Closeout Sale – 50% Off Online CE Courses

Closeout CE Sale @pdresources.org

Our annual Closeout Sale is here, where you can save 50% on CE courses slated for retirement. But don’t worry, you’ll still have *3 years to complete for credit! (*Course expiration date varies by profession – for everyone except SLPs, you have 3 years to complete. SLPs must complete courses by the designated ASHA expiration date.)

Here are a handful of our newly added Closeout Courses:

DepressionDepression is a 1-hour online continuing education (CE) course that provides an introduction to the diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of depressive illness. Everyone occasionally feels blue or sad. But these feelings are usually short-lived and pass within a couple of days. When you have depression, it interferes with daily life and causes pain for both you and those who care about you. Depression is a common but serious illness. Many people with a depressive illness never seek treatment. But the majority, even those with the most severe depression, can get better with treatment. Medications, psychotherapies, and other methods can effectively treat people with depression. Some types of depression tend to run in families. However, depression can occur in people without family histories of depression too. Scientists are studying certain genes that may make some people more prone to depression. Some genetics research indicates that risk for depression results from the influence of several genes acting together with environmental or other factors. In addition, trauma, loss of a loved one, a difficult relationship, or any stressful situation may trigger a depressive episode. Other depressive episodes may occur with or without an obvious trigger. This introductory course provides an overview to the various forms of depression, including signs and symptoms, co-existing conditions, causes, gender and age differences, and diagnosis and treatment options. Closeout course #10-72 | 2014 | 14 pages | 10 posttest questions

Ten Reasons Not to Worry (Too Much) About Malpractice ClaimsTen Reasons Not to Worry (Too Much) About Malpractice Claims is a 1-hour online continuing education (CE) course that will enable therapists to become clear about the legal definition of malpractice and what it means for them. Using the data available and the opinions of experts – researchers, clinicians, and especially plaintiffs’ attorneys – the author presents ten reasons why the risk of a malpractice claim and its consequences are really not very high. Interspersed throughout are ethical points and risk management tips that enable therapists to adhere to very high standards of care, which add up to the best defense against malpractice worries. This course also addresses some cognitive sets that can cause unwarranted worry and attempts to offer more realistic perceptions on the motivations of clients who sue and those who tend to be litigious. Although suits are improbable, they can happen and are exceptionally distressing and disrupting to professionals. The final section summarizes ways therapists can employ the best ethical practices to prevent lawsuits and use therapeutic skills to manage them when they happen. Closeout course #10-64 | 2013 | 22 pages | 10 posttest questions

Forensic PsychologyForensic Psychology is a 1-hour online continuing education (CE) course that addresses a variety of forensic psychology topics in the form of 9 archived articles from The National Psychologist. Topics include:

  • Creating a forensic subspecialty
  • Veterans treatment courts quickly expanded
  • Providing mental health services in corrections
  • Mental health again is issue in gun control debate
  • Florida adopts Daubert standard for expert testimony
  • Ethics, psychology and the prison mess
  • Forensic psychology IS a specialty
  • The violence carousel keeps going around and around
  • Forensic opportunities abound.


This course is intended for psychotherapists of all specialties. Closeout course #10-73 | 2014 | 16 pages | 8 posttest questions

Lewy Body DementiaLewy Body Dementia: Information for Patients, Families, and Professionals is a 1-hour online continuing education (CE/CEU) course that explains what is known about the different types of LBD and how they are diagnosed. Most importantly, it describes how to treat and manage this difficult disease, with practical advice for both people with LBD and their caregivers. Lewy body dementia (LBD) is a disease associated with abnormal deposits of a protein called alpha-synuclein in the brain. These deposits, called Lewy bodies, affect chemicals in the brain whose changes, in turn, can lead to problems with thinking, movement, behavior, and mood. LBD is one of the most common causes of dementia, after Alzheimer’s disease and vascular disease. Dementia is a severe loss of thinking abilities that interferes with a person’s capacity to perform daily activities such as household tasks, personal care, and handling finances. Dementia has many possible causes, including stroke, tumor, depression, and vitamin deficiency, as well as disorders such as LBD, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s. Diagnosing LBD can be challenging for a number of reasons. Early LBD symptoms are often confused with similar symptoms found in brain diseases like Alzheimer’s. Also, LBD can occur alone or along with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease. This course is intended to help people with LBD, their families, and professionals learn more about the disease and resources for coping. It explains what is known about the different types of LBD and how they are diagnosed. Most importantly, it describes how to treat and manage this difficult disease, with practical advice for both people with LBD and their caregivers. Closeout course #10-76 | 2013 | 21 pages | 10 posttest questions

Bipolar Disorder in Children and AdolescentsBipolar Disorder in Children and Adolescents is a 1-hour online continuing education (CE) course that describes the symptoms and treatments for bipolar disorder (BPD) in children and adolescents. All parents can relate to the many changes their children go through as they grow up. But sometimes it’s hard to tell if a child is just going through a “phase,” or showing signs of something more serious. In the last decade, the number of children receiving the diagnosis of bipolar disorder, sometimes, called manic-depressive illness, has grown substantially. But what does the diagnosis really mean for a child? This course discusses bipolar disorder in children and teens, including signs and symptoms, differences between child/adolescent and adult BPD, diagnostic types, medications for BPD (along with their individual cautions), and other therapies. Closeout course #10-68 | 2012 | 24 pages | 10 posttest questions

Bipolar Disorder in AdultsBipolar Disorder in Adults is a 1-hour online continuing education (CE) course that provides a brief overview of the signs and symptoms, diagnostic considerations and treatment options for BPD in adults. Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out daily tasks. Symptoms of bipolar disorder can be severe. They are different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through from time to time. Bipolar disorder symptoms can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide. But bipolar disorder can be treated, and people with this illness can lead full and productive lives. This introductory course, from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), provides a brief overview of bipolar disorder in adults, including: signs and symptoms; diagnosis; risk factors; and treatment options. Closeout course #10-92 | 2012 | 28 pages | 10 posttest questions

Biology of AgingBiology of Aging: Research Today for a Healthier Tomorrow is a 2-hour online continuing education (CE/CEU) course that reviews the research on aging and provides insight into where the science is heading. What is aging? Can we live long and live well—and are they the same thing? Is aging in our genes? How does our metabolism relate to aging? Can your immune system still defend you as you age? Since the National Institute on Aging was established in 1974, scientists asking just such questions have learned a great deal about the processes associated with the biology of aging. Technology today supports research that years ago would have seemed possible only in a science fiction novel. This course introduces some key areas of research into the biology of aging. Each area is a part of a larger field of scientific inquiry. You can look at each topic individually, or you can step back to see how they fit together, interwoven to help us better understand aging processes. Research on aging is dynamic, constantly evolving based on new discoveries, and so this course also looks ahead to the future, as today’s research provides the strongest hints of things to come. Closeout course #20-85 | 2012 | 30 pages | 15 posttest questions

Celiac Disease: Basics & BeyondCeliac Disease: Basics & Beyond is a 2-hour online continuing education (CE/CEU) course that explains the basics of celiac disease from prevalence and pathophysiology to diagnosis and management. It also goes beyond the basics by including the dietary treatment of celiac disease from a registered dietitian’s perspective by outlining the steps of the nutrition care process from assessment to monitoring and evaluation. Two case studies are included to assist the health professional in understanding the patient’s perspective from pre-diagnosis to disease management. This course will be informative for anyone with celiac disease as well as registered dietitians and other health professionals who work with patients with celiac disease. Closeout course #20-76 | 2013 | 26 pages | 17 posttest questions

More courses available @pdresources.org!

All offers valid on future orders only. You will have up to 3 years from date of purchase to complete your courses, so feel free to stock up and save. The day you complete your online course test and evaluation is the date that will appear on your certificate of completion.

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 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 one week of completion).

Overweight at 50 Tied to Earlier Alzheimer’s

By Amy Norton

Overweight at 50 Tied to Earlier Alzheimer'sAvoiding middle-age spread could be one way to delay the onset of dementia, a new study hints.

Researchers found that among 142 elderly adults with Alzheimer’s disease, those who were overweight at age 50 tended to develop the memory-robbing disorder earlier.

On average, the study participants were 83 years old when diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. But that age of onset varied according to people’s weight at age 50: For each unit increase in body mass index (BMI), Alzheimer’s set in about seven months earlier, on average.

Other studies have found that obesity may boost the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. But this research suggests it also speeds the onset, said senior researcher Dr. Madhav Thambisetty, of the U.S. National Institute on Aging.

“We think that’s important because one of the goals in Alzheimer’s research is to find ways to delay the onset of the disease,” Thambisetty said.

The study, published online September 1, 2015 in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, does not prove that obesity, itself, hastens Alzheimer’s.

However, obese adults often have health conditions that have been linked to an increased Alzheimer’s risk, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.

In the study, Thambisetty’s team did account for those conditions — plus smoking — and found that a higher BMI at age 50 was still connected to earlier Alzheimer’s onset.

What’s more, brain autopsies showed that Alzheimer’s patients who’d been heavier in middle age generally had more brain “tangles” — twisted strands of protein that build up in the brains of people with the disease.

It’s not clear, however, whether those brain abnormalities are the reason for the earlier Alzheimer’s, Thambisetty said. Plus, he noted, there were some factors that his team could not account for — such as the quality of people’s diets.

That’s important because research has suggested, for instance, that a Mediterranean diet — rich in vegetables, fruit, and “good” fats from olive oil and fish — may help stave off Alzheimer’s, according to the Institute on Aging.

There is also evidence that exercise, both physical and mental, could have a protective effect.

Still, another Alzheimer’s researcher said the bottom line is this: The same factors that affect heart health may also affect brain health.

“This study confirms that there is a bundle of risk factors for Alzheimer’s that we can modify,” said Dr. Malaz Boustani, director of the Center for Brain Care Innovation at Indiana University and a spokesman for the American Federation on Aging Research.

The study findings come from a long-term review of nearly 1,400 older adults who were free of dementia at the outset. Just over 10 percent were eventually diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

The study can’t answer the question of why higher BMI — a calculation of body fat — in middle age was linked to earlier Alzheimer’s onset or to higher levels of brain tangles, Thambisetty said.

But, it’s “plausible” that obesity, itself, contributed, he said.

Many studies, he noted, have found that obesity can cause a state of chronic inflammation in the body, including the brain. And that inflammation might worsen the brain damage seen in people with Alzheimer’s.

While questions remain, there are already many health reasons to avoid mid-life obesity, Boustani pointed out. “This study gives people yet another reason to try to reduce their BMI,” he said.

Of course, he added, losing excess weight at the age of 40 or 50 is “no walk in the park.”

Thambisetty agreed, adding that’s why preventing obesity in the first place is key.

“We know that maintaining a healthy weight throughout life is important for a variety of reasons,” he said. “This study suggests that a healthy BMI, as early as mid-life, could also help delay Alzheimer’s disease.”

Source: http://consumer.healthday.com/cognitive-health-information-26/alzheimer-s-news-20/heavier-weight-in-middle-age-tied-to-earlier-alzheimer-s-702824.html

Related Online CEU Courses:

Lewy Body Dementia: Information for Patients, Families, and Professionals is a 1-hour online continuing education (CE/CEU) course that explains what is known about the different types of LBD and how they are diagnosed. Most importantly, it describes how to treat and manage this difficult disease, with practical advice for both people with LBD and their caregivers.

The Dementias: Hope through Research is a 1-hour online continuing education (CE/CEU) course that describes specific types of dementia and how the disorders are diagnosed and treated, including drug therapy.

Alzheimer’s Disease Progress Report: Intensifying the Research Effort is a 3-hour online continuing education (CE/CEU) course that reviews basic mechanisms and risk factors of AD and details recent research findings.

Alzheimer’s: Unraveling the Mystery is a 3-hour online CEU course that describes the risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease, effective steps for prevention, strategies for diagnosing and treating Alzheimer’s disease, and the search for new treatments.

Clinician’s Guide to Understanding, Evaluating & Treating Obesity – This course is designed to help clinicians enhance their working knowledge of the etiology and treatment of obesity. Case studies will elucidate different aspects of treatment.

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); 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 California Board of Behavioral Sciences; 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 Ohio Counselor, Social Worker & MFT Board; the South Carolina Board of Professional Counselors & MFTs; and by theTexas Board of Examiners of Marriage & Family Therapists and State Board of Social Worker Examiners.

Get the Facts About Alzheimer’s

By the National Institute on Aging

Alzheimer's DiseaseAlthough there are not yet any medications that can stop Alzheimer’s disease, several prescription drugs are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to help with some symptoms of the disease at various stages. Treating the symptoms of Alzheimer’s can provide patients with comfort, dignity, and independence for a longer period of time and can encourage and assist their caregivers as well.

NIA’s Alzheimer’s Disease Medications Fact Sheet describes the different drug treatments currently available, along with information about dosage and potential side effects. You can read this publication online, order copies on the ADEAR Center website, or call toll-free 1-800-438-4380. This information is also available in Spanish.

Be a part of the solution! Volunteers—people with Alzheimer’s or mild cognitive impairment and healthy individuals—are needed now to participate in Alzheimer’s clinical research. Find clinical trials and studies on the NIA Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral Center website.

Related Online Continuing Education (CE/CEU) Courses:

Alzheimer’s Disease Progress Report: Intensifying the Research Effort is a 3-hour online continuing education (CE/CEU) course that reviews basic mechanisms and risk factors of AD and details recent research findings.

Alzheimer’s Disease – Overview is a 1-hour online CEU course that provides an overview of the prevalence, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and progression of Alzheimer’s disease, as well as information about caregiving and caregiver support.

Alzheimer’s: Unraveling the Mystery is a 3-hour online CEU course that describes the risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease, effective steps for prevention, strategies for diagnosing and treating Alzheimer’s disease, and the search for new treatments.

Caring for a Person with Alzheimer’s Disease is a 3-hour online CEU course that discusses practical issues concerning caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease who has mild-to-moderate impairment, including a description of common challenges and coping strategies.

Lewy Body Dementia: Information for Patients, Families, and Professionals is a 1-hour online continuing education (CE/CEU) course that explains what is known about the different types of LBD and how they are diagnosed. Most importantly, it describes how to treat and manage this difficult disease, with practical advice for both people with LBD and their caregivers.

These online courses provides instant access to the course materials (PDF download) and CE test. Successful completion of the online CE test (80% required to pass, 3 chances to take) and course evaluation are required to earn a certificate of completion. You can print the test (download test from My Courses tab of your account after purchasing) and mark your answers on while reading the course document. Then submit online when ready to receive credit.

Professional Development Resources is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists; the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC ACEP #5590); the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB Provider #1046, ACE Program); the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA Provider #3159); the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR Provider #PR001); the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (#PCE1625); the Florida Boards of Social Work, Mental Health Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy (#BAP346), Psychology & School Psychology (#50-1635), Dietetics & Nutrition (#50-1635), and Occupational Therapy Practice (#34); the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker & MFT Board (#RCST100501); the South Carolina Board of Professional Counselors & MFTs (#193); and the Texas Board of Examiners of Marriage & Family Therapists (#114) and State Board of Social Worker Examiners (#5678).

Frontotemporal Disorders: Information for Patients, Families, and Caregivers

By the National Institute on Aging (NIA)

Few people have heard of frontotemporal disorders, which lead to dementias that affect personality, behavior, language, and movement. These disorders are little known outside the circles of researchers, clinicians, patients, and caregivers who study and live with them. Although frontotemporal disorders remain puzzling in many ways, researchers are finding new clues that will help them solve this medical mystery and better understand other common dementias.

The symptoms of frontotemporal disorders gradually rob people of basic abilities—thinking, talking, walking, and socializing— that most of us take for granted. They often strike people in the prime of life, when they are working and raising families. Families suffer, too, as they struggle to cope with the person’s daily needs as well as changes in relationships and responsibilities.

Frontotemporal Disorders: Information for Patients, Families, and CaregiversFrontotemporal Disorders: Information for Patients, Families, and Caregivers is a 1-hour introductory online continuing education (CE/CEU) course based on the NIA booklet that explains what is known about the different types of disorders and how they are diagnosed. It is meant to help people with frontotemporal disorders, their families, and caregivers learn more about these conditions and resources for coping. Most importantly, it describes how to treat and manage these difficult conditions, with practical advice for caregivers. Course #10-67 | 2014 | 36 pages | 10 posttest questions

This web-based online course provides instant access to the course materials (PDF download) and CE test. Successful completion of the online CE test (80% required to pass, 3 chances to take) and course evaluation are required to earn a certificate of completion. You can print the test (download test from My Courses tab of your account after purchasing) and mark your answers on while reading the course document. Then submit online when ready to receive credit.

Professional Development Resources is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists; the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC ACEP #5590); the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB Provider #1046, ACE Program); the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA Provider #3159); the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR Provider #PR001); the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (#PCE1625); the Florida Boards of Social Work, Mental Health Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy (#BAP346), Psychology & School Psychology (#50-1635), Dietetics & Nutrition (#50-1635), and Occupational Therapy Practice (#34); the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker & MFT Board (#RCST100501); the South Carolina Board of Professional Counselors & MFTs (#193); and the Texas Board of Examiners of Marriage & Family Therapists (#114) and State Board of Social Worker Examiners (#5678).

Lewy Body Dementia – New Online CE Course

By the National Institute on Aging (NIA)

Lewy Body Dementia: Information for Patients, Families, and ProfessionalsLewy body dementia (LBD) is a complex, challenging, and surprisingly common type of brain disorder with more than 1 million Americans affected by its disabling changes in the ability to think and move. This new course is intended to help people with LBD, their families, and professionals learn more about the disease and resources for coping.

Lewy Body Dementia: Information for Patients, Families, and Professionals is a new 1-hour introductory online course that explains what is known about the different types of LBD (a disease associated with abnormal deposits of a protein called alpha-synuclein in the brain) and how they are diagnosed. Most importantly, it describes how to treat and manage this difficult disease, with practical advice for both people with LBD and their caregivers. Course #10-76 | 2013 | 21 pages | 10 posttest questions

Professional Development Resources is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA); the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCCACEP #5590); the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB Provider #1046, ACE Program); the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA Provider #3159); the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR Provider #PR001); the CaliforniaBoard of Behavioral Sciences (#PCE1625); the Florida Boards of Social Work, Mental Health Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy (#BAP346), Psychology & School Psychology (#50-1635), Dietetics & Nutrition (#50-1635), and Occupational Therapy Practice (#34); the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker & MFT Board (#RCST100501); the South Carolina Board of Professional Counselors & MFTs (#193); and the Texas Board of Examiners of Marriage & Family Therapists (#114) and State Board of Social Worker Examiners (#5678).