Top 25 podcasts, books, and CPD courses for therapists

How difficult is it for therapists to find trustworthy resources and continue learning? There are hundreds of continuing professional development (CPD) resources on the web, and their number is increasing every day. However, some aren’t created by specialists and can’t be trusted. Others offer outdated information or data that isn’t relevant anymore. We have collected courses, books, and podcasts for therapists that are highly ranked by specialists.

This list will provide you with both evergreen classics and up-to-date podcasts along with corses that offer cutting-edge expertise and are provided by experts in the therapy field. Check them out!

5 best podcasts on therapy

Even on the busiest days, you can find some time to listen to podcasts. Some people find it life-saving because you can listen to professional resources, discussions, and lectures from literally everywhere while going about your business. We have collected podcasts created by professionals to help you in your quest for quality therapy talks. Check them out.

#1 Speaking of Psychology

Created by the American Psychological Association, the Speaking of Psychology podcast is aimed at uncovering the latest research in psychology and explaining how the results can be applied in practice. Speakers often refer to the latest discoveries in the psychology field.

#2 The Private Practice Startup

This podcast features episodes dedicated to the issues every therapist faces, such as handling patient cancellations, building a marketing strategy, and raising fees.

Have you ever wondered how telemedicine software can help you with branding? Check out tips for private psychology practice growth.

#3 The Trauma Therapist Project

This project offers podcasts featuring successful guests with a background in trauma therapy. They discuss moral injuries, authenticity issues, and ways to help patients who have experienced trauma. The Trauma Therapist Project will definitely be useful for therapists working with trauma.

#4 Thirsty for Art

This podcast provides advice for art therapists that work online, helping them better understand ways to promote their business and effectively work with patients. Moreover, speakers share expertise that can be applied to non-clinical therapy sessions, help listeners beat the fear of being unsuccessful, and provide tons of motivation.

#5 Let’s Talk about CBT

This podcast is useful for practitioners who apply cognitive behavioral therapy in their work, featuring episodes dedicated to anxiety, depression, and other disorders. Some episodes are followed by additional literature, transcripts, and other useful stuff.

10 must-read books for therapists

Every therapist has a book they turn to for inspiration and support. Below, you’ll find a list of books for therapists that are highly recommended. Some are considered classics, while others have become bestsellers not so long ago but keep winning the hearts of therapy professionals.

#1 Games People Play: The Basic Handbook of Transactional Analysis by Eric Berne

This book is an evergreen classic that will let you peek behind the curtains of social interactions in order to better understand the marital, competitive, and power games people participate in consciously and unconsciously. It’s written in the genre of popular psychology and is easy to read. Since 1965, more than five million copies have been sold all over the world. Games People Play has been reissued and has become the go-to book to study popular transactional analysis.
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#2 First Steps in Counselling by Pete Sanders

If you’re starting out as a counselor, this book will guide you through psychology concepts and constructs, supporting them with vivid examples and extra references that will be helpful for continuing self-education.
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#3 On Becoming a Person: A Therapist’s View of Psychotherapy by Carl Rogers

This book was written by the founder of the humanistic psychology movement and provides profound insights on patient-centered psychotherapy. From it, readers will learn more about the nature of emotions and gain insights into how to become an actualizing individual.
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#4 Attachment Processes in Couple and Family Therapy edited by Susan M. Johnson and Valerie E. Whiffen

Attachment Processes uncovers the nuts and bolts of successful relationships between parents and children as well as between partners and explains how conflicts can be solved via attachment-oriented interventions. If you specialize in couple therapy or want to extend your knowledge in this field, make sure to check it out.
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#5 The Developing Mind: How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are by Daniel J. Siegel

This book explains how neural processes impact interpersonal relationships, combining research from different fields and applying it to psychology and counseling. Though it’s more theoretical than practical, many therapists use The Developing Mind to better understand the mechanics of the human brain and its reactions.
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#6 The Resilient Practitioner: Burnout Prevention and Self-Care Strategies by Thomas M. Skovholt

From this book, you’ll learn about ways to prevent burnout and find joy in your work. Thomas Skovholt also describes methods that help therapists with self-care. If you’ve been working for a while in the therapy field, you'll find the tips to prevent compassion fatigue useful.
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#7 Reflective Writing in Counseling and Psychotherapy by Jeannie Wright

Jeannie Wright offers reflective writing exercises and explains methods that can assist in self-directed learning. These techniques can be used in practice in cases when you need to build self-awareness together with your patient.
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#8 Beginning Mindfulness: Learning the Way of Awareness by Andrew Weiss

Beginning Mindfulness uncovers the art of meditation, helping those who don’t have time and space to practice regular meditation find an opportunity to explore alternative ways to embrace mindfulness.
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#9 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Techniques for Retraining Your Brain by Jason M. Satterfield

This audiobook provides techniques to modify moods and reduce undesirable behaviors, raising self-awareness. It offers cognitive behavioral therapy methods that can be used to improve the quality of life. Check it out if you’re looking for practical knowledge in CBT.
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#10 Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by David Burns

In Feeling Good, you’ll find options to beat mood swings and effectively combat pessimism, gradually building a positive outlook on life, dealing with guilt, handling criticism, and working on self-esteem.
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10 CPD course resources for therapists

Continuing professional development is the responsibility of every therapist if they want to keep up with the times and know about the most effective methods and technologies in the therapy field. Check out the top ten CPD course resources that will help you grow professionally.

#1 American Counseling Association events and courses

The American Counseling Association offers courses, events, and video sessions that help therapists and counselors in career development and certificate renewal. There are options for both online and in-person learning. Some of the video sessions and webinars are free to join or discounted for members, so make sure you check which options are available to you.

#2 Programs approved by the American Art Therapy Association

The American Art Therapy Association offers a wide range of accredited programs and enables practitioners to become registered art therapists. It provides you with a robust catalog where you can view the options available in your state. All you need to do is choose the program you’d like to study and pursue it. Keep in mind that AATA graduate degree programs offer in-person learning options only.

#3 Center of Psychoanalytic Training and Research at Columbia University

The Columbia Psychoanalytic Center offers a range of psychotherapy educational programs and training for therapists that cover topics of adult and child psychodynamic therapy. You’ll find both theoretical programs as well as practical educational opportunities. The length of the programs varies.

#4 University programs that include play therapy

Many universities provide play therapy courses to help interested practitioners learn about ways to use effective therapy methods helping patients express and communicate their feelings in the form of play. The Association for Play Therapy has aggregated courses and programs from different states that you can join to explore play therapy practicums.

#5 Telehealth training for therapists by Telehealth.org

This portal will provide you with an understanding of teletherapy specifics and offers accredited certification proving you can effectively work with teletherapy tools. There are multiple materials dedicated to telehealth legal issues, HIPAA-compliant social media use, as well as general telehealth theory and practice.

If you want to learn more about starting your teletherapy practice, check out 10 things about legislation, HIPAA-compliance and the choice of software every therapist has to know in advance.

#6 Online university courses on Coursera

Coursera offers a wide range of courses by leading specialists from accredited universities. Some of them can be used to gain credits in offline degree programs. The course prerequisites vary, so if you’re looking for programs to extend your degree, you should be able to find a course that fits your needs.

#7 Free therapy courses on Alison

From cognitive behavioral therapy to trauma therapy and counseling, this portal offers courses from leading specialists and universities and will provide you with a certificate after you successfully complete a program.

#8 Postgraduate therapy courses at GoodTherapy

On GoodTherapy you’ll find courses and training for therapists dedicated to attachment management, trauma healing, body-centered psychotherapy, and many other topics that will assist you in boosting your skills. These courses are held by associations and institutes that are widely recognized in the U.S. and internationally.

#9 Short courses for therapists on StudyPortals

If you have a full schedule, you can’t afford to spend several years studying a full program. However, you can still continue learning therapy topics of interest from short courses by U.S. universities. On StudyPortals, you’ll find one-year courses that offer certificates on such topics as violence prevention; social, emotional, and behavioral wellness; and general psychology.

#10 CEU courses by Educational Resources Inc.

This portal offers courses by therapists for therapists, featuring online and live education opportunities. Speakers share their experiences, discuss how to improve patient care, and talk about many more intricacies that only many years of practice can teach.

Wrapping up

The opportunity to learn and grow professionally is always there. Feel free to check out these resources to see if you can find anything inspiring and fitting for your therapy practice. Also, subscribe to get updates and resource recommendations from the ExpertBox team.