Continuing Education
How It Works
Every course here is NBCC-approved, which means clinicians across many states can use these hours toward licensure renewal. Continuing education rules vary by state and by credential, though — and only your own licensing board can tell you exactly what you need. So wherever you practice, confirm your requirements with your board before relying on any course for renewal.
You'll notice the courses here are sorted by Washington State category. Here's why — and how to read that if you practice elsewhere.
Why you'll see Washington categories
Life Directions Counseling is based in Washington state, and many of the clinicians we work with renew here — so we organize courses by Washington's CE categories to make them easy to find. If you practice in another state, the categories still describe what each course covers; just check how your own board classifies and counts those hours.
The CE categories
General CE — Most clinical training counts here: diagnosis, treatment approaches, specific populations, documentation, outcomes. The bulk of your hours.
Professional Ethics & Law — A set portion of hours must specifically address professional ethics or law. A course has to substantively cover one to count; a passing mention doesn't qualify.
Professional Roles & Boundaries — A distinct requirement from ethics, and these hours generally must be earned separately, not double-counted.
Suicide Assessment, Treatment & Management — Stricter than the others: the training must come from the Department of Health's approved Model List. NBCC approval alone doesn't satisfy it, and not every suicide-related course is on the list — confirm before you register.
Health Equity — Required on a multi-year cycle, with specific elements including implicit bias and strategies to reduce it.
Every course here is NBCC-approved and self-paced. On each one, you'll see the topic category, how many CE hours it carries, and what's included. NBCC approval makes a course eligible as CE in many jurisdictions — but whether it satisfies a specific requirement depends on your board's rules, and some categories (like suicide assessment) have stricter, state-specific criteria. Always confirm against your own licensing board's current requirements before relying on a course for renewal.
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Life Directions Counseling has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7883. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Life Directions Counseling is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.