Become a Certified Ethical Counselling Psychologist in India

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Become an Ethical Therapist.

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Certified Ethical Practitioner (CEP) Program

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CEP is the first training of its kind that certifies Indian counselling psychologists and other mental health professionals in standards of international professional ethics.

A CEP therapist ensures that your mental health is in safe hands, that your intimate information is held to the highest standards of confidentiality and that the quality of treatment they are offering reflects their qualifications.

Our CEP directory gives therapy seekers a place to hold them accountable for unforeseen unethical behaviour that can rupture the healing process.

Most importantly, it protects the professions under counselling & psychotherapy giving therapists the tools they need to practice confidently in an unregulated healthcare landscape.

JOIN THE CEP DIRECTORY

Limited spots available.

Your step towards legitimizing the future of therapy.

The Challenge

In India, the mental health field lacks regulation and unified ethical standards. While Centre for Self Discovery is leading the advocacy for there to be licensure for counselling psychologists, the CEP program will lay the foundation of knowledge for practitioners ready to get licensed when that change comes.

Eligibility

The course is primarily designed for practicing psychologists (Clinical and Counselling) and students undergoing training to practice as such.

The course is also open for non-psychologist fields i.e. any one interested in undertaking training in professional ethics in mental health practice as we acknowledge its usefulness in multiple realms of allied health professions and caregiving fields- for example, academia, social work, nurses, medical personnel, clinical practice, non-counselling psychologists (other care professionals), researchers, intake and admin staff.

For full eligibility guidelines and to understand the CEP designation that will be granted, click here.

The CEP Certification

The Certified Ethical Practitioner (CEP) course is a 45-hour self-paced (upto 2 months) virtual & live hybrid training with a qualifying final exam that uniquely certifies you as C.E.P. upon success. You also get listed on our public online directory so potential clients can find you.

Your Instructor

The C.E.P. course is taught by Shivani Agarwal, an internationally registered psychotherapist and Founder of Centre for Self-Discovery. Her practice has grown to a larger team of therapists who have served over 700 clients in over 9 languages around the world. She has taught and supervised Masters level Counselling Psychologists at leading institutions. She has specifically adapted the highest standards of professional ethics as set forth by Psychological Associations in Canada, US, UK and Indian institutions to create this experiential, supervised course that will change the way you lead your career as a therapist. Read more about the course here.

At the end of this course you will:

Enter private or agency practice with confidence, feeling prepared for ethical dilemmas that you don't feel the ethics class at university prepared you for.

Become eligible to be listed on Centre for Self-Discovery's CEP public directory to boost your income through marketing and get a consistent source of local and international client referrals. You can also embed the recognized C.E.P. badge on your website.

Lay the foundation of a safe relationship with your client through a solid first session and discussion of the treatment consent agreement.

Support your clients confidently when topics like self-harm or suicide are brought up.

Recognize unethical overstepping of boundaries within the profession and protect yourself and your client in case of unintentional ethical violations that could rupture your relationship causing "therapy trauma".

Have a safe learning space to ask your ethical questions and be supervised on ethical dilemmas.

Train other mental health practitioners and further progress our community as an educator.

Lead the change in one day by having your title licensed, reserved, legitimized and regulated so insurance providers pay for therapy sessions instead of your clients in the future.

Have a support network of colleagues and supervisors who learn and grow together with you.

As a C.E.P therapist you will:

Set a New Standard: practice with globally recognized ethical training with clients in India and other unregulated countries virtually.

Gain Credibility: handle complex client situations with professionalism, make your practice automated, systematic and easier to grow, set healthy work-life boundaries with your time and your clients.

Get Access to Resources: consent forms, intake forms, standards of practice, code of ethics, suicide risk assessment tool and all resources needed for ethical know-hows and running a successful practice.

Get Long-term Referrals: you will be eligible to join the C.E.P. public directory as an ethical practitioner and receive one-one therapy referrals for your private practice (membership charges apply).