5 More Places for Free Accredited Continuing Education for Mental Health Therapists

Where can Licensed Mental Health Counselors find Free, Accredited CE Courses? We've done the research for you!

Licensed mental health counselors know how important it is to stay current with best practices, ethics, and emerging research. The challenge is finding quality CE courses that are both free and accredited. In this second post of our series, we’re highlighting more reliable places where you can earn CE credits online without breaking the bank. Continuing education doesn’t have to drain your professional budget!  1) Counselor’s Choice Award https://www.counselorschoiceaward.com/freecourses has about 18 hours total free CE courses that are accredited by the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC). Many courses, including the Certificate of Completion, are completely free because it supported by donors who pay-it-forward. Upon passing the post test, you'll get your CE certificate immediately emailed to you. We are an organization that recognizes innovative products and services that have made a positive impact on the counseling profession. The website includes details about the award nomination process, including how to submit a nomination or apply directly to the award. Past honorees of the award and tools are listed for counselors. The website is designed to provide a platform for companies and organizations to showcase their contributions to the counseling profession and to gain recognition and credibility within the industry. Private and group practices also use the award to distinguish themselves as ethical business practices. The site is a valuable resource for counselors who are interested in learning about new products and services that can enhance their practice. 2) The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN): https://learn.nctsn.org/ is a federally funded initiative dedicated to improving care and outcomes for children and adolescents who have experienced trauma, as well as their families. The NCTSN provides up-to-date, science-based resources in assessment, treatment, services, training, research, and systems change to support professionals and organizations working in mental health, education, child welfare, and related fields. Their growing online learning catalog includes courses and webinars tailored for mental health providers, caregivers, and policymakers, with many offerings eligible for continuing education credits. This makes NCTSN a valuable resource for counselors seeking both professional development and practical tools to strengthen trauma-informed care. 3) Move, Play, Thrive is the home of the Brain and Sensory Foundations® training programs, which focus on neurodevelopmental movement as a foundation for learning, behavior, emotional regulation, and overall well-being. The site offers continuing education courses designed for mental health professionals, occupational therapists, educators, and other practitioners who work with children and adults. These evidence-informed trainings emphasize the role of reflex integration and developmental movement patterns in supporting brain function, and many courses qualify for professional CE credit. 4) Clearly Clinical https://courses.clearlyclinical.com/pages/free-ceu-courses offers a free, one-hour CE course through their podcast episode Resilience in Action: Why Some Bounce Back from Trauma, featuring Dr. Donald Meichenbaum, co-founder of CBT, in conversation with Elizabeth Irias, LMFT. The course explores evidence-based resilience factors such as meaning-making, social support, and cognitive strategies that help individuals recover after trauma. To earn credit, you simply listen to the podcast, pass a brief post-test, and complete an evaluation, after which you’ll receive an accredited CE certificate recognized by APA, NBCC, ASWB, NAADAC, CCAPP, and CAMFT. This makes it an accessible and high-quality professional development opportunity for mental health providers seeking free continuing education.

5) Person Centered Tech’s Marketplace  https://personcenteredtech.com/marketplace/ offers a free, one-hour CE course titled Solo Practice Care Basic: Solo Service Selection Workbook + Intro HIPAA Training, designed to help mental health professionals understand and begin complying with the HIPAA Security Rule. This guided reading introduces key concepts around digital security, including clinicians’ responsibilities under HIPAA, how to identify and work with HIPAA Business Associates, and appropriate responses to security incidents. Tailored for counselors, marriage and family therapists, social workers, and psychologists, the course provides practical tools and resources for building a secure, compliant solo practice while earning free one hour of free CE credit. 6) After asking hundreds of CE providers for you, we also wanted to let you know that the Idaho Counseling Association has occasional free events they put on. Most of them are not free but they do have scholarships available if you ask! https://www.idahocounseling.org/events As a final reminder, be careful out there with getting your Continuing Education courses. Most online courses that are free are not accredited. You will not be getting a certificate that can help meet your state licensure requirements. If you buy your CE courses through a single vendor, be very careful about your State or local requirements. Not all States allow you to meet your CE requirement with fully remote/online courses nor allow you to meet your licensure requirement by purchasing from only a single vendor. It's in the CE vendor's best interest to not tell you that. We found some websites that flat-out lie to you would be able to meet all your CE requirements with them. Even when you check their website for your State's requirements. The vendor may lie about what the law requires you to do. That just isn't true for everyone in every State! Be careful and read your State and local requirements very carefully, directly from the licensing body, not the vendor selling you something! We're biased, but you should get your CE courses directly from Counselor's Choice Award to avoid finding out your CE courses aren't accredited the hard way!