6 Best Psychology Continuing Education Companies

After working through your graduate degree, standardized tests, supervised work experience, and any other state-specific requirements, you’ll be finished with your journey to becoming a licensed psychologist. It’s a major achievement.

Now that you have your license, what you may not realize is you’re now starting a new journey: keeping your license current. One of the biggest parts of keeping your license active is means completing your required hours of continuing education (CE).

Every year, every other year, or every few years (depending on where you’re licensed), you’re required to earn a certain number of CE credit hours. Each state has its own CE requirements. Some mandate only a few hours of CE a year, while others require 20 hours or more.

Besides the required hours, some regions also dictate certain topics. For instance, psychologists in Alaska are required to take a CE course that covers ethics, while those in Nevada must spend two credit hours learning about evidence-based suicide prevention and awareness.

 

After you’re aware of your region’s CE regulations and know what’s required, it’s time to find a CE provider. With so many different options for psychology CE, it can be difficult to know which one to choose.

Before committing to potentially pricey CE course, make sure you’re picking a quality one that has what you’ll need to hit your CE hours.

Confused where to start? We’ve put together a list of six quality psychology CE providers that will help you earn your CE credit hours — while helping you learn about a bevy of psychology information.

Comparing 6 Popular Psychology CE Providers

Each of these providers offers a wide range of classes on everything from animal therapy to addiction. Whether you’re interested in an online course or something book-based, with AATBS, CE4Less, CE@Home, the American Psychological Association (APA), ZUR Institute, and CE-Classes, you’ll be sure to find the best CE courses to fit your learning style.

Course CostSubscription CostBoard Approved?Type Of ContentCredit Hours Per CourseQuick Review
AATBS Courses range from $15-$135 Subscriptions available $9.99 (monthly), $199 (yearly) Yes: APA, ASWB, and NBCC Online (text-based and video) and printed (text-based) 1-14 CE hours An affordable option with the subscription with plenty of course topics
CE4Less Free ethics course; paid courses range from $6-$59 Subscription tiers: $74.99 (one year), $129.99 (two years), $599.99 (lifetime access) Yes: APA, NBCC, ASWB, NAADAC, CCAPP, CADTP, and Florida Dept. of Health Online (some courses require books) 1-15 CE hours Another affordable option with a variety of course types
CE@Home Courses are about $200 each No subscription option Yes: APA and NYSED Book-based 3-30 CE hours Great option for people who learn best from a book, but expensive
APA Courses start at $35 (or $25 for APA members); high end $260 ($195 members) No subscription option Yes: APA and NYSED Online courses, article-based, book-based 1-13 CE hours Cheaper with APA membership, but pricey; very reliable info
ZUR Institute Courses range from $19-$199 No subscription option Yes: NBCC, APA, ASWB, NAADAC, Florida Board, NYSED, and CCAPP Online courses (some are article-based, have audio or video) 1-26 CE hours Variety of class styles and topics; pricey
CE Classes A few free classes, others range from $11-$1,200 No subscription option Yes: APA, ASWB, Florida Board, CCAPP, and others depending on class Online, webinar, and live workshop 1-40 CE hours Wide board approval; a lot of affordable courses
AATBS
Course Cost Courses range from $15-$135
Subscription Cost Subscriptions available $9.99 (monthly), $199 (yearly)
Board Approved? Yes: APA, ASWB, and NBCC
Type Of Content Online (text-based and video) and printed (text-based)
Credit Hours Per Course 1-14 CE hours
Quick Review An affordable option with the subscription with plenty of course topics
CE4Less
Course Cost Free ethics course; paid courses range from $6-$59
Subscription Cost Subscription tiers: $74.99 (one year), $129.99 (two years), $599.99 (lifetime access)
Board Approved? Yes: APA, NBCC, ASWB, NAADAC, CCAPP, CADTP, and Florida Dept. of Health
Type Of Content Online (some courses require books)
Credit Hours Per Course 1-15 CE hours
Quick Review Another affordable option with a variety of course types
CE@Home
Course Cost Courses are about $200 each
Subscription Cost No subscription option
Board Approved? Yes: APA and NYSED
Type Of Content Book-based
Credit Hours Per Course 3-30 CE hours
Quick Review Great option for people who learn best from a book, but expensive
APA
Course Cost Courses start at $35 (or $25 for APA members); high end $260 ($195 members)
Subscription Cost No subscription option
Board Approved? Yes: APA and NYSED
Type Of Content Online courses, article-based, book-based
Credit Hours Per Course 1-13 CE hours
Quick Review Cheaper with APA membership, but pricey; very reliable info
ZUR Institute
Course Cost Courses range from $19-$199
Subscription Cost No subscription option
Board Approved? Yes: NBCC, APA, ASWB, NAADAC, Florida Board, NYSED, and CCAPP
Type Of Content Online courses (some are article-based, have audio or video)
Credit Hours Per Course 1-26 CE hours
Quick Review Variety of class styles and topics; pricey
CE Classes
Course Cost A few free classes, others range from $11-$1,200
Subscription Cost No subscription option
Board Approved? Yes: APA, ASWB, Florida Board, CCAPP, and others depending on class
Type Of Content Online, webinar, and live workshop
Credit Hours Per Course 1-40 CE hours
Quick Review Wide board approval; a lot of affordable courses

Even though these providers have been approved by the APA and other psychological authorities, make sure they’re approved by your state. Every state has its own CE standards. Many of them are fine with courses reviewed by the APA, but not all of them follow this standard. For the most up-to-date CE requirements, check your state’s psychology board site.

If your state offers a homestudy option for CE, or you’re looking for a local CE provider, here’s a useful list of APA-approved sponsors of CE.

Psychology CE Providers Reviews

While each of the six CE providers has positives and negatives, every one of them gives a licensed psychologist with a decent course catalogue and plenty of CE topics to select from. Choice-wise what it really comes down to is 1) how much you’re willing to spend on CE and 2) your preferred course format.

With this in mind, here’s a bit more information about each CE provider.

AATBS

Price

  • Single course: $15-135
  • Subscription: $9.99 monthly, $199 yearly

Sample Courses

  • Suicide Prevention, Risk Assessment, and Intervention (6 CE); $79.99
  • Domestic Violence: Spousal and Partner Abuse (8 CE); $81.99
  • Bipolar Disorder (3 CE); $32.99
  • Racial/Ethnic Differences in Mental Health Service Use Among Adults (2 CE); $24.99
  • Psychiatric Evaluation of Adults (6 CE); $64.99

If you’re searching for board-certified, affordable CE courses, AATBS is a strong option for psychology CE. They offer courses both online and offline. Getting a subscription for their classes will save you money in the long-term. AATBS does sometimes have deals to help save even more on their CE classes. For instance, if you refer a friend to the site, they can save 15% on a class and you get a $25 Amazon gift card. The only downside to AATBS is that it has a smaller course catalogue than the other providers. If you’re looking for a very specific topic, you may not find it on AATBS, but there are still a variety of CE classes on the site

CE4Less

Price:

  • Single course: $6-$59
  • Subscription: $74.99 one year, $129.99 two years, $599.99 lifetime access

Sample Courses:

  • Intimate Partner Violence (9 CE); $53.91
  • Dropping the Baby and Other Scary Thoughts (7 CE); $41.93
  • Clinicians in Court: A Guide to Subpoenas, Depositions, Testifying, and Everything Else You Need to Know – Second Edition (6 CE); $35.94
  • Binge Drinking and Alcohol Misuse Among College Students and Young Adults, Advances in Psychotherapy (5 CE); $29.95
  • Frontotemporal Disorders (1 CE); $5.99

Like AATBS, CE4Less also offers a subscription option — and it’s cheaper to subscribe for two years than it is for one at AATBS. CE4Less has an enormous course catalogue with more than 180 CE classes. A major win for CE4Less: it offers a free ethics course. Many states require ethics as a part of a psychologist’s CE requirements, so this is a plus. Some of the classes do require a book, which will cost extra on top of the class cost, but if you choose to subscribe, you’ll only have to worry about paying for this part of the course. For psychologists on a CE budget, CE4Less is a strong option.

CE@Home

Price:

  • Single course: $175-$310
  • No subscription option

Sample Courses:

  • FULL CATASTROPHE LIVING: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness (20 CE); $310
  • WHITE FRAGILITY: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism (6 CE); $175
  • THE INDUCTION OF HYPNOSIS: An Ericksonian Elicitation Approach (8 CE); $200
  • AFRICAN AMERICAN PATIENTS IN PSYCHOTHERAPY: Understanding the Psychological Effects of Racism and Oppression (6 CE); $180
  • DELUSIONS OF GENDER: How our Minds, Society, and Neurosexism Create Difference (8 CE); $200

Unlike AATBS and CE4Less, CE@Home offers a completely book-based way to earn your CE credits. If you prefer to take in information from a physical book instead of reading characters on a screen, CE@Home offers more than 400 course options. Because there isn’t a subscription offer, this CE resource is more expensive. What’s convenient is that many of CE@Home’s classes offer higher numbers of CE credits, making it easier to reach your total.

APA

Price:

  • Single course: $35 ($25 for APA members) to $260 ($195 for APA members)
  • No subscription option for classes

Sample Courses:

  • Personalizing Psychotherapy: Assessing and Accommodating Patient Preferences (1.5 CE); $50 nonmembers, $35 members
  • Why Treatment Works: Psychological and Physiological Mechanisms in the Treatment of Pediatric Mood Disorders (3 CE); $80 nonmembers, $65 members
  • Intraregional Migration in Latin America: Psychological Perspectives on Acculturation and Intergroup Relations (5 CE); $100 nonmembers, $75 members
  • Emotion-Focused Family Therapy: A Transdiagnostic Model for Caregiver-Focused Interventions (6 CE); $120 nonmembers, $90 members
  • Ethical Conflicts in Psychology, Fifth Edition (12 CE); $240 nonmembers, $180 members

If you’re looking for a CE provider with a trustworthy name and plenty of options for course style, using the APA for CE credits could be the best option for you. The classes are well-organized, making it very simple to find exactly what you’re looking for. The downside is this convenience (and name) comes at a cost. Many of the APA’s classes are quite expensive. Being a member of the APA helps save a bit of money, but it’s pricey and you aren’t saving that much in the long run.

ZUR Institute

Price:

  • Single course: $19-$199
  • No subscription option

Sample Courses:

  • Child Abuse in Psychotherapy, Counseling, and Nursing: Assessment and Reporting (7 CE); ($79)
  • Artificial Intelligence and Mental Health (2 CE); $29
  • Clients’ Attachment Styles and Therapy Outcomes (5 CE); $59
  • Autism in Females: Overlooked and Underserved (2 CE); $29
  • Intimate Partner Violence: Towards a More Comprehensive Understanding of Maladaptive Coping in Relationships (7 CE); $79

ZUR Institute may not offer a subscription program, but what it does offer is affordably priced classes. For instance, there are several courses that are seven CE credit hours for $79. Besides a decent price, there is an enormous amount of variety in their class offerings. There are 27 different topics on ZUR Institute. There’s even a class that examines ethnics through the lens of film: Boundaries and the Movies: Learning About the Ethics of Therapeutic Boundaries Through Movies. ZUR Institute doesn’t have APA’s name recognition, but it does have a strong course catalogue with affordable options.

CE Classes

Price:

  • Single course: $11-$1,549
  • No subscription option

Sample Courses:

  • Trauma-Informed Care Clinical Issues Across Services (2 CE); $20
  • Supervising a Peer Support Whole Health and Wellness Program (3 CE); $30
  • The Development and Maintenance of Drug Addiction (1 CE); $11
  • Personal Transformation Institute: 6-Day EMDR Training (40 CE); $1,549
  • Pre-Prison and Current Suicide Ideation among Women Serving Life Sentences (2 CE); $22

For a CE provider with a massive course selection and variety of course styles, try CE Classes. One of their classes, Personal Transformation Institute: 6-Day EMDR Training, is 40 CE. Completing your entire CE requirement through one course would be very convenient — though it does come with a hefty price ($1,549). CE Classes doesn’t offer a subscription program, which means your courseload may be expensive. Even still, the provider has board approval and is worthy of consideration.

Which Psychology CE Provider Will You Choose?

With so many options for psychology CE it can be difficult to know which provider to choose. Hopefully, this guide took away some of the confusion. With the options laid out, now it’s time for you to pick the provider who best fits your CE needs. Happy learning!