Continuing Professional Development - CPD
This page provides some additional pointers of good practice that can be used as guidance to help put into practice what is in the Regulations themselves.These pointers of good practice do not form part of the Regulations.The wording in the Regulations is included below in order to provide sufficient context.The Regulation wording is shown in italic.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
Rapid changes in the evidence base, technology and the skill requirements of the profession require CPD as a career long process integrated in everyday professional work.
The holders of the EuroPsy and Specialist EuroPsy Certificates are expected to maintain and further develop their level of professional competence.
CPD should follow the cycle of reflecting one’s practice and needs, planning of CPD activities, recording learning activities and outcomes, and evaluating the benefits of learning.
CPD should be achieved by means of work experience, personal and professional development activities (e.g. accredited courses and workshops, conferences, teaching / training, research and writing), and through the process of peer-intervision or supervision. On renewal of the EuroPsy the applicant has to show relevant evidence of CPD over the past period of professional practice. CPD are all activities that maintain, develop and expand the psychologists’ competences that underlie the practice of the profession and are necessary to maintain the quality of the profession.
CPD may be achieved by meeting local CPD requirements, which are compatible with EuroPsy requirements. Where no local CPD requirements exist, the following are provided as guidelines for use by National EuroPsy Committees.
Professional work experience
The applicant should show evidence of professional work as a psychologist within the last seven years (revalidation period) before the application for renewal. To maintain their competences, psychologists are expected to work at least four years during the revalidation period, on average at least 400 hours per year in their (specialist) fields of practice.
Acceptable evidence includes, for example: employment contracts accompanied by a job description, project contracts, or statements of income for tax authorities (in the case of psychologists in independent practice.)
Professional development activities
It is a responsibility of the Registered Psychologist to keep informed about recent professional and scientific developments in psychology, including but not limited to the selected fields of practice. In addition to their ongoing professional work (at least four years during the seven year revalidation period as described above), psychologists need to update and broaden their professional knowledge and skills through a range of professional development activities listed below.
To maintain their competences, psychologists are expected to provide explicit evidence of at least 40 hours of CPD activities per year within these four years during the revalidation period (a total of 160 hours).
However, a minimum of 80 hours per year are recommended. CPD is recommended to be distributed at least over four years.
Evidence of a variety of activities is required.
There is a wide range of different types of CPD, and the following list is not intended to be exhaustive. For each type of activity an approximate maximum of the percentage of time that can be accredited has been indicated, in order to ensure that psychologists undertake a range of different activities as part of their CPD.
- Certified attendance and participation in accredited courses and/or workshops aimed at further professional development (max. 60%).
- Certified attendance at a professional or scientific conference (max. 20%)
- Development of specific new skills through practice at work (max.20%)
- Certified attendance in intervision meetings (e.g., quality circles) (max. 30%)
- Certified attendance in supervision (max. 30%)
- Certified work as a supervisor (max. 20%)
- Teaching psychology courses as a professional practitioner (max. 20%)
- (Co-)authorship and/or editing of publications on research and/or professional issues (max. 30%).
- Editorial work on journals and books in psychology (max. 20%)
- For the purpose of revalidation the sum of the last four categories above cannot exceed 60%.
For example, if only the required minimum of 160 hours of CPD (in four years working practice within the seven years of revalidation period) is reached, this might consist of attendance at a scientific conference (20 hours, max 32), editorial work (10 hours, max 32), attendance at intervision meetings (40 hours, max 48), certified attendance at accredited courses (80 hours, max 96), development of specific new skills through practice at work (10 hours, max 32). This ensures a mixture of different CPD activities.
Record keeping
Registered EuroPsy Psychologists are required to maintain a record of their Continuing Professional Development.
This record, with supporting evidence, will provide the basis for the Registered Psychologist’s profile as included in the Register, when the psychologist applies to renew their certificate after seven years.
For each CPD activity the psychologist should note which competences along the EFPA framework of competences were developed.
European Federation of Psychologists’Associations AISBL