CPD for Therapists

What is CPD?

CPD – Continuing Professional Development.

A counsellor, therapist or coach continues to develop themselves professionally. So much of a therapists professional competence is related to their own level of personal development. Therefore a therapist needs to keep themselves in good mental and emotional shape.

In practice this means that, even after accreditation, the therapist continues to do some or all of the following:

• Go on training courses and workshops,
• Have clinical supervision
• Read industry journals and websites.
• Go to personal therapy or coaching.
• Read books about therapeutic models and approaches to personal development
• Be mindful of and actively engaged with their own personal and professional development

How do therapists do CPD?

A responsible therapist will be using something called, ‘self-reflective practice’.

Questions that the therapists ask him or herself regularly throughout their working week are,

• What am I aware of in myself while working with this client? (e.g. any unease or over-confidence – take these things to supervision or self-supervision)
• What is the level of knowledge that I hold about the presenting issues of my cases? What else might I need to know? How will I get that knowledge?
• What is an honest appraisal of my level of experience with this type of issue? Do I need to step out of my comfort zone and work with wider issues? Am I over-stretching myself? Be honest!

How therapists choose which CPD to do

Therapists should be able to give a rationale for the personal and professional development activities that they engage in.

Therapists ask:

• What benefits to myself will I get from taking on this CPD activity?
• How will those gains enrich my work with clients?

Why I think CPD for therapists and coaches is essential.

• It is ethical practice, in terms of doing no harm (e.g. bringing therapists unconscious material to light and not having blind spots that could taint the therapeutic effect for clients)
• To prevent complacency and retain an enquiring attitude
• To keep the therapist fresh and enthusiastic, mentally stimulated, and (emotionally) nourished
• As part of self-care and reduce the risk of burnout.

For therapists, personal development is professional development

Therapists should be always asking themselves, “What do I need for me to be nourished?” and “How can I grow as a person?”