What Are the Online Courses Like on Psychotherapy.net?

Updated

Psychotherapy.net's online courses are self-paced, video-based clinical training programs that show real therapy sessions with real clients, paired with skill-building exercises and continuing education (CE) credit. They are built for practicing therapists and counselors who want to sharpen clinical skills by watching master clinicians at work rather than studying theory alone. The site describes the format as "sessions with real clients, skill building exercises, CE credit and more," so the core value is observational learning plus structured practice.

What a course actually contains

Based on the platform's own description, a typical course combines three elements:

  • Real session footage — master therapists working with actual clients across different modalities and clinical challenges, not scripted role-plays.
  • Skill-building exercises — activities meant to turn what you observe into something you can apply in your own practice.
  • CE credit — courses are structured so completed work counts toward continuing education requirements.

The site frames the whole library around the idea of watching "real therapy unfold" and learning from "the vulnerability, courage, and wisdom of master therapists." The named clinicians include Irvin Yalom, Marsha Linehan, Donald Meichenbaum, and Sue Johnson, which gives a sense of the range of approaches covered.

How the learning format works

The defining feature is self-paced delivery. You work through course material on your own schedule rather than attending a fixed live session. This matters if you are fitting training around a caseload.

The learning loop the platform implies is:

  1. Watch a real clinical session or excerpt.
  2. Study the accompanying skill-building material.
  3. Practice the techniques through the exercises.
  4. Earn CE credit on completion.

Because the courses center on unscripted sessions, the expected outcome is a clearer picture of how a given approach looks in the room — how a therapist opens a session, responds to resistance, or structures an intervention — which is harder to get from a textbook.

Where courses fit alongside the membership

Courses are one part of the platform, distinct from but related to membership. The site separates "Courses" from "Memberships," and membership itself includes live CE webcasts, a homestudy CE video library, webinar replays, and Perspectives articles. So if your main goal is structured, self-paced skill development with exercises, courses are the direct route; if you want ongoing CE and a broad video library, membership covers that ground. Many users will likely combine the two, but the site presents them as separate offerings.

A practical example

Suppose you want to strengthen your work with a specific modality before taking on a new client population. You could pick a course featuring a clinician known for that approach, watch the real sessions to see how the method plays out with actual clients, work through the skill exercises to rehearse the techniques, and claim CE credit at the end — all without blocking out a fixed weekly time slot.

Who these courses suit

The courses are aimed at mental health professionals — therapists, counselors, and trainees — who want clinical skill growth grounded in observation. The testimonials on the site come from counseling program directors and professors who use the videos to give students "understanding and confidence they can't get from theory alone," which suggests the material works both for practicing clinicians and for training settings.

They are less suited to someone looking for live, interactive instruction, since the format is self-paced rather than real-time. If you need scheduled cohort learning or live supervision, the live CE webcasts within membership are the closer fit.

What to check before starting

  • CE eligibility — confirm that the specific course's CE credit is accepted by your licensing body, since requirements vary by profession and jurisdiction.
  • Course scope — the site advertises "every modality and clinical challenge," but individual courses differ in length and depth, so review the description for the one you need.
  • Cost and access — pricing and membership terms are shown on the site; check current details there rather than assuming a course is included with a given plan.

The clearest way to judge whether the format works for you is to start with one course tied to a skill you want to build, complete it, and see whether the watch-practice-apply loop translates into your sessions.