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Author: Leland Hoover
Management and marketing consultant for entrepreneurs and freelancers.
Professional Development Opportunities
CAP was formed in 1989 to protect the right of psychotherapists to practice psychotherapy. In 2019, the Board of Directors reconfirmed the goals set for CAP in 2012. The goals were to provide education, networking and legislative representation as a way to support the professional development of our members. CAP offers these activities as ways to enhance the professional development of psychotherapists.
EDUCATION/TRAINING
CAP is committed to providing support to psychotherapists seeking to continue their competency as psychotherapists. We do this by hosting regular monthly meetings where we highlight a speaker on a specific modality or psychotherapeutic practice. At these talks, CAP helps link its members to schools, institutes, academic institutions as well as educational programs offered throughout the year by recognized thought leaders in psychotherapy. CAP is committed to supporting members with increasing their skills and knowledge.
Three CAP Advisory Board members who strongly encourage continuing education as a way to maintain professional standards have founded schools that provide education, certification, training, and supervision.
Schools
The Boulder Psychotherapy Institute (BPI), founded by Dr. Betty Cannon, has been training therapists and graduate students in Applied Existential Psychotherapy (AEP) and Gestalt Therapy since 1989. Applied Existential PsychotherapyTM (AEP) is an experiential psychodynamic approach that has been developed and taught at the Boulder Psychotherapy Institute over the past twenty-three years. AEP interlaces the insights of existential philosophy and contemporary psychoanalysis with techniques drawn from Gestalt therapy and other experiential approaches. It is a dynamic here-and-now therapy that also takes into account how the past impacts the present. BPI provides training and certification in AEP as well as group therapy and other techniques.
The Colorado School for Family Therapy (CSFT), founded in 1995 by Dr. Reo Leslie, Jr., is approved and regulated by the Colorado Department of Higher Education, Private Occupation School Board. The School provides an advanced learning experience and direct clinical practice with families, couples and individuals. The CSFT offers the opportunity to earn post-graduate certifications and credentials in a wide array of clinical specializations, including but not limited to: Addictions Counseling (CAC), Play Therapy, Eating Disorders Treatment, Clinical Sex Therapy, and Trauma and Abuse Psychotherapy.
America’s Academy of Coaching, Counseling, and Hypnotherapy, founded by Dr. Carol Ann Watson, provides life coaching training, hypnotherapy training, and continuing education for mental health professionals.
We encourage CAP members to attend the school that offers training, classes, and certifications or degrees that supports their practice. To learn about CAP members who offer supervision go the Find A Therapist section of the website. Also, feel free to contact any CAP Board member or attend a CAP networking event to collect information on resources for training offered to psychotherapists in Colorado.
Supervision
Professional supervision is a paid service that is available through these schools and from individuals practitioners listed in the Member Directory.
Legal Advice
Keep Your Practice Legally Current: Because the laws can be complex, we are extremely grateful for posting a provided by CAP Advisory Board member Jim Carr, Attorney-at-Law. We are honored to have Jim as our advisor. He brings to the Board his prior experience as a former Assistant Attorney General serving the Mental Health Boards of Colorado. Check out the CAP Blog page to get the latest advice on how to keep your practice in compliance with the Mental Health Practice Act.
Networking
CAP is focused on building a community of mental health professionals who support one another. Each of our education events includes time for networking. CAP members and visitors exchange cards, share information about their practices and make referrals. We look forward to seeing you at any of our education or networking events. A popular networking event is the end of year social hosted at BPI. Watch the CAP Calendar and join us.
Legislative Representation
Core to CAP’s mission is representing psychotherapists at legislative events. For a full description of how we do this, go to our Legislative Page.
Legal Considerations For Registered Psychotherapists
We wish to thank James Carr, Esq. for his decades’ long devotion to helping Colorado Registered Psychotherapists and Colorado Association of Psychotherapists with legal advice and wise counsel. This page is dedicated to Jim’s tips. Please visit Carr Law Colorado for Jim’s contact information and more details about Jim’s law practice.
MANDATORY DISCLOSURE TIPS
During registration with the state, DORA requires submission of your Mandatory Statement. During your registration process and prior to submission, DORA lists the items to include, as well as required text that can be copy/pasted into your mandatory statement. You personalize your statement and then submit it to DORA to be included in their database. The submission process is guided and a fairly streamlined step of the registration process with the state.
Since the mental health professions now have a 7 year statute of limitations for complaints filed against them with DORA, based on the fact that we are required to keep records for 7 years and can dispose of them after that, it would make sense to include that fact on your mandatory statement, if you’d like to.
CAP offers workshops for creating/personalizing your Mandatory Statement. Please contact President@ColoradoPsychotherapists.com for more details.
Check back regularly for updates to the mandatory disclosure recommendations.
Continue reading “Legal Tips for Registered Psychotherapists from Jim Carr, Attorney”
- Mobile first: 80% of therapy clients seek counselors on their mobile phone. Get to the point quickly.
- Specialize unless you want to compete on price.
- Speak from the client’s perspective, solve their problems, not yours.
- Show some personality, be you!
Your Business Directory Listing Is Your Calling Card
Marketing your therapy business can be a challenge. Fortunately, CAP provides a great marketing opportunity to get your brand in front of thousands of potential clients via our Therapist Business Directory. To be effective, your listing needs to be complete and written to reflect your personality and professionalism.
- Profile pictures are particularly important to establish a connection with prospective clients. We recommend a friendly, professional-quality head-shot.
- Your business description helps a client see the benefits of your service, how you uniquely solve their problems. Avoid trying to be all things to all people. What makes your service unique? Who is your ideal client? Match your tone and voice to your ideal client profile. Include the keywords your clients use when searching for information about their problems.
- Include a call to action. What action do you want the user to take? Help them take the next step. If you want them to call for an appointment, say so.
- Is your profile current? Online users have short attention spans and demand instant results. An outdated profile raises questions in the user’s mind and the opportunity is lost.
- Insurance is important for many people seeking mental health services. If you take insurance, say so.
- Credentialling increases confidence for some clients. Take the time to list your degrees, state licenses, certifications, and additional training to show clients your qualifications and interests.
Professional Liability Insurance Resources
We’ve Something For Everyone
Members: If you need professional liability insurance, CAP recommends two liability insurance agencies depending on your qualifications.
- If you have a college degree in a mental health field, we suggest contacting CPH & Associates and American Professional Agency (APA.) Note: APA insures only those with a degree in mental health or behavioral health.
- If you do not have a degree or your degree is not in a mental health field, we recommend contacting CPH & Associates and tell them you are a Colorado Registered Psychotherapists or Coach.
Recommended agencies
American Professional Agency Insurance, Inc.
APA, Inc. is one of the largest professional liability insurance providers in the United States. As a Program Administrator with approximately 100,000 policyholders, APA, Inc. ranks in the top 100 brokerages in the country. Though, we are a large agency, when you place a call to APA, Inc. you will talk directly with an underwriter who understands the coverage needs of your profession.
CPH & Associates
CPH & Associates has been providing professional liability (also known as “malpractice” or “errors and omissions”) insurance to mental and allied health professionals and life/health coaches for over 15 years.
As a Registered Psychotherapist in Colorado, the occupation you would want to select in the application from the occupation drop down would be “Counselor.” Questions? Visit our website at https://www.cphins.com/colorado-association-of-psychotherapists/, email info@cphins.com or call 312-987-9823.