To be sure, studies have revealed closed-minded people tend to have a much lower tolerance for ambiguity.

Non-Judgmentalism

Defined as the willingness to remain in contact with negative emotions or aversive experiences, a position of non-judgement avoids the creation of a secondary position (the judgement about the negative experience or emotion), and the distancing that arises from this secondary position. In short, it allows us to experience the emotion or experience as it is without making anything of it or putting distance between ourselves and our experiences. In a cross-cultural exchange, as with any relational exchange, be it intrapersonal or interpersonal, judgement separates us from experience. We are no longer a participant in the experience. Instead, we are the judge of it. Not surprisingly, judgementalism is correlated with increased negative affect and depressive symptoms (Shallcross et al., 2022).

Mindfulness

The American Psychological Association defines mindfulness as the awareness of one’s internal states and surroundings. This awareness is the observation of thoughts, emotions, and experiences that can help people avoid destructive or automatic habits and responses (APA, 2018). Like cultural self-awareness, mindfulness acts to identify and recognize our own beliefs, assumptions, and biases, but also to recognize how these things are influencing the present moment.

Cognitive Flexibility

In an article titled Demystifying Cognitive Flexibility: Implications for Clinical or Developmental Neuroscience, Dinah Dajani and Lucina Uddin define cognitive flexibility as “the ability to switch between thinking about two different concepts or to think about multiple concepts simultaneously” (Dajani & Uddin, 2022, p. 23). The switching between different tasks means that we must quickly tend to the task at hand, and, in doing so, integrate new information. In this sense, cognitive flexibility refers to the ability to quickly reconfigure our minds (Braem & Egner, 2019). This reconfiguring of the mind can mean countering past premises, creating new categories of information, and, at the core, accepting new ways of understanding.

Tolerance for Ambiguity

First identified by Else Frenkel-Brunswik while researching ethnocentrism in children, a tolerance for ambiguity was originally observed in connection to authoritarian personalities (Adorno et al., 1950). Today, a tolerance for ambiguity acts to define and measure how well an individual responds when presented with an event that results in ambiguous stimuli or situations. People who are ethnically prejudiced tend to reject ambiguity more than their peers. Moreover, there appears to be an association between tolerance of ambiguity and psychological well‐being (Hancock & Mattick, 2022).

Behavioral Flexibility

Behavioral flexibility is the ability to cope with new stimuli or resources. It involves achieving the same task outcome using different solutions. In a cross-cultural context, it means adapting one’s behavior to meet the expectations of different cultures. For example, some cultures use physical touch regularly in interactions, while others do not. Also, preferences for physical distance vary among cultures (Ranganathan et al., 2020).

Cross-Cultural Empathy

Empathy is the ability to sense others’ emotions and imagine their thoughts and feelings. It involves seeing the world from another’s perspective and sharing their feelings. Empathy helps us connect and understand people from different cultures and backgrounds, both cognitively and emotionally.

Ethnorelativism

Ethnorelativism is the opposite of ethnocentrism. While ethnocentrism views one’s own culture as superior, ethnorelativism accepts and understands that each culture has its own values, beliefs, and norms. It recognizes all cultures as equally valid and important, seeing individuals within their cultural context. Ethnorelativism breaks down the division between in-groups and out-groups (Columbia Business School, 2021.

Keeping these factors in mind will lead to successful intercultural interactions.

Course excerpt from Cultural Awareness in Healthcare

Cultural Awareness in Healthcare is a 3-hour online continuing education (CE) course designed to examine cultural disparities within the healthcare system. It includes activities aimed at enhancing awareness and fostering greater cultural competence among participants. Click here to learn more.

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Professional Development Resources is a nonprofit educational corporation 501(c)(3) organized in 1992. We are approved 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 Provider #1046, ACE Program); the Continuing Education Board of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA Provider #AAUM); the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA Provider #3159); the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR Prior Approval Program); the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists (#PSY-0145), State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors (#MHC-0135) and marriage and family therapists (#MFT-0100), and the State Board for Social Workers as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers (#SW-0664); the Texas Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists (#114) and State Board of Social Worker Examiners (#5678); and is CE Broker compliant (#50-1635 – all courses are reported within two business days of completion).

PDR offers over 150 accredited online CE courses for healthcare professionals. 

Target Audience: Psychologists, School Psychologists, Counselors, Social Workers, Marriage & Family Therapists (MFTs), Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs), Occupational Therapists (OTs), Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs), and Teachers

Enjoy 20% off all online continuing education (CE/CEU) courses @pdresources.org! Click here for details.

Earn CE Wherever YOU Love to Be!

New CE Course: Cultural Awareness in Healthcare

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Cultural Awareness in Healthcare is a new 3-hour online continuing education (CE) course designed to examine cultural disparities within the healthcare system. It includes activities aimed at enhancing awareness and fostering greater cultural competence among participants.

Cultural Awareness in Healthcare is a 3-hour online CE course that examines disparities within the healthcare system and provides strategies to combat them.

The course begins with a definition of cultural awareness, and what it means to be culturally aware. This section will cover various subjects, including cultural competence and intercultural competence, prevalent models of cultural competence, and the influence of factors such as ethnocentrism, individualism versus collectivism, masculinity versus femininity, power distance, tolerance for uncertainty, and short-term versus long-term orientation on cultural awareness. Additionally, the course will address cultural intelligence and the four capabilities associated with cultural quotient.

We will then examine the significance of cultural awareness, addressing various issues such as the misinterpretation of culture within the medical field, which has resulted in healthcare systems that often overlook personal interactions between patients and caregivers. We will also consider the impact of language on cultural comprehension, the disparities in access to life-saving cancer treatments, and the differences in recovery rates among minority groups. Additionally, we will discuss how social isolation and loneliness can elevate the risk of heart attacks and strokes, the implications of individualistic cultures on perceptions of loneliness and the associated stigma, and the contrasting post-career quality of life experienced by Black and White NFL players. Furthermore, we will highlight the disproportionate mental and physical health challenges faced by racial and ethnic minorities during the pandemic, the cultural variations in the likelihood of receiving bystander CPR, and the heightened risk of misdiagnosis in mental health contexts. We will also explore the connection between cultural awareness and the misinterpretation of emotions, including the ability to distinguish between a genuine Duchenne smile and a feigned one, the influence of racial bias on empathy development, and finally, the detrimental effects of cultural insensitivity on our overall quality of life.

Next, we will examine the ways in which cultural awareness can benefit us. This includes the development of more trustworthy networks, enhancement of affective trust, promotion of open idea sharing and cross-cultural collaboration, and improvement in the effectiveness of educators and managers. Additionally, it plays a crucial role in reducing cultural biases that adversely affect minorities, enabling us to better recognize stressors that are specific to certain cultural groups and comprehend how these stressors may influence health outcomes.

The final section of this course will examine the development of cultural awareness. It will feature a range of activities that can be employed daily to confront implicit biases, enhance understanding of indigenous perspectives, promote conversations with individuals from diverse cultures, and ultimately improve our cultural competence.

Outline

  • Introduction
  • Section 1: What Is Cultural Awareness?
  • Section 2: Why Cultural Awareness Matters
  • Section 3: How Cultural Awareness Can Help Us
  • Section 4: How Do We Build Cultural Awareness?
  • Section 5: Awareness Exercises
  • Summary

Course #31-55 | 2025 | 57 pages | 20 posttest questions

Click here to learn more.

Course Directions:

This online course provides instant access to the course materials and 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.

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Professional Development Resources is a nonprofit educational corporation 501(c)(3) organized in 1992. We are approved to sponsor continuing education by the American Psychological Association (APA); the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC); the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB); the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA); the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA); the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR); the Alabama State Board of Occupational Therapy; the Florida Boards of Social Work, Mental Health Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy, Psychology & School Psychology, Dietetics & Nutrition, Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, and Occupational Therapy Practice; the Georgia State Board of Occupational Therapy; the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors (#MHC-0135); the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker & MFT Board and Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology; the South Carolina Board of Professional Counselors & MFTs; the Texas Board of Examiners of Marriage & Family Therapists and State Board of Social Worker Examiners; and are CE Broker compliant (all courses are reported within a few days of completion).

PDR offers over 150 accredited online CE courses for healthcare professionals. 

Target Audience: Psychologists, School Psychologists, Counselors, Social Workers, Marriage & Family Therapists (MFTs), Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs), Occupational Therapists (OTs), Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs), and Teachers

Enjoy 20% off all online continuing education (CE/CEU) courses @pdresources.org! Click here for details.

Earn CE Wherever YOU Love to Be!

New CE Course: Emotional Regulation: Teaching Children Calm

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Emotional Regulation: Teaching Children Calm is a 3-hour online continuing education (CE) course that provides strategies and techniques for helping children navigate their emotions.

Emotional Regulation: Teaching Children Calm is a 3-hour online continuing education (CE) course that provides strategies and techniques for helping children navigate their emotions.

Emotional regulation is the ability to manage one’s emotions in order to respond appropriately to life’s inevitable ups and downs. It assists with competent decision-making, augments memory for critical events, and enables productive interpersonal relations. Inappropriate emotional responses are implicated in academic struggles, social difficulties, and many forms of psychopathology. Although children with emotional regulation issues may be at a disadvantage, adults can employ a variety of strategies to help them succeed.

This course provides techniques clinicians can use to model effective communication in therapy sessions and strategies to assist children with navigating the often confusing world of emotions, giving them the skills they need to manage their own feelings.

Outline

  • Introduction
  • Section 1: Impacts, Causes, and Effects of Emotional Regulation
  • Section 2: Helping Children Follow Directions
  • Section 3: Teaching Children to Deal with Their Emotions
  • Section 4: Empathy
  • Section 5: Teaching Children Calming Strategies
  • Section 6: Prevention – Helping Parents Maintain Calm at Home
  • Conclusion

Course #31-54 | 2025 | 80 pages | 20 posttest questions

Click here to learn more.

Course Directions:

This online course provides instant access to the course materials and 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.

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Professional Development Resources is a nonprofit educational corporation 501(c)(3) organized in 1992. We are approved to sponsor continuing education by the American Psychological Association (APA); the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC); the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB); the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA); the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA); the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR); the Alabama State Board of Occupational Therapy; the Florida Boards of Social Work, Mental Health Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy, Psychology & School Psychology, Dietetics & Nutrition, Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, and Occupational Therapy Practice; the Georgia State Board of Occupational Therapy; the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors (#MHC-0135); the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker & MFT Board and Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology; the South Carolina Board of Professional Counselors & MFTs; the Texas Board of Examiners of Marriage & Family Therapists and State Board of Social Worker Examiners; and are CE Broker compliant (all courses are reported within a few days of completion).

PDR offers over 150 accredited online CE courses for healthcare professionals. 

Target Audience: Psychologists, School Psychologists, Counselors, Social Workers, Marriage & Family Therapists (MFTs), Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs), Occupational Therapists (OTs), Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs), and Teachers

Enjoy 20% off all online continuing education (CE/CEU) courses @pdresources.org! Click here for details.

Earn CE Wherever YOU Love to Be!

Therapy Tidbits – Winter/Spring 2025 – New Online CE Course

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Therapy Tidbits – Winter/Spring 2025 is a new 1-hour online continuing education (CE) course comprised of select articles from the current issue of The National Psychologist, a family-owned, independent publication founded in 1991 to keep clinicians informed about practice issues.

Therapy Tidbits – Winter/Spring 2025 is a new 1-hour online continuing education (CE) course comprised of select articles from the current issue of The National Psychologist

The articles included in this course are:

  • Curbing Youth Violence – Explains the rise in violent crime arrests in children, highlighting how “hot spots” influence phenotypic expression and subsequent behaviors and decisions of young individuals, and outlining intervention strategies for supporting youth in these areas.
  • Pros and Cons of PSYPACT – Three psychologists share their experiences with PSYPACT, outlining the pros and cons of practicing teletherapy in PSYPACT states.
  • New HIPAA Disclosure Requirements – Summarizes the new attestation requirements from parties requesting PHI “potentially related” to reproductive healthcare.
  • Psychologists Can Have Public Health Roles in Disaster Recovery – Offers a personal account of secondary traumatization as the author discusses how clinicians can support communities during disaster recovery.
  • Technology in Clinical Practice: What’s in It for Me? – Outlines three ways in which clinicians can integrate technology into their professional life.
  • Methods To Access Professional Literature – Lists six methods for accessing professional literature, making it easier to stay current with research and developments in one’s chosen specialties.
  • New Ethics Code Will be Trouble for Psychologists – Discusses the challenges of complying with HIPAA patient access laws while keeping test materials secure and how the upcoming revision to the APA Ethics Code may address it.
  • The Unregulated Coaching Industry – Distinguishes between “coaching” and psychotherapy/counseling, and the risk coaching poses to clients due to the lack of operating within an established and regulated standard of care.
  • From Overwhelmed to Optimized: Rethinking Assessment Psychology in the Age of AI – Demonstrates how practitioners can utilize AI and automation workflows into their practice.

Course #11-57 | 2025 | 19 pages | 10 posttest questions

Course Directions

Therapy Tidbits – Winter/Spring 2025 provides instant access to the course materials and 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 materials).

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.

Click here to learn more about Therapy Tidbits – Winter/Spring 2025.

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Professional Development Resources is a nonprofit educational corporation 501(c)(3) organized in 1992. We are approved to sponsor continuing education by the American Psychological Association (APA); the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC); the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB); the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA); the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA); the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR); the Alabama State Board of Occupational Therapy; the Florida Boards of Social Work, Mental Health Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy, Psychology & School Psychology, Dietetics & Nutrition, Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, and Occupational Therapy Practice; the Georgia State Board of Occupational Therapy; the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors (#MHC-0135); the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker & MFT Board and Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology; the South Carolina Board of Professional Counselors & MFTs; the Texas Board of Examiners of Marriage & Family Therapists and State Board of Social Worker Examiners; and are CE Broker compliant (all courses are reported within a few days of completion).

PDR offers over 150 accredited online CE courses for healthcare professionals. 

Target Audience: Psychologists, School Psychologists, Counselors, Social Workers, Marriage & Family Therapists (MFTs), Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs), Occupational Therapists (OTs), Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs), and Teachers

Enjoy 20% off all online continuing education (CE/CEU) courses @pdresources.org! Click here for details.

Earn CE Wherever YOU Love to Be!

Florida Mental Health License Renewal

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Florida-licensed Mental Health Counselors (MHCs), Clinical Social Workers (CSWs), and Marriage & Family Therapists (MFTs) have an upcoming license renewal deadline of March 31, 2025.

Continuing Education (CE) Requirements:

CE Required: 30 hours every 2 years, including: 

If you have already met your CE requirements and are ready to renew, click here to renew your license with the Florida Board of CSW, MFT & MHC.

Still need CE? You can earn all 30 hours for renewal through online courses @ PDR. Order now and Save 20% on courses. We report to CE Broker for you!

Florida MHC/CSW/MFT license renewal deadline is March 31, 2025. PDR offers 20% off online CE to meet state renewal requirements.

We report to CE Broker for you – so you don’t have to! 
All courses are reported the business day following completion.

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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 Provider #1046, ACE Program); the Continuing Education Board of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA Provider #AAUM); the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA Provider #3159); the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR Prior Approval Program); the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists (#PSY-0145), State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors (#MHC-0135) and marriage and family therapists (#MFT-0100), and the State Board for Social Workers as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers (#SW-0664); the Texas Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists (#114) and State Board of Social Worker Examiners (#5678); and is CE Broker compliant (#50-1635 – all courses are reported within two business days of completion).

Enjoy 20% off all online continuing education (CE/CEU) courses @pdresources.org! Click here for details.

Earn CE Wherever YOU Love to Be!

50% Off Closeout CE Ends 12/31/2024

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It’s hard enough to believe that there are only 2 weeks left in 2024, but even harder (for us) is that in 15 days we will say farewell to some of our favorite, oldie-but-goodie, online CE courses.

Good news for you – there is still time to enjoy 50% OFF all of our Closeout Courses before they are retired on January 1, 2025. Scoop them up while you can and complete them whenever you need the credit – no expiration date imposed by us.

You can now save 50% on these courses in our Closeout Sale:

Closeout Courses for Psychologists
Closeout Courses for Counselors and MFTs
Closeout Courses for Occupational Therapists (OTs)
Closeout Courses for Social Workers
Closeout Courses for School Psychologists
Closeout Courses for Teachers

Click here to view ALL Closeout courses.

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 Provider #1046, ACE Program); the Continuing Education Board of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA Provider #AAUM); the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA Provider #3159); the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR Prior Approval Program); the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists (#PSY-0145), State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors (#MHC-0135) and marriage and family therapists (#MFT-0100), and the State Board for Social Workers as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers (#SW-0664); the Texas Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists (#114) and State Board of Social Worker Examiners (#5678); and is CE Broker compliant (#50-1635 – all courses are reported within two business days of completion).

Enjoy 20% off all online continuing education (CE/CEU) courses @pdresources.org! Click here for details.

Earn CE Wherever YOU Love to Be!

Counseling Victims of Natural Disasters

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Counseling Victims of Natural Disasters is a 3-hour online continuing education (CE/CEU) course that examines how to help the victims, and witnesses, of natural disasters.

Recent hurricanes like Helene and Milton have brought to light the many ways in which we are at the mercy of Mother Nature. As much as we try to prepare for any natural disaster, it seems, to some extent, we will always be taken by surprise. Moreover, there are some forms of natural disasters for which we simply cannot prepare. For example, Hurricane Helene was an extremely powerful and catastrophic hurricane that caused widespread destruction and fatalities across the Southeastern United States. It is at times like these that we ask ourselves: What can be done for the victims of natural disasters?

Beyond the physical needs, such as safety, food, and water, there remains the emotional residue of living through an experience that threatens one’s life. In searching for meaning in the aftermath of a traumatic experience, people can develop new perspectives on life, which leads to an adjustment in values, beliefs, and priorities. The experience becomes incorporated into their sense of self, helping them to see themselves as stronger, more capable, and more appreciative of life.

While there may be much disagreement about what causes natural disasters and how we can better prepare for them, one thing is for sure – they will continue to happen. They will continue to challenge us physically and psychologically, and there will continue to be a need for clinicians educated and experienced in working with the victims. A clinician who is well versed in the psychological impact of natural disasters and who understands the experience of having a life severely uprooted, and even threatened, by the forces of nature can help clients feel less alone and more understood. They may be able to help their clients overcome their reticence to seek treatment. The clinician can be most helpful, perhaps, by helping their client to gain perspective on the natural disaster and adversity in general. By providing clients the opportunity for psychological growth and to change their outlook after a natural disaster, clinicians can help them to see themselves and their experiences differently.

It can be difficult for a clinician to know how to respond to life events that come with little to no warning and uproot clients’ lives. Often these experiences shatter clients’ fundamental beliefs and assumptions about themselves, the world around them, and the future – what is known as their “assumptive world.” This frequently leads to a sense that “nothing is safe” at a time when safety is most needed. Further, clients can often feel so overwhelmed by their experiences and their emotional responses to them that cognitive processing is jeopardized. For these reasons, the way in which a clinician responds to the client is of critical importance.

Develop An Optimistic Perspective on Adversity

What we believe about adversity directly and significantly impacts how we respond to it. For many people, simply learning that reports of growth experiences in the aftermath of traumatic events far outnumber reports of psychiatric disorders is extremely sobering. There is evidence that if we can train people to be more psychologically resilient – that is, less catastrophic in their thinking and more optimistic and more hopeful – then they function better when they encounter traumatic situations.

Do a Mental Rehearsal

Mental rehearsal helps people develop a mental blueprint of a performance or activity and helps them visualize how they can overcome and manage obstacles and challenges that may arise. Mental rehearsal is a powerful tool that helps us manage either the stress of performing at our very best, being the first responder on a trauma team, or coping with a trauma ourselves.

So how can you use mental rehearsal to help your clients in the aftermath of a natural disaster? The first step is to ask your client to choose a place, situation, or feeling in which she would like to respond differently. For example, your client can choose a particular place, such as room in her house (or the remains of her house itself), a memorial for the victims, or a landmark of the damage. Your client may choose a situation, such as seeing her loved ones, cleaning up the remains, or speaking with media or your client may choose a feeling, such as fear, emptiness, or confusion.

Once your client has chosen what she would like to visualize, the next step is to describe how she would like to see herself responding. For example, she can say that she would like to see herself going home and entering her bedroom feeling calm. Or she can say that she would like to see herself speaking to her children in a kind loving manner.

Now that your client has an idea of how she would like to see herself responding, the last step is to rehearse this visualization mentally while considering the following:

  • Describe the scene around you, the people involved, and what you are doing.
  • Describe how you are feeling.
  • Is there anything that is challenging, or that you are having to overcome? If so, what are you doing to manage these things?
  • Are there any feelings that are hard or distressing? If so, what are you doing to manage these?
  • Is there anything different about you? If so, describe.

Developing a mental blueprint for how she can respond to events, places, or feelings that are distressing is an empowering way for your client to separate herself from these events, see herself differently, and begin the process of responding differently with more resilience.

Ask Some Questions

Traumatic circumstances, characterized by their unusual, uncontrollable, potentially irreversible, and threatening qualities, can produce an upheaval in our major assumptions about the world, our place in it and how we make sense of our daily lives.

However, it is in reconsidering our lives that we plant the seeds for new perspectives and a sense that valuable, although painful, lessons have been learned.

Facing trauma makes us more likely to become cognitively engaged with fundamental existential questions about death and the purpose of life. A commonly reported change is for trauma survivors to place more value on the smaller things in life. They may also consider important changes in the religious, spiritual, and existential components of the philosophies of life.

Learn more about Counseling Victims of Natural Disasters

Counseling Victims of Natural Disasters is a 3-hour online continuing education (CE/CEU) course that examines how to help the victims, and witnesses, of natural disasters.

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Professional Development Resources is a nonprofit educational corporation 501(c)(3) organized in 1992. We are approved to sponsor continuing education by the American Psychological Association (APA); the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC); the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB); the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA); the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA); the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR); the Alabama State Board of Occupational Therapy; the Florida Boards of Social Work, Mental Health Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy, Psychology & School Psychology, Dietetics & Nutrition, Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, and Occupational Therapy Practice; the Georgia State Board of Occupational Therapy; the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors (#MHC-0135); the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker & MFT Board and Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology; the South Carolina Board of Professional Counselors & MFTs; the Texas Board of Examiners of Marriage & Family Therapists and State Board of Social Worker Examiners; and are CE Broker compliant (all courses are reported within a few days of completion).

PDR offers over 150 accredited online CE courses for healthcare professionals. 

Target Audience: Psychologists, School Psychologists, Counselors, Social Workers, Marriage & Family Therapists (MFTs), Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs), Occupational Therapists (OTs), Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs), and Teachers

Enjoy 20% off all online continuing education (CE/CEU) courses @pdresources.org! Click here for details.

Earn CE Wherever YOU Love to Be!