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Continuing Education

*** The Board does not pre-approve CE courses or providers. ***

Requirements (After 2022)

  • The normal CE requirements will revert for the 2024 reporting period and beyond.
  • LPCs and LMFTs must complete at least 40 clock hours of continuing education (CE) during each 24-month reporting period, which must include:
    • 6 clock hours clock hours of training in professional ethics and/or Oregon State laws and regulations pertaining to the practice of professional counseling or marriage and family therapy;
    • 4 clock hours of training in cultural competency; 
    • 2 clock hours of Suicide Risk Assessment, Treatment and Management; and
    • For licensees who supervise registered associates, including all licensees on the Supervisor Registry, 3 clock hours of supervision-related training.
  • Your CE "reporting period" is the 24-month period from your license renewal in one even-numbered year to the next license renewal in the subsequent even-numbered year.
    • For example, if your birth month is June, your CE reporting period would be from July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2018.  You would report when you renew your license in June, 2018.
    • If you received your initial license less than 12 months before CE is due, then no CE is due.  If you received your initial license between 12 and 23 months before CE is due, then 20 clock hours of CE is due.  For example, if your birth month is September and you are initially licensed in August 2017, then you would report a minimum of 20 clock hours of CE when you renew in September 2018. For licensees that submit prorated CE clock hours will also submit prorated specialized training hours.

Additional Resources

Submitting CE

At the time of annual renewal on even-numbered years, you must certify that you have met the continuing education requirements. You do this by listing a summary of continuing education courses, or courses and supervision, which you have completed. You may report CE when you renew your license online.

CE Content

You may obtain the clock hours in a variety of ways:
  • College or university courses
  • Seminars, workshops, conferences and/or trainings
  • Distance learning
  • Receiving Supervision 

Some methods have limits on the number of hours you may report in a reporting period. Please see OAR 833-080-0041.

Education/training experiences must be in one or more of the following program areas:

  • Counseling or marital and family therapy theory and techniques
  • Human development and family studies
  • Social and cultural foundations
  • The helping relationship
  • Group dynamics
  • Lifestyle and career development
  • DSM diagnosis
  • Assessment
  • Research and evaluation
  • Professional orientation and ethics
  • Professional supervision training
  • Disability and life transitions
  • Substance abuse
  • Psychopharmacology
  • Diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders

Examples of what will NOT count:

  • Yoga, Pilates, or massage courses
  • General health, nutrition, physical fitness or exercise
  • Self-defense, martial arts, Aikido
  • Marketing, investments, and practice building strategies
  • Word processing computer skills
  • CPR or first aid training courses
  • Providing supervision to another person
  • Receiving supervision to fulfill licensure or discipline requirements
  • Regular staff meetings
  • Presentations, trainings, or therapy with current or prospective clients
  • Blogs, vlogs, or podcasts
  • Security procedures not related to counseling/therapy records (e.g. CJIS)
  • Attending public meetings
  • Therapies not widely recognized as within the scope of practice of professional counseling or marriage and family therapy
  • Trainings on other states’ laws or rules
  • Serving as a consultant to an individual or organization
  • Facilitating supervision sessions
  • Preparing for a licensure or certification exam

Documenting CE

 Documentation showing completion may include:

  • Transcripts from accredited education institution;
  • Dated certificates with number of CE clock hours granted (originals or copies) documenting completion of training;
  • Program/activity descriptions, including written verification of professional services, copies of published works or other proof of publication, letter from president/director of organization in which professional activity was conducted;
  • Signed statement of professional supervision by the individual providing the supervision.

CE Audit

Each reporting year, the Board conducts an audit to check compliance of its continuing education requirements.  Please see OAR 833-080-0061. The audit process includes:

  • Random selection of LPCs and LMFTs for audit;
  • Notification of selected licensees by email, including request for copies of documentation; review of documentation for compliance and accuracy of summary list submitted with license renewal;
Failure to complete or document the required CE hours may result in civil penalty, or possible license suspension. You have a grace period to submit fees and other necessary papers, but there is no grace period for completing the continuing education requirements.

CE Hardship Waiver

The Board may grant exemptions in whole or in part, including extension of deadlines, for documented serious illness or disability. Please see OAR 833-080-0021.
 
The request should be made as soon as practicable once you become aware of the hardship. The Board considers various factors in determining whether to approve exceptions and what type of extension should be given, including 1) the severity and duration of the hardship; 2) the reasonableness of the request for exemption; and 3) the licensee’s good faith effort to accumulate the appropriate amount of CE prior to the event which created the hardship.
 
Your request must include: 1) the rationale for a waiver; 2) the nature of the illness or disability; 3) the time period the waiver would cover; 4) a statement as to how the condition prevents participation in CE activities; 5) signature by the licensee or legal representative (email signature is acceptable); and 6) a signed statement (must be current) from your healthcare provider who is licensed or certified by the state to provide services.  You will need to inform the Board the number of clock hours you have completed as of the date of your request. Requests must be emailed to lpct.board@mhra.oregon.gov.
 
Note: Licensees who are not practicing should consider making requesting a change to inactive status at their next renewal. The Board will not grant multiple hardship waivers to allow licensees to continue to practice without meeting CE requirements.