How To Obtain CEUs

Earlier this year I applied for CEUs (Continuing Education Unit) in order to be considered for the Positive EFT and EFT Master Practitioner course, and was granted 24 CEUs through the National Association of Social Workers.

This was quite exciting, because this would not only help social workers attending my courses receive Certification as a Practitioner through the GOE, it would also enable them to meet requirements for their own credential processes. Talk about a 'win-win'!

Think about it, by applying to various professional groups for CEUs to be offered for your courses, you assist those who need continuing education credits to meet their professional requirements, you add validity to the courses you are teaching, and you spread the importance of EFT to the professional community in a greater way.

1. What is a CEU?

CEU stands for continuing education unit. Another acronym that may be seen for the same process would be CEC or continuing education credit. One continuing education unit credit is awarded for every 10 hours of continuing education instruction.

Each continuing education course is assigned a total number of hours that must be completed by the participant in order to receive credit for the course.

2. Who Needs Them?

Many professionals including teachers, doctors, engineers, social workers, physical therapists, health professionals, etc. are required to maintain their licences or credentials by completing a specific number of CEUs as evidence of ongoing education within their profession.

These professionals must spend money on gaining CEUs and showing the evidence at the end of each licensure period. Other individuals may earn CEUs for their own for personal growth.

3. What is required to apply for CEUs?

There are several requirements when applying for CEUs for your workshop including courage, expertise in the area you are applying for, a sponsor, references, course objectives, and evaluations.

First, you need the courage go out and do it. Going outside your comfort zone and feeling “good enough” may be a block for a few people to start the process. Go for it!

Following that, you would need a sponsor from the association or profession you are applying for.

For example, by receiving CEUs from the Social Work Organization in Massachusetts, USA, I was approached by a Social Worker seeking to take my course who needed CEUs for her upcoming licence renewal. Since I was not a Social Worker, she offered to be my sponsor on the application.

If you have given several courses already, look back on your participants, see what their backgrounds are, and give them a call.

Many would be happy to sponsor you if, of course, they had a good experience in your program. Turn to friends, family, acquaintances, and professionals you have worked with for sponsorship if needed. You may be able to use these persons as references as well.

It is important that you relay your expertise in the area you are applying for. Being an expert in EFT will touch many broader areas. For example, my expertise in EFT as an GoE Trainer enabled me to apply to the Social Work CEU program as a physical therapist and energist.

Now if you are a psychologist or social worker already as well as an GoE Trainer, get out there and get going. That certainly makes you, as an instructor, more viable in the application process.

Course objectives are required and can be found on the GoE website for any of their courses. Creating an Evaluation Form for your course can be simple and often a Google search away.

4. The Application Process Summarised

The following presents information you will need when approaching the application process.

Part A: Course Information

1. Course logistics, i.e., where, when, title, etc

2. Learning objectives for the course (these are available through the AMT)

3. Flyer or brochure outlining time-frames, breaks, lunches, etc (very important for awarding CEUs)

4. Targeted audience and instructional methods

Part B: Instructor Credentials

1. Your licence and degrees

2. Your experience relevant to teaching this course.

3. Two or three letters of reference

Part C: Information about who is sponsoring you

Part D: Evaluation (must be specific, written and measurable)

1. How will the participants be evaluated?

2. How will the course be evaluated? The participants will need to evaluate the effectiveness of your course and you may need to attach the course evaluation form to the application.

Part E: Processing Fees

1. Costs may vary depending on the organisation you are applying to.

As you can see, applying for CEUs for your courses may attract more participants to your program while at the same time providing required continuing education units to those who need them.

If you have any questions or suggestions, bring them up on the GoE Members Facebook page (facebook.com/groups/AMTmembers/) so we can all benefit from learning from each other. Remember, simply getting started is half the battle. This has been true in my case!

Theresa Lynch PT, DPT holds a Bachelor’s in Physical Therapy, a Master’s Degree in Health Sciences and a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Thomas Jefferson University. She is the author of “Stressfish Guide to EMO” and international lecturer on modern energy therapies and bodywork.

~ This article was first published in the August 2014 (Vol.1 No.2) edition of The Energist. 

The Energist is The GoE's new quarterly journal-style magazine that is distributed to over 1,000 of our members and associates worldwide. Find out more about GoE membership and how to obtain your copy of The Energist by clicking here. 

More information:

- EFT Master Practitoner Course Information

- EFT Master Practitioner Live Trainings

- Contact The AMT