by Michael D. Anestis, M.S.
Just a quick post here. The always informative SSCP listserv lit up a bit again today as one member forwarded a link to a new continuing education (CE) course through which APA CE credits can be earned. CE credits are required for therapists to maintain licensure and are intended to ensure that therapists maintain a knowledge base that is up to date with respect to current knowledge. This is a noble idea; however, there is little to no regulation on what is covered in CE courses, meaning that therapists can, in theory, gain these credits through online courses covering complete nonsense.
The course that sparked the conversation amongst SSCP members covers energy therapies, which research has demonstrated to be ineffective at best (click here to view a site that details the course...yes, I realize this means I'm essentially advertising for them, but...the greater good). As an example, click here to read our piece covering Thought Field Therapy (TFT), one form of energy therapy.
There is nothing wrong with learning about the lack of evidence for particular forms of therapy, but based on the description of the course, something tells me that's not what is happening here.
It would be wonderful if APA would enforce legitimate standards here and prevent this kind of information from sullying the field.
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Mike Anestis is a psychology resident at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and a doctoral candidate in the clinical psychology department at Florida State University
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