Top 37 Online Resources for Therapists to Use in Practice

How difficult is it to find trustworthy online resources for therapists that can be used in practice? There are hundreds of continuing professional development (CPD) whitepapers and books 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 Others offer outdated information or data that isn’t relevant anymore.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 online 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.

3 gender identity resources for therapists

When providing family therapy to patients questioning their gender identity, it is essential to take a client-centered approach, being mindful that every individual's experience of these issues is unique. To ensure that you are well-equipped to help clients build resilience and gain support, refer to the resources provided below.

#1 The Queer and Transgender Resilience Workbook by Anneliese A. Singh PhD

This book offers an understanding of how to help gender non-conforming patients acquire resilience in the face of discrimination in housing and health care, employment difficulties, homelessness, family rejection, physical attacks, threats, and general injustice.

#2 The Social Advocate’s Handbook: A Guide to Gender by Sam Killermann

This first edition of the book was a #1 best-seller in Gender on Amazon, and has been adopted for use in gender studies and sociology courses on three continents.

#3 Counseling Transgender and Non-Binary Youth: The Essential Guide by Irwin Krieger

This book provides clear guidance and assistance to support transgender and non-binary youth on their journey to self-discovery, mental health, personal and family life, social transition, and more. It also includes a list of supplementary resources and recommended reading materials.

3 OCD resources for therapists

Educational resources on OCD are widely available online, including various books that offer deeper insight into treatment strategies and approaches. Use our list of best resources on the topic to enrich your treatment methods and tactics.

#1 Cognitive-Behavior Therapy for OCD by David A. Clark

The author has taken on the considerable challenge of analyzing the major works related to OCD, ranging from early behavioral studies to modern cognitive theories and techniques. This book is comprehensive in its coverage of definitions, diagnosis criteria, prevalence, and evaluation, and all information is kept up to date. It is especially noteworthy for its comprehensive coverage of obsessions, as Clark is a renowned specialist in this field and has made immense contributions to the research.

#2 Mastery of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Cognitive-Behavioral Approach (Therapist Guide) by Edna Foa, PhD and Michael J. Kozak, PhD

This guide provides therapists with the tools needed to accurately assess and treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It outlines the best approaches to assessing OCD and constructing a tailored treatment plan that is specific to the individual's OCD symptoms.

#3 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders: Practical Management by Michael Jenike, MD, Lee Baer, PhD, and William Minichiello, EdD

This comprehensive clinical reference on obsessive-compulsive disorders provides an overview of scientific foundations and clinical studies. It delves into behavioral therapies and medications that can be used to manage symptoms, while offering practical advice on clinical management.

3 EMDR resources for therapists

Resources listed below provide comprehensive information on trauma treatment as well as offer methods, techniques and whitepapers that you can add to your practice. Feel free to check them out.

#1 EMDR consulting whitepapers library

Here you will find dozens of podcasts and PDF files you can use for treatment sessions and offer your patients for self-treatment, including breathing techniques and soothing methods.

#2 EMDR as an Integrative Psychotherapy Approach by Francine Shapiro, PhD

Leading spokespersons of all major schools of psychotherapy have provided chapters that outline how EMDR can be integrated with their respective approaches, as well as techniques to effectively enhance the therapeutic process through a range of case illustrations.

#3 An EMDR Therapy Primer: From Practicum to Practice by Barbara Hensley PhD

Dr. Hensley's book is essential for any EMDR therapist who has recently completed their training. Drawing from her extensive expertise and conversations with Dr. Francine Shapiro, the author provides concise answers to the common questions that novice clinicians tend to ask, in a manner that is both reassuring and inspiring.

3 mindfulness resources for therapists

With mindfulness becoming increasingly popular, there is a vast array of resources now available. To help you begin incorporating mindfulness techniques in your practice, here is a short list of three essential items.

#1 Real-World Mindfulness for Beginners: Navigate Daily Life One Practice at a Time by Brenda Salgado

This book provides an array of introductory mindfulness practices that can be readily implemented, even by those unfamiliar with mindfulness. These exercises are succinct and can easily be incorporated into any timetable.

#2 Mindfulness for Beginners: A Simple Concise & Complete Guide to Mindfulness Meditation by Jeffrey Holloway

This book provides readers with an understanding of mindfulness science, as well as different approaches to integrating meditation into their lives. Therapists treating those with anxiety can find this book especially useful, as the author himself began exploring mindfulness to combat his own anxiety.

#3 Declutter Your Mind: How to Stop Worrying, Relieve Anxiety, and Eliminate Negative Thinking by S.J. Scott and Barrie Davenport

Scott and Davenport's bestseller is dedicated to the advantages of mindfulness, such as improved interpersonal connections, decreased stress levels, and less mental noise. The authors explain how to gain these benefits through mindfulness meditation and other techniques.

Wrapping up

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