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The best trainings for therapists to work on professional development

Discover the best trainings for therapists to enhance your skills, stay current with techniques, and improve client outcomes.

August 6, 2025

8 min read

It takes a lot of hard work to become a therapist. To get where you are today, you had to spend years in school, complete hands-on training, and receive state licensure.

Even still, there’s always more to learn. To offer your clients the best care possible, it’s important to keep your skills sharp (plus learn new ones), stay abreast of evolving research, and continue developing your worldview to improve your connection with and understanding of the people in your care. 

Professional development training courses allow you to do all of the above and more. Here are trainings for mental health professionals that will help level up your therapy practice.

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Why ongoing training matters for mental health professionals

To keep your license active, you’ll need to regularly take part in continuing education courses. Continuing education requirements vary depending on the type of license you hold and the state(s) in which you practice — but all therapists are expected to complete continuing education units (CEUs) to ensure they are able to offer high-quality care that incorporates the latest knowledge in the field. Learn more about your state’s requirements — and the no-cost continuing education resources available to Headway providers.

Remember that not all training courses, instructional videos, and webinars count toward continuing education requirements; some are purely informational, and that’s OK. Whether it’s “official” or not, supplemental education can enrich your practice by improving your therapeutic, business, and operational skills. 

Don’t think of training as yet another task that needs to be crossed off your list, but rather as a valuable opportunity to grow as a person and a provider — and to make sure you’re helping your clients as much as possible.

How to choose the right training for your practice

Therapists have no shortage of training options from which to choose. How can anyone decide which ones to take?

The best training for you is the one that matches your personal and professional goals, and one that helps fill in gaps in your skill set. To narrow down the list, think about factors including:

  • Your treatment specialties: If you would like to work with particular populations or use specialized treatment approaches, look for related training courses to deepen your skills and set you apart from the competition.
  • Training accreditation status: If you’re trying to fulfill continuing education requirements needed to maintain your license, make sure your selected training is accredited for your state and license type. Non-accredited trainings may have value, too — but it’s best to know up front if the course will “count” or not.
  • Format: Some trainings are online-only, while others happen in person. Online trainings are convenient, of course, but keep in mind that some states limit the number of continuing education hours that can be completed remotely via “self-study.”
  • Time commitment: Some courses are much more intensive than others. Think about your continuing education requirements, as well as your personal and professional obligations, when adding one to your schedule.
  • Cost-benefit analysis: Training courses are vital to your growth as a provider, but they can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Cheaper isn’t always better, though. Even with a high price tag, a particular lesson may pay off for you — if, for example, it allows you to start seeing a new type of client, or imparts business skills needed to expand your practice.

Top evidence-based therapy training programs

Many therapists take courses to learn or understand better treatment methods they can use in sessions to help patients. Supplemental training can enhance what you learned in school and make sure that you’re using the latest and greatest treatment approaches, especially given the fast-moving pace of research. Evidence-based treatment training programs to consider include:

American Counseling Association (ACA)

The ACA offers more than 200 accredited training courses covering a wide variety of subjects, from trauma treatment to suicide prevention to couples counseling. Text- or video-based modules are available, and fees are often around $30.

American Psychological Association (APA)

The APA’s continuing education courses are available not just to psychologists, but also to other mental health professionals looking to bulk up their resumes. Text- and webinar-based training sessions are available on a range of topics, from cognitive behavioral therapy to autism diagnosis. Many fees are below $100.

PESI

PESI, or the Professional Education Systems Institute, is a great option for therapists in search of in-depth training options. Its course catalog includes intensive sessions on evidence-based treatment approaches including EMDR, DBT, somatic therapy, internal family systems therapy, and more. Fees range from several hundred dollars to over $1,000. Many courses are offered online, while others are in-person seminars.

Specialized training for specific populations

Cultural competency is an important skill for any therapist, since clinicians need to be able to understand and empathize with whoever walks through their doors. Some training modules focus specifically on this concept, helping therapists better connect with clients from different backgrounds and demographics to offer more inclusive care. These include:

OutCare Health

OutCare’s accredited training sessions prepare clinicians to work with clients who identify as LGBTQIA+. Courses start with the very basics (like relevant terminology and history), and work up to more complex topics like trauma-informed care for LGBTQIA+ clients. Prices start at only $9.

Violet

Violet is an accredited training program that specializes in health equity and cultural competence education. Clinicians can learn about everything from overcoming implicit biases to providing culturally sensitive care for BIPOC clients in a convenient, virtual format.

Center for Adolescent Studies

Many national organizations count the Center for Adolescent Studies’ training programs toward their approved continuing education requirements. Topics include mindfulness, trauma-informed care, and substance-use treatment for youth. The scope and cost of these courses vary, from those that are free and self-paced to multi-day intensives that cost close to $1,000.

Technology and telehealth training opportunities

Teletherapy skyrocketed in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it hasn’t gone away. With so many clients clamoring for virtual therapy, modern therapists need to be tech savvy to attract new clients and meet their needs. The following training programs may help shore up technical skills:

Telehealth Certification Institute

In addition to courses specifically focused on delivering care using telehealth, the Telehealth Certification Institute also offers lessons on more niche topics like how therapists can effectively use social media and online forums. Naturally, there are plenty of virtual training options. Costs vary depending on the intensity of the program; some are offered as free training videos that do not count toward continuing education requirements.

APA

In addition to its treatment-specific training options, the APA has a robust library of educational materials related to technology and telehealth. Sessions cover everything from the basics of delivering care remotely to the use of artificial intelligence in mental health care. The APA also has a wide array of business- and practice-focused webinars, outside of its formal continuing education content.

Cost-effective training solutions

Training and continuing education courses are worth investing in, given the benefits they offer you, your practice, and your clients. But there’s no denying that costs can add up and become a strain, particularly for new providers or those working on a tight budget. Luckily, cost-effective options are out there for thrifty clinicians:

Headway

Joining the Headway platform comes at no cost to providers. Even better, Headway providers get a big perk when they join: access to continuing education materials from major providers like PESI and Violet. With these materials, Headway providers gain hours of valuable training without paying a cent. 

ACA

Many of the ACA’s training modules do cost money, but the organization offers quite a few options for free — sometimes even without requiring association membership. Therapists can learn about topics including post-disaster resilience, mental health technology, professional liability, and more without paying anything.

CE4Less

Recognizing that continuing education can get expensive, CE4Less offers an innovative subscription model. For $89.99 per year, mental health providers get unlimited access to text-based training courses. Or, for $249.99 per year, they get unlimited access to text plus live and on-demand video options.

Balancing professional development with practice demands

Patient care, administrative work, and practice management take up enough of a therapist’s time — where is training and continuing education supposed to fit in? 

It’s not always easy to balance these competing demands. But, luckily, many courses are now available virtually, in formats that make it easy to complete them on your own time — like on-demand webinars and asynchronous classes that can be broken down into bite-sized chunks. 

Many therapists succeed with a blended approach, setting aside some time each year to attend conferences, seminars, and other in-person training opportunities, while doing the rest of their learning remotely in small spurts, to accommodate their busy clinical schedules.

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This content is for general informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute clinical, legal, financial, or professional advice. All decisions should be made at the discretion of the individual or organization, in consultation with qualified clinical, legal, or other appropriate professionals.

© 2026 Therapymatch, Inc. dba Headway. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission.

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