Professional Development Resources, Inc. (PDR) welcomes Michael Wiederman, PhD, as the new Director of Continuing Education (CE) for the company.
Michael will provide oversight of mental health topics offered for continuing education credit to licensed healthcare professionals throughout the United States.
Michael earned a bachelor of science degree in clinical-community psychology from the University of Michigan-Flint and master’s and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology from Bowling Green State University. He completed a pre-doctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Kansas School of Medicine Wichita. Subsequently, he was a full-time clinical psychology professor for 20 years, during which he wrote more than 250 published articles, book chapters, and books.
In 2015 Michael left his tenured faculty position to provide professional development as the inaugural Director of Faculty Development at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville. From 2020 to 2022 Michael served as the inaugural Director of Leadership and Professional Development in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), where he continues to hold a graduate faculty appointment. Michael currently provides services independently (MindfulPD.com), and blogs for Psychology Today.
He now brings his 30+ years of experience as a psychologist to PDR. Welcome Michael!
Professional Development Resources, a small Florida nonprofit educational corporation 501(c)(3) organized in 1992, 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 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 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 SouthCarolina Board of Professional Counselors and Marriage & Family Therapists (#193); 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 – completions are reported next business day, currently reporting for 47 boards). Learn more about us.
This course is intended to increase clinicians’ awareness of the many types of errors that can occur within mental health practice, how such errors damage clients, and numerous ways they can be prevented. Its emphasis is on areas within mental health practice that carry the potential for “medical” errors.
Examples include improper diagnosis, breaches of privacy and confidentiality, mandatory reporting requirements, managing dangerous clients, boundary violations and sexual misconduct, use of technology, the informed consent process, and competence. Most errors arise from inadequate attention to the various educational, clinical, ethical, and legal resources available. This course will illustrate the kinds of “medical” errors that can occur in psychotherapy practice and will offer strategies for avoiding them.
Also included are sections on root cause analysis, suicide assessment, medical conditions presenting as a psychological disorder, psychotherapy in the digital age, including the use of social networking platforms, the challenges of maintaining and transmitting electronic records, email, text messaging, best practices for teletherapy, and the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in practice. Case examples are included throughout.
* This course satisfies the medical errors requirement for license renewal of Florida mental health professionals (psychologists, counselors, social workers, MFTs, and school psychologists.
Professional Development Resources, a small Florida nonprofit educational corporation 501(c)(3) organized in 1992, 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 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 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 SouthCarolina Board of Professional Counselors and Marriage & Family Therapists (#193); 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 – completions are reported next business day, currently reporting for 47 boards). Learn more about us.
Operational Psychology: Legal and Ethical Considerations is a new 2-hour online continuing education (CE) course that explores the differing viewpoints on the necessity, legality, and ethical use of psychologists to aid the U.S. government in military commitments.
Whether psychologists should aid the U.S. government in hostile actions against its enemies may be the most controversial topic in the history of the helping professions. The military operational psychologists and their supporters in APA governance advance indirect assessments, consultations to interrogators, and other such duties as protecting the government and American society from what could otherwise be catastrophic harms.
They advance the position that such duties are not unlike other third-party consultations, in which the psychologist’s primary duties are to an agency or governmental authority, informed consent is not required, and the targeted individual may be seriously harmed. They attribute the major atrocities of the past to a small number of rogue psychologists, behavioral drift, and poor supervision, which all but ushered in the recently published Professional Practice Guidelines for Operational Psychology.
The self-identified peace psychologists, who have led the movement in disfavor to what they consider unethical adversarial military operational psychology, conclude the alleged rogues were not alone in supporting a torture program and they, like their self-interested supporters in APA governance, have never taken personal responsibility or been held professionally or legally accountable. The peace psychologists conclude military demands and psychology ethics may be irreconcilable, the operational psychologists’ primary duties to the U.S. government subordinate the human rights of individuals who are the target of intervention, and amount to a perversion of professional ethics unbefitting the helping professions in entirety.
Each side attributes the other’s criticisms to conflicts of interest and other forms of bias. This course neutrally reviews the key legal and ethical issues, presents the peace and operational psychologist positions, and concludes with a summary and implications for the future of military operational psychology.
Outline
Introduction
Section 1: Professional Ethics & National Security
Section 2: Law
Section 3: Mental Health Treatment and Evaluations
Professional Development Resources, a small Florida nonprofit educational corporation 501(c)(3) organized in 1992, 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 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 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 SouthCarolina Board of Professional Counselors and Marriage & Family Therapists (#193); 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 – completions are reported next business day, currently reporting for 47 boards). Learn more about us.
Florida psychologists have an upcoming license renewal deadline of May 31, 2026. The following continuing education (CE) requirements must be met prior to renewal:
Florida psychologists can earn all 40hours per renewal through online CE courses @ PDR. We report to CE Broker for you and are currently offering 20% off all courses:
Enjoy 20% off ALL Online CE courses for your Florida Psychologist license renewal. Apply coupon code PDR496 at checkout to redeem 20% discount. Offer valid on future orders only. Coupon expires 12/31/2026.
First Renewal?
Psychologists initially licensed within the biennium are exempt from continuing education with the exception of the two-hour course relating to the prevention of Medical Errors.
CE Broker
The Department of Health verifies continuing education records in the electronic tracking system (CE Broker) at the time of license renewal.
PDR reports all course completions to CE Broker next business day.
Required Background Screening
As of July 1, 2025, all healthcare professionals in Florida must comply with background screening requirements when applying for initial licensure or renewing their license. Your license renewal will not be approved until this requirement, along with all other licensure criteria, has been met. For more information on background screening, visit MQA’s Background Screening website.
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 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 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 SouthCarolina Board of Professional Counselors and Marriage & Family Therapists (#193); 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 – completions are reported next business day, currently reporting for 47 boards).
PDR is a small nonprofit that offers over 100 accredited online CE courses for healthcare professionals. Learn more about us.
The purpose of this course is to ensure that Florida-licensed psychologists are fully aware of the ethical and legal privileges and constraints under which they are licensed to practice in the State of Florida. It provides the opportunity for a comprehensive reading of the APA Code of Ethics and the three sets of statutes and rules governing the practice of psychology in Florida:
The Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct of the American Psychological Association
The Florida Health Professions and Occupations General Provisions
The Florida Psychological Services Act
The Florida Administrative Code
These documents set forth the licensure requirements, definitions, principles, standards, competencies, limitations, and guidelines for legal and ethical practice in the areas of privacy and confidentiality, professional boundaries, record keeping, scope of practice, use of testing instruments, clinical supervision, sexual misconduct, and all aspects of psychotherapy. Disciplinary actions and guidelines are detailed in the 490 Practice Act and in the 64B19 Administrative Code.
Case examples are included for the purpose of illustrating the types of practice errors that occur in real life and their real consequences for clients. They are actual cases found in the official public records of the Florida Department of Health Division of Medical Quality Assurance (MQA).
Completing this course will fulfill the requirement that licensed psychologists in Florida complete each biennial renewal period three hours of continuing education on professional ethics and Florida Statutes and rules affecting the practice of psychology. * This course satisfies the ethics and law requirement for biennial re-licensure of Florida psychologists. Course #31-64 | 2026 | 57 pages | 20 posttest questions | Mobile-Friendly
Customer Reviews:
“One of the best CEs I have taken. Excellent.” – P.S. (Florida Psychologist)
“The course was very well-done, and your support staff were very helpful.” S.R. (Florida Psychologist)
“I loved that the content was written at a professional level, and that questions were unique and, at times, challenging.” J.R. (Florida Psychologist)
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 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 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 SouthCarolina Board of Professional Counselors and Marriage & Family Therapists (#193); 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 – completions are reported next business day, currently reporting for 47 boards).
PDR is a small nonprofit that offers over 100 accredited online CE courses for healthcare professionals. Learn more about us.
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.
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 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.
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.
—
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.
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:
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).
Therapy Tidbits from The National Psychologist is a series of online continuing education (CE) courses comprised of select articles from each edition of The National Psychologist, a private, independent, online newsletter intended to keep psychologists informed about practice issues.
Artificial Intelligence in Behavioral Health: The Lowest Hanging Fruit – Highlights how AI can offer a solution to current challenges and open new possibilities for improving care delivery and therapist wellbeing.
Jewish College Students Under Siege – Offers a brief overview of strategies for supporting Jewish students, families, and university faculty members.
Fighting Antisemitism in Clinical Practice – Provides an outline of the individual steps practitioners can take to combat antisemitism.
New Psychological Research Highlights Factors Fueling Gun Violence Epidemic – Discusses a recent study that suggests males who did not live up to their standard of being masculine, or whose masculinity was threatened, were more likely to be violent.
Considerations for Telesupervision in Mental Health Clinical Training – Explores the benefits and challenges of using technology as part of clinical supervision of master and doctoral-level mental health trainees.
Ethical Dimensions of Integrating Artificial Intelligence in Clinical Psychology – Focuses on the ethical use of AI in psychology, cautioning against the possibility of bias in AI algorithms.
Coping with Moral Injury in Mental Healthcare – Explains the concept of “moral injury” and offers strategies for supporting persons who suffer with it.
Gestalt Therapy: Processes that Impact Client Awareness – Summarizes aspects of Gestalt Therapy and describes each impacts patients.
The National Psychologist is a private, independent online newspaper intended to keep psychologists informed about practice issues. Contributions and letters are invited. The editor reserves the right to edit articles and submissions for clarity and/or to meet specific space limitations. Publication staff is not responsible for opinions or facts in bylined articles. Click here to subscribe to TNP.
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.
The Power of Skepticism and Critical Thinking is a new 3-hour online continuing education (CE) course that examines why positive skepticism and critical thinking skills are necessary in clinical practice.
Human beings are endowed with the ability to reason and the need to find connections between things and events. Unfortunately, the need to find connections can be so strong, practitioners and patients can sometimes convince themselves that there are links between treatment plans and patient outcomes, even if there is a lack of evidence to support them. In health care, arriving at the wrong conclusion can be an error of life and death proportions.
These “deductive malfunctions” and other fallacies, heuristics, and biases, are described, discussed, and illustrated in this course. The author begins by defining the concept of ‘critical thinking,’ and follows with a discussion on why practitioners must take an objective approach when evaluating patients, analyzing treatment plans, assessing the effectiveness of interventions, and challenging their own beliefs.
The factors (such as cognitive error, fallacies, assumptions, blind sports, pseudoscience, and quackery) that challenge one’s ability to think critically are highlighted. The author examines strategies for developing critical thinking skills across all ages and provides a review of assessment tools that can be used to gauge the quality of critical thinking before teaching begins and as a measure of progress throughout the training.
The final section of the course provides methods and techniques for cultivating and applying a critical thinking mindset. ‘How-To’ lists for evaluating new treatments, the scientific quality of conference speakers, published studies, and internet content are included.
Outline
Introduction Section 1: What Is Critical Thinking? Section 2: Why Do We Need Critical Thinking? Section 3: Challenges to Critical Thinking Section 4: Can Critical Thinking Be Learned? Section 5: Measuring Critical Thinking Section 6: Cultivating a Critical Thinking Mindset Summary and Conclusions Further Information
This online course provides instant access to the course materials (PDF download) 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. Click here to learn more.
Professional Development Resources is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Professional Development Resources maintains responsibility for this program and its 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 Provider #PR001); the Alabama State Board of Occupational Therapy; the Arizona Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners; the Florida Boards of Social Work, Mental Health Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy, Psychology and Office of School Psychology, Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, Dietetics and Nutrition, and Occupational Therapy Practice; the Georgia State Board of Occupational Therapy; the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners – Occupational Therapy; the Mississippi MSDoH Bureau of Professional Licensure – Occupational Therapy; 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 an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers (#SW-0664); the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and MFT Board (#RCST100501) and Speech and Hearing Professionals Board; the South Carolina Board of Examiners for Licensure of Professional Counselors and Therapists (#193), Examiners in Psychology, Social Worker Examiners, Occupational Therapy, and Examiners in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology; the Tennessee Board of Occupational Therapy; the Texas Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists (#114) and State Board of Social Worker Examiners (#5678); the West Virginia Board of Social Work; the Wyoming Board of Psychology; and is CE Broker compliant (#50-1635 – all courses are reported within a few days of completion).
Therapy Tidbits – Summer/Fall 2023 is a new 1-hour online continuing education (CE) course comprised of select articles from the current issue of The National Psychologist, a private, independent, online newsletter intended to keep psychologists informed about practice issues.
The articles included in this course are:
Should AI Be Used in Ethical Healthcare Decision Making? – Encourages the reader to consider when and how AI should be incorporated into clinical decision making.
Severe Need for More Psychologists – Provides statistics that highlight the supply and demand problem in health service psychology and makes recommendations for encouraging students to pursue a career in psychology.
Psychologists’ Ethical Use of Self-Disclosure about Highly Charged Issues – Considers the possible types of self-disclosure and whether self-disclosure can be used ethically in therapy to support client outcomes.
How are Tabletop Role-Playing Games Being Used in Therapy? – Describes tabletop role playing games as a tool to engage and support clients in therapy.
HIPAA – Must I Comply? It Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect – Outlines recommendations for ensuring HIPAA compliance.
Iowa Psychological Association Opposes PsyPact – Reviews the concerns of enacting interstate compacts to provide telehealth.
Differing Views on PSYPACT – Offers positive outcomes of enacting interstate compacts to provide telehealth.
Should Psychologists Refuse Care for Clients They Find Morally Objectionable? – Highlights sections of the APA code of ethics as they relate to providing quality of care for diverse populations.
Professional Development Resources is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Professional Development Resources maintains responsibility for this program and its 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 Provider #PR001); the Alabama State Board of Occupational Therapy; the Arizona Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners; the Florida Boards of Social Work, Mental Health Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy, Psychology and Office of School Psychology, Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, Dietetics and Nutrition, and Occupational Therapy Practice; the Georgia State Board of Occupational Therapy; the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners – Occupational Therapy; the Mississippi MSDoH Bureau of Professional Licensure – Occupational Therapy; 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 an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers (#SW-0664); the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and MFT Board (#RCST100501) and Speech and Hearing Professionals Board; the South Carolina Board of Examiners for Licensure of Professional Counselors and Therapists (#193), Examiners in Psychology, Social Worker Examiners, Occupational Therapy, and Examiners in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology; the Tennessee Board of Occupational Therapy; the Texas Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists (#114) and State Board of Social Worker Examiners (#5678); the West Virginia Board of Social Work; the Wyoming Board of Psychology; and is CE Broker compliant (#50-1635 – all courses are reported within a few days of completion).
