Continuing Education for Licensed Psychologists, Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage & Family Therapists

Last revised: April 18, 2023

Please see below for current Continuing Education approval information categorized by license type and presentation format. We will keep this page updated with any new information as it is announced by the various licensing boards.

What is the difference between live and on-demand CEs?

  • Live "Synchronous" Continuing Education: Core, Ethics or Related CE hours earned through live "synchronous" webinars that occur in real time where students and instructor(s) are located on the same Zoom platform at the same time and are able to interact
  • On-Demand "Asynchronous" Continuing Education: Core, Ethics, or Related CE hours are obtained by watching pre-recorded video webinars and reviewing the included relevant handouts. The videos may be watched at your leisure with the ability to rewind, pause, etc. Students are required to pass a quiz on the material presented. Please check with your state, province, or country to determine how many asynchronous hours you are allowed per renewal period. For example, some states allow ethics hours to be obtained on-demand (“asynchronous”), while others do not. For Georgia clinicians, please see below.

What is the difference between Core, Ethics, and Related CEs?

  • Core Continuing Education (CE) Hours: Core hours are CE hours acquired in activities in the specialty in which the license is held, and must reflect content pertaining to the license type (e.g. Psychologists, Counselors, Social Worker, Marriage and Family Therapists). Core CEs may require approval for the CE activity by an association or licensing board that is specifically tailored to your license type, but this is not always the case. If so, to qualify for Psychology Core Hours, for example, a workshop must be approved to offer Core CE hours by a state psychology association or the American Psychological Association. However, in states like California, Social Workers and MFTs may take core hours approved by APA or NBCC. Please check your state requirements to be sure.
  • Ethics Continuing Education (CE) Hours: Ethics CE hours must be predominantly focused on ethical codes and guidelines as they apply to particular topic areas and follow the above approval requirements.
  • Related Continuing Education (CE) Hours: Related CE hours are acquired in activities in a specialty other than the one in which the license is held. For example, if a course has approval for psychologists and counselors but not Social Workers or MFTs, that course would fall under “related hours” for Social Workers and MFTs. Most states allow a certain number of related hours, but please check your state to be certain if necessary.


CE APPROVAL INFORMATION BY LICENSE TYPE

PSYCHOLOGISTS:

  • The Knowledge Tree (TKT) is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. TKT maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
  • Psychologists licensed in another state: The Knowledge Tree is a Continuing Education Sponsor Approved (CESA) through APA, therefore all of our workshops should satisfy your CE requirements in the United States, but please check your specific state’s rules and regulations.
  • Psychologists licensed in another country: We welcome your participation. Please check with your local authorities regarding continuing education.

COUNSELORS:

  • The Knowledge Tree has been approved by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) as an Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP), ACEP No. 7153. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. The Knowledge Tree is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
  • Counselors licensed in another state: As we are an NBCC ACEP, unless your state has special stipulations, all our workshops should satisfy your CE requirements in the United States, but please check your specific state’s rules and regulations.
  • Counselors licensed in Canada: TKT submits for approval for all workshops through the Canadian Counseling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA). All approved workshops state the event code of the approval on the web page and CE certificate.
  • Counselors licensed in other countries: We welcome your participation. Please check with your local authorities regarding continuing education.

SOCIAL WORKERS:

  • TKT submits for approval for all workshops through the Georgia Society for Clinical Social Work (GSCSW). All approved workshops state the approval number on the web page and CE certificate.
  • Social Workers licensed in another state: Most states will accept CEs for Social Workers if that workshop has approved status from another state association (e.g. GSCSW). Additionally, we have national approval for all our courses through APA & NBCC as stated above. Many states will accept APA and/or NBCC approved continuing education hours for Social Workers, but please check your specific state’s rules & regulations. We strongly recommend saving the course description and educational objectives, the certificate of completion you receive from the activity, and contacting your state board or organization to determine specific filing requirements.

MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPISTS:

  • TKT submits for approval for all workshops through the Georgia Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (GAMFT). All approved workshops state the approval number on the web page and CE certificate.
  • MFTs licensed in another state: Most states will accept CEs for Marriage & Family Therapists if that workshop has approved status from another state association (e.g. GAMFT). Additionally, we have national approval for all our courses through APA & NBCC as stated above. Many states will accept APA and/or NBCC approved continuing education hours for Marriage & Family Therapists, but please check your specific state’s rules & regulations. We strongly recommend saving the course description and educational objectives, the certificate of completion you receive from the activity, and contacting your state board or organization to determine specific filing requirements.

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GEORGIA. Since The Knowledge Tree (TKT) is based in Georgia, we have very specific information regarding each license type as follows:

Georgia Psychologists:

The Knowledge Tree (TKT) is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. TKT maintains responsibility for this program and its content. The Georgia State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (the "Board") has approved a new rule that will go into effect once Governor Kemp signs this rule and the required one year has passed. We are hoping for early 2024. This new rule will allow all CE hours to be obtained via online workshops (both real-time "synchronous" and pre-recorded, on-demand "asynchronous" webinars). Only Ethics hours will be required to be synchronous. However, until this new rule goes into effect, the Board rules have reverted back to pre-COVID status for 2023, meaning that 16 of your 40 required hours may be obtained online. The Board delineates this further in that six of those sixteen may be synchronous, and ten may be asynchronous. The other 24 hours must be obtained live and in-person, unless you wait to complete the remainder of your CEs until after the new rule is in effect (ideally 2024) or you submit a hardship waiver (click here to access the waiver) to the Board for health or other reasons preventing you from obtaining CE hours in-person. Please note that you will need to include medical records and/or a doctor's note for the waiver to be accepted. Dr. Beaton-York spends a considerable amount of time lobbying for the best interests of Georgia Psychologists and will continue to lobby for an earlier implementation of the 2024 revisions by attending Board meetings and working with leaders in the Georgia Psychological Association. We are still waiting on an update from the Board regarding this rule as of 4/18/23, but we will update this page with the most current information as soon as it is released.

Georgia Counselors:

The Knowledge Tree has been approved by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) as an Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP), ACEP No. 7153. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. The Knowledge Tree is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. Although it is not necessary, many of our workshops are also approved through the Licensed Professional Counselors Association of Georgia (LPCA-GA) as well as NBCC in order to reach students that don’t otherwise know about our school or if we are teaching a CPCS workshop. If a workshop has this additional approval, it will be listed on that workshop page. Nonetheless, all of our workshops are approved for CE hours for Georgia Counselors.

  • Live "Synchronous" Core: Per the Georgia Composite Board, all Core CE hours earned through live "synchronous" webinars will count the same as live in-person Core CE hours.
  • Live "Synchronous" Ethics: Per the Georgia Composite Board, all Ethics CE hours earned through live "synchronous" webinars will count the same as live in-person Ethics CE hours.
  • On-Demand "Asynchronous" Core: Per the Georgia Composite Board, Core CE hours are now permitted to be earned through on-demand "asynchronous" webinars, and will count the same as live in-person Core CE hours. Ten asynchronous hours are expressly permitted, and an additional five hours can be used as "independent study" hours. On-demand asynchronous ethics hours are counted as Core hours since ethics hours must be obtained synchronously.
  • On-Demand "Asynchronous" Ethics: Per the Georgia Composite Board, Ethics CE hours are currently NOT permitted to be earned through an "asynchronous" format. Ethics CEU hours must be earned in a "synchronous" format. As TKT receives both Ethics and Core CE hour approval for counselors for ethics workshops, Georgia Counselors can use these workshops as Core CE hours. Ten asynchronous hours are expressly permitted, and an additional five hours can be used as "independent study" hours.

Georgia Social Workers:

TKT submits for approval for all workshops through the Georgia Society for Clinical Social Work (GSCSW). All approved workshops state the approval number on the web page and CE certificate.

  • Live "Synchronous" Core: Per the Georgia Composite Board, all Core CE hours earned through live "synchronous" webinars will count the same as live in-person Core CE hours.
  • Live "Synchronous" Ethics: Per the Georgia Composite Board, all Ethics CE hours earned through live "synchronous" webinars will count the same as live in-person Ethics CE hours.
  • On-Demand "Asynchronous" Core: Per the Georgia Composite Board, Core CE hours are now permitted to be earned through on-demand "asynchronous" webinars, and will count the same as live in-person Core CE hours. Ten asynchronous hours are expressly permitted, and an additional five hours can be used as "independent study" hours. On-demand asynchronous ethics hours are counted as core hours since ethics hours must be obtained synchronously.
  • On-Demand "Asynchronous" Ethics: Per the Georgia Composite Board, Ethics CE hours are currently NOT permitted to be earned through an "asynchronous" format. Ethics CE hours must be earned in a "synchronous" format. TKT has Core CE approval for all On-Demand workshops through the Georgia Society of Clinical Social Worker (GSCSW). Ten asynchronous hours are expressly permitted, and an additional five hours can be used as "independent study" hours.

Georgia Marriage & Family Therapists:

TKT submits for approval for all workshops through the Georgia Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (GAMFT). All approved workshops state the approval number on the web page and CE certificate.

  • Live "Synchronous" Core: Per the Georgia Composite Board, all Core CE hours earned through live "synchronous" webinars will count the same as live in-person Core CE hours.
  • Live "Synchronous" Ethics: Per the Georgia Composite Board, all Ethics CE hours earned through live "synchronous" webinars will count the same as live in-person Ethics CE hours.
  • On-Demand "Asynchronous" Core: Per the Georgia Composite Board, Core CE hours are now permitted to be earned through on-demand "asynchronous" webinars, and will count the same as live in-person Core CE hours. Ten asynchronous hours are expressly permitted, and an additional five hours can be used as "independent study" hours. On-demand asynchronous ethics hours are counted as core hours since ethics hours must be obtained synchronously.
  • On-Demand "Asynchronous" Ethics: Per the Georgia Composite Board, Ethics CE hours are currently NOT permitted to be earned through an "asynchronous" format. Ethics CE hours must be earned in a "synchronous" format. Since TKT has national approval for all workshops through APA and NBCC, Georgia MFTs can count these workshops as "Related" hours. Ten asynchronous hours are expressly permitted, and an additional five hours can be used as "independent study" hours.