As a therapist, finding continuing education courses that not only fit your learning goals but also fit within your budget is important so that you can continue to grow your therapeutic skills and your practice. However, knowing which companies or trainings that are worth your time and money can be challenging. One of the most popular and well-known continuing education company is PESI. PESI is a US-based non-profit organization that aims to provide affordable online trainings to professionals, such as therapists.
In this article, I’ll provide a complete PESI training review about its platform and features as well as my experience taking PESI courses so that you can decide whether PESI courses are worth your time and financial investment.
Why Take a Course?
First of all, you’ll want to know the reason that you want to take a course because this information can help you decide whether PESI courses, or any other course for that matter, are right you.
Do you want to take a specific course because you want to learn about a specific skill or approach so that you grow your practice?
Do you want to take a course because you are a lifelong learner and you want to keep your mind active with knowledge?
Are you taking a course to find practical tools and resources to use when working with clients in your practice?
Or are you wanting to take a course so that you can obtain your annual continuing education credits (CECs) so that you maintain your registration or licence with your regulatory body?
Knowing why you want to take a PESI course matters because that will help you determine whether or not the PESI platform and their courses will work for you. For instance, if you’re main goal is to obtain your annual CECs so that you can maintain your registration or licence, your first step is to ensure that your regulatory body accepts and approves PESI trainings as CECs.
Whether you’re a social worker, psychotherapist, psychologist, or clinical counsellor, your regulatory body will likely have specific criteria around which companies and trainings they accept as CECs. In addition, regardless of your professional title, each jurisdiction may differ. For example, at the time of writing this article, as a social worker in Canada, I can use PESI courses towards my annual CECs, as they are approved by my regulatory body. However, there may be social work regulatory bodies in another province or state that does note accept or approve PESI trainings. So it’s important to ensure that when you decide take a training course for the purpose of obtaining your annual CECs that your regulatory body approves of the training so that you are not surprised upon renewal time – and this goes for any training you choose to take, not just PESI courses.
Knowing Your Learning Style
In addition to knowing why you want to take a PESI course, you’ll also want to consider if your learning style aligns with that of online learning. Most PESI courses are primarily online and self-directed study. This means that you’ll first need to have access to appropriate equipment so you can access the course, such as having a laptop or computer with adequate sound and internet. In addition, as the courses are self-directed, you’ll want to maintain a realistic study schedule so that you can complete the course successfully. For some people, completing online trainings can feel lonely and isolating while others are motivated and autonomous by taking them. So it’s important to consider whether taking an online course or not will move you towards your personal or professional goals.
PESI Course Platform and Features
So, now in this PESI training review, let’s dig into the specifics about the PESI course platform and its features:
Course Login
Once you’ve purchased a course through PESI, you can access your course in one of two ways: (1) by going directly to the PESI website and clicking on “login” from your desktop or laptop or (2) by downloading the corresponding study app directly on your mobile device so that you can access your course on the go.
In my opinion, the app is definite plus for PESI courses because, again, depending on your learning style, this can help you learn and build your skills even while you’re doing something else, like walking your dog, for example. I’ve taken many continuing education courses from various companies in the past and this feature is something that many companies just do not provide. Having an mobile application can make learning more accessible for therapists, especially when you have other personal and professional commitments and demands. And I don’t know about you, but I tend to learn best when I can get up and move around. Sitting down at a desk all day just isn’t my jam!
Course Access
Another thing that I love about PESI courses, and one of the reasons why I wrote this PESI training review, is that they don’t expire, even if you haven’t finished the course. Many companies impose a time limit or a completion date that the course has to be completed by, otherwise you ‘fail’ the course and lose your money. But when you purchase a PESI course, because there isn’t an expiry date to your course, you don’t have to feel pressured or rushed to complete it. Although, if you’re someone who likes a deadline as it helps you remain accountable to the course, then this feature may not be as motivating. But as someone who loves to collect courses like others like to collect stamps, I love this feature because I can purchase a course now and know that even if I can’t start it right away, it will be available for when I’m ready start.
Course Bonuses
Depending on which PESI course that you register, you may receive additional bonuses such as guides, toolkits, manuals or even workbooks that with you achieving the course goals and objectives. These practical tools can help you through the course as well as help you through the implementation stage in your practice.
You might be thinking, “Well, how do I know what bonuses that I’ll receive with a PESI course?”
When you click on any PESI course, a course information page will pop up. The course information page will explain the course, the course objectives, and what’s included in the course including the modules, concepts and bonus material you’ll get when you register. Your bonuses will be automatically added to your course dashboard and accessible once you sign in – easy-peasy.
Course Trainers
Another plus for PESI courses is that many of their courses are taught by well-known and well-renowned professionals in the field. For example, PESI’s Complex Trauma Certification Training (Level II) course is taught by trauma expert Janina Fisher. Dr. Bessel Van der Kolk, author of the book How the Body Keeps the Score, teaches a course by the same name. And Abi Blakeslee and Peter Levine, experts in somatic therapy, hosts the Integrative Somatic Psychotherapy Master Class. So, when you take these PESI trainings, you’re also getting virtual access to trainings from experts in the field.
Course Cost
One of my favourite things about PESI is the lower cost of their trainings. Because PESI is a non-profit organization their prices tend to be much lower than taking a course through a private organization. Unlike, private organizations whose goal is to make a profit, non-profit organizations, like PESI, are not driven by making profit so they can charge less. Because they are not driven by profit, PESI often has course sales throughout the year to promote their courses, making it even more affordable.
Conclusion
The reason I became an affiliate of PESI, and wrote this PESI training review, is because I had a very positive experience taking PESI courses and I want other therapists, like you, to have the opportunity to have the same positive experience. As I love learning at my own pace and on my own time, but also be given practical tools to help me implement the concepts that I have learned, PESI courses are just fit for me. Also, I don’t believe that by paying thousands of thousands dollars for a training makes it automatically a ‘better’ experience or ‘better’ training. In fact, over the years, I’ve taken some trainings that I had paid a lot more than I did for a PESI course, but I had felt that I had learned a lot less than I did from a PESI course.
So, overall, my honest PESI training review is that I believe PESI courses are worth the investment, as long as your professional goals and learning style aligns with PESI’s mission and course structure. There are so many PESI courses you can choose from and there really is something for everyone. But at the end of the day, it’s important to ensure that when you do register for a course that you’re doing it because it’s a topic that you genuinely want to learn about. If you’re intrinsically motivated to learn more about the topic, then you’re more likely to have a positive experience and complete the course successfully. And then you can quickly obtain your CEC certificate so that you can submit it to your regulatory board and avoid the end of the renewal panic.
PESI Discount Code
And to help start you off in the right direction, you can access an exclusive PESI discount on select therapy-related courses when you check out my affiliate sales page when you click here. The exclusive discount code will automatically be applied at cart.
Courses on Sale Include:
- Certified Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (C-DBT) Training
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Intensive Course
- Certified Clinical Trauma Professional Training Level 2 Course
- EMDR Step-by-step PLUS Training
- IFS Immersion: Integrating Internal Family Systems Across Clinical Applications Course
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) Training and
- Clinical Supervision Success
>> Check out PESI Course Sales Page by Clicking Here <<
Take this PESI training review further:
Check out 9 Great PESI Courses for Psychotherapists in 2024 to learn more about specific PESI Trainings.
Disclaimer:
Evaspare Inc. is an affiliate of PESI and may receive compensation for purchases made through link clicks.
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