Top 9 Therapy Training Recommendations

Are you looking to stay ahead of the curve in the mental health field? With so many options out there, it can be hard to know where to start. But fear not! We've done the research and rounded up some of the most highly recommended continuing education opportunities, certifications, and CEUs by members of the mental health community.

In this resource, we have gathered the insights of therapists who have recently attended trainings and shared which ones they absolutely loved. The following trainings represent the best in the field and offer valuable insights for therapists and aspiring mental health professionals alike.

Heres what was recommend...

#1 Dr. Robert Rhoton's CCTS-I Training

Dr. Robert Rhoton's CCTS-I Training: A 20-hour training program, designed for licensed clinicians and mental health professionals with a Master's degree. The program provides you with a comprehensive understanding of the process of trauma treatment, including the different interventions and how to sequence them for optimal results. Upon completion, you will be eligible for certification with the Trauma Institute International.

#2 EMDR Basic Training

EMDR Basic Training: This training covers the fundamentals of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), a highly effective therapy for trauma and related disorders. You will learn how to apply EMDR therapy to your practice.

#3 Internal Family Systems (IFS) Training

Internal Family Systems (IFS) Training: Renowned trainers Richard Schwarz, Frank Anderson, and Derek Scott present this training in Internal Family Systems therapy. This approach views a person as composed of various parts or sub-personalities and aims to bring about healing and self-awareness by accessing and transforming these parts.

#4 Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Level 1

Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Level 1: Jennifer Gardner presents this training in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, which incorporates the connection between physical sensations and emotional experiences. This approach can be effective in treating trauma and other emotional issues.

#5 Anger Management Training with Anita Avedian

Anger Management Training with Anita Avedian: Anita Avedian's anger management training is designed to help mental health professionals understand and work with clients who struggle with anger issues.

#6 Feeling Good Institute TEAM CBT Trainings

The Feeling Good Institute TEAM-CBT therapy training program focuses on mastering the effective TEAM-CBT approach to therapy. This training program is designed for therapists and mental health professionals who are looking to take their therapy practice to the next level by incorporating the latest and most effective techniques in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

Under the guidance of Dr. David Burns, participants will learn how to effectively apply the four crucial elements of TEAM-CBT - Testing, Empathy, Agenda-Setting, and Methods - to their therapy practice, resulting in more effective outcomes for their clients. With a proven track record of success, the Feeling Good Institute's TEAM-CBT therapy training program is highly recommended for mental health professionals looking to enhance their skills and make a positive impact on their clients' lives.

#7 DBT Skills and DBT for Adolescents and Families from Behavioral Tech/PsychWire

DBT Skills and DBT for Adolescents and Families from Behavioral Tech/PsychWire: This training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) equips you with the skills to apply this highly effective treatment for a range of mental health disorders, including mood and anxiety disorders, personality disorders, and eating disorders.

#8 Somatic Experiencing Trauma Healing Program

Somatic Experiencing Trauma Healing Program: This program focuses on the connection between physical sensations and emotional experiences and is designed to help mental health professionals effectively treat clients who have experienced trauma.

Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a body-focused therapy model used to treat trauma and other stress-related disorders. Developed by Dr. Peter A. Levine, SE combines elements of physiology, psychology, biology, neuroscience, and indigenous healing practices. With over four decades of clinical application, SE is widely used across multiple professions including psychotherapy, medicine, coaching, teaching, and physical therapy.

SE aims to heal traumatic shock, which is a key factor in PTSD and emotional and developmental attachment trauma. It offers a framework for identifying where a person is "stuck" in their fight, flight, or freeze response and provides tools to resolve these physiological states. SE has been effective in treating a range of issues, including mental health, addiction, physical and occupational therapy, education, and more.

Trauma can be caused by a wide range of stressors such as accidents, medical procedures, abuse, loss, birth trauma, or ongoing fear and conflict. The SE approach addresses the root cause of trauma symptoms by guiding clients to develop tolerance for difficult sensations and emotions. It facilitates the completion of self-protective motor responses and the release of survival energy that is bound in the body.

Inspired by the way animals deal with stress, Dr. Levine discovered that trauma is related to the freeze response to perceived life-threatening situations. When fight and flight are not options, we freeze, immobilizing ourselves and "playing dead" to avoid becoming a target. However, this response is time-sensitive and requires the discharge of energy through shaking and trembling. If this immobility phase doesn't complete, the energy remains trapped and the body remains under threat. The SE method releases this stored energy and turns off the threat alarm, helping to resolve severe dysregulation and dissociation. SE takes a "body first" approach to healing, understanding that trauma often has physical effects that must be addressed in order to fully heal.

#9 Accelerated Resolution Therapy

Accelerated Resolution Therapy: This training equips you with the skills to apply Accelerated Resolution Therapy, a unique and highly effective treatment for trauma and related disorders.

Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) is a revolutionary form of psychotherapy that enables clients to quickly replace negative thoughts with positive ones. This approach, which is typically completed within a single session, incorporates eye movements and well-established therapies such as Gestalt, Psychodynamic Therapy, and Guided Imagery to achieve its therapeutic effects.

ART is recognized as evidence-based by the Society of Clinical Psychology and the Division 12 of the American Psychological Association (APA). ART has been used to treat a wide range of mental health issues, including Post Traumatic Stress (PTS), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Generalized Anxiety, Eating Disorders, and even reading difficulties associated with dyslexia. During an ART session, the client is in control of the process and guided by the ART therapist without having to discuss details of the traumatic experience.

The therapy is a procedural and creative process, and clients often describe the sessions as calming and joyful. ART has been shown to effectively treat anxiety, depression, phobias, panic attacks, addictions, performance anxiety, family issues, victimization, relationship problems, grief, job-related stress, pain management, memory enhancement, and more.