Alabama Psychologists Continuing Education Requirements

alabama psychologists continuing education

Alabama-licensed psychologists have a yearly license renewal with an October 15th deadline. Continuing education is due by September 30, and 20 hours are required for license renewal. There are no limits on home study if APA approved. The board accepts APA approval of continuing education hours.

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.

Continuing Education Requirements

Psychologists licensed in the state of Alabama have a license renewal every year with an October 15th deadline. Twenty (20) hours of continuing education are required in order to renew a license, and all continuing education is due by September 30th every year. There is no limit on home study if APA approved. The board accepts APA approval of continuing education credits.

Information obtained from the Alabama Board of Examiners in Psychology on July 25, 2014.

Online and Video Continuing Education Courses for Psychologists

From Contention to Contemplation: Overcoming Core Impasses in Couples Therapy is a 1-hour online video continuing education course. Many couples come to therapy emotionally disconnected from each other, polarized by a constant state of struggle and unable to see past the last fight. Couples often engage in a repetitive cycle of interaction, resulting in their feeling stuck and hopeless. Once this reciprocal pattern can be identified, couples can be empowered to break the pattern and learn new ways of relating to one another that better satisfies their needs. The purpose of this course is to train therapists to conduct a strength-based assessment and identify those dynamics in a couple’s interaction that serve to perpetuate unsatisfactory relationship patterns. Therapeutic techniques discussed include diagramming a couple’s vulnerability cycle using pictorial representations and facilitating new patterns by identifying the partners’ beliefs and core premises and providing training in retroactive analysis of conflictual interactions. Course #10-79 | 2014 | 54 minute video | 7 posttest questions

How Temperamental Differences Affect Young Children is a 2-hour online video continuing education course. Temperament plays a significant role in a child’s development, experience, relationships, and behaviors. Children often need supportive intervention to allow them to function in healthy ways and reach their potential. This video course will include a discussion of normal early childhood development and the range of normal functioning as it is impacted by temperament. The purpose of this course is to help participants understand the role that temperament plays in the trajectory of normal child development including inner experience, relationships, and behavior and learn effective, supportive interventions. It is intended for all types of therapists who work with children or their parents, as well as for school-based personnel and classroom teachers. Course #20-83 | 2014 | 14 posttest questions

Building Resilience in your Young Client is a 3-hour online course. It has long been observed that there are certain children who experience better outcomes than others who are subjected to similar adversities, and a significant amount of literature has been devoted to the question of why this disparity exists. Research has largely focused on what has been termed “resilience.” Health professionals are treating an increasing number of children who have difficulty coping with 21st century everyday life. Issues that are hard to deal with include excessive pressure to succeed in school, bullying, divorce, or even abuse at home. This course provides a working definition of resilience and descriptions of the characteristics that may be associated with better outcomes for children who confront adversity in their lives. It also identifies particular groups of children – most notably those with developmental challenges and learning disabilities – who are most likely to benefit from resilience training. The bulk of the course – presented in two sections – offers a wide variety of resilience interventions that can be used in therapy, school, and home settings. Course #30-72 | 2014 | 53 pages | 21 posttest questions

Bullying Prevention: Raising Strong Kids by Responding to Hurtful & Harmful Behavior is a 3-hour online video course. This video course starts with a thoughtful definition of “bullying” and goes on to illustrate the functional roles of the three participant groups: the targeted individuals, the bullies, and the bystanders. The speaker discusses the concepts of resiliency, empathy, and growth/fixed mindsets, and considers the pros and cons of alternative responses to harmful behavior. Included also are an examination of the utility of zero tolerance policies and a variety of adult responses when becoming aware of bullying behavior. The speaker utilizes multiple examples and scenarios to propose strategies and techniques intended to offer connection, support and reframing to targeted individuals, motivation to change in the form of progressive, escalating consequences to bullies, and multiple intervention options to bystanders. Further segments discuss ways in which schools can create safe, pro-social climates. Course #30-73 | 2014 | 21 posttest questions

Therapy with Coerced and Reluctant Clients is a 6-hour test-only course. This CE test is based on the book “Therapy with Coerced and Reluctant Clients” (2010, 233 pages). In this book, Brodsky examines the difficulties faced by therapists who work with involuntary clients including those who come to therapy through the judicial system. He addresses the challenges faced when working with reluctant clients including problem employees and teenagers or spouses persuaded to enter therapy. By looking at theory and research, Brodsky begins the process of considering alternatives to asking questions. He then identifies interventions and techniques that use assertive statements instead of asking questions to better address patient issues. Brodsky ends by exploring ways to work with client hostility, scorn and avoidance using case-studies as examples. Course #60-98 | 42 posttest questions