CPD for Psychologists in Australia

Understand the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) landscape for psychologists in Australia, including annual CPD requirements, what qualifies as CPD (including Active CPD), how Focussed Psychological Strategies (FPS) fit within Better Access, and more.

Last reviewed: 2 September 2026

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An overview of CPD requirements for psychologists in Australia
What is considered Continuing Professional Development?
Focussed Psychological Strategies (FPS) under Better Access
How CPD supports effective professional practice
Popular CPD courses and training undertaken by psychologists

An overview of CPD requirements for psychologists in Australia

CContinuing Professional Development (CPD) is the ongoing process through which psychologists maintain, improve and broaden their professional knowledge, skills and competence. In Australia, CPD requirements for registered psychologists are set by the Psychology Board of Australia (the Board), which is supported by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra).

The Board’s CPD requirements are set out in its Continuing professional development registration standard and Guidelines: Continuing professional development. Psychologists who hold general registration for the full registration year (1 December to 30 November) must complete a minimum of 30 hours of CPD each year, including at least 10 hours of peer consultation. The same requirement applies whether a psychologist works full-time or part-time.

The key requirements include:

Developing a written learning plan. The learning plan should be based on a self-assessment of professional knowledge and skills, identify areas for development or improvement, and establish relevant learning goals and outcomes. Since 1 December 2025, psychologists are expected to self-assess against the Board’s Professional competencies for psychologists, as relevant to their individual scope of practice, when developing their CPD learning plan.
Completing at least 30 hours of CPD each registration year. At least 10 of these hours must consist of peer consultation. The Board also recommends completing at least 10 hours of Active CPD, although Active CPD is not mandatory for psychologists with general registration. Active CPD involves learning activities that actively engage participants through written or oral activities designed to enhance and test learning.
Maintaining a CPD portfolio. This should include the psychologist’s learning plan, CPD activity log, peer consultation log, written reflections or professional development journal, and evidence of completed CPD activities. CPD records must be retained for five years. Psychologists selected for a CPD audit are generally required to provide their portfolio within 28 days.

Additional requirements or expectations may apply in some circumstances. For example, psychologists with one area of practice endorsement are expected to complete at least 16 hours of CPD within that area; psychologists with two endorsements complete 15 hours within each area; and psychologists with three or more endorsements divide their 30 hours equally between their endorsed areas. Psychologists who hold general registration for only part of the registration year complete CPD on a pro-rata basis: 2.5 hours for every full month of general registration, comprising 50 minutes of peer consultation and 100 minutes of other CPD.

Psychologists undertaking a registrar program and Board-approved supervisors may also have additional professional development requirements. Practitioners should refer to the Psychology Board of Australia for requirements that apply to their individual registration or endorsement circumstances.

What is considered Continuing Professional Development (CPD)?

The Psychology Board of Australia recognises CPD activities that contribute directly to a psychologist’s identified professional development goals. Activities should have clear learning aims and be relevant to maintaining or developing competence within the psychologist’s professional practice.

CPD can take many forms, including online courses and webinars, conferences, workshops, seminars, professional reading, podcasts and audiovisual learning, reflective practice, postgraduate study, research activities and peer consultation.

The Board does not accredit individual CPD activities or CPD providers (e.g., Mental Health Academy). Psychologists therefore have flexibility in choosing professional development activities but remain responsible for determining whether an activity is relevant to their learning plan and professional practice, and for being able to justify the CPD they claim.

Focussed Psychological Strategies (FPS) under Better Access

Focussed Psychological Strategies (FPS) are evidence-based mental health treatment strategies approved for use under the Australian Government’s Better Access initiative.

The approved Focussed Psychological Strategies include:

Psycho-education, including motivational interviewing
Cognitive-behavioural therapy, including behavioural interventions such as Behavioural Activation Therapy, and cognitive interventions
Relaxation strategies, including progressive muscle relaxation and controlled breathing
Skills training, including problem-solving, anger management, social skills training, communication training, stress management and parent management training
Interpersonal therapy
Eye-Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR)
Narrative therapy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

Eligible registered psychologists can provide FPS services under Better Access. However, psychologists do not have a separate Medicare requirement to complete 10 hours of FPS-specific CPD each year. Under current MBS requirements, the separate annual requirement for 10 hours of FPS-related CPD applies to eligible occupational therapists and accredited mental health social workers providing FPS services.

Psychologists instead remain subject to the Psychology Board of Australia’s CPD requirements, including completing at least 30 hours of CPD each registration year and ensuring their professional development is relevant to their individual learning needs and scope of practice.

Psychologists who provide Focussed Psychological Strategies may therefore choose to include FPS-related learning within their annual CPD plan where it is relevant to their professional development goals. Mental Health Academy offers a collection of courses covering many of the therapies and interventions recognised within the FPS framework.

How CPD supports effective professional practice

CPD is an important mechanism for helping health practitioners maintain and develop their professional knowledge, skills and competence throughout their careers. Research indicates that CPD can improve practitioner knowledge and professional behaviour, particularly when learning is interactive and actively engages participants.

A systematic review by Main and Anderson (2023), undertaken to inform CPD standards for regulated health practitioners in Australia, found that interactive CPD tends to be more effective than passive learning and that e-learning can be as effective as face-to-face CPD. The review also found that CPD is most effective when it uses a variety of learning methods, includes multiple exposures to learning over time, and focuses on outcomes that are relevant to practitioners.

The evidence linking CPD directly to improved client or patient outcomes is less conclusive, and research has not established an optimal number of CPD hours that applies across all health professions or areas of practice. This reinforces the importance of choosing CPD based not simply on accumulating hours, but on identified learning needs, professional competence and meaningful application to practice.

For psychologists, this approach is reflected in the Psychology Board of Australia’s requirement to develop an outcome-focused learning plan, undertake CPD relevant to professional practice, and reflect on how learning contributes to professional development.

Popular CPD courses and training undertaken by psychologists

The Psychology Board of Australia does not accredit individual CPD providers or activities. Psychologists have flexibility to select CPD that meets their individual learning needs, but remain responsible for determining whether activities are relevant to their CPD goals and scope of practice.

Mental Health Academy offers 650+ CPD courses covering hundreds of topics in psychology and mental health. MHA courses include assessment components designed to test participant understanding and reinforce learning. Courses incorporating these assessment activities are consistent with the Board’s description of Active CPD, which includes written or oral activities designed to enhance and test learning.

Psychologists should assess individual courses against their own CPD learning plan and professional development needs and retain appropriate records and evidence of completion.

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Evidence-based therapies and clinical interventions

Focussed Psychological Strategies (FPS)

Families, parenting and couples

Children and adolescents

Diversity and multicultural competence

Suicide prevention and risk assessment

Addiction

Trauma-informed care

Therapist self-care

Visit the MHA catalogue for a full list of available courses, and become a member to access over 750 hours of learning (on-demand, 24/7) for less than $1 day.

References

Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. (2026). AskMBS Advisory – Allied health services – Part B – Mental health treatment.
Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. (2026). Better Access fact sheet – professionals.
Main, P. A. E., & Anderson, S. (2023). Evidence for continuing professional development standards for regulated health practitioners in Australia: A systematic review. Human Resources for Health, 21, Article 23. doi:10.1186/s12960-023-00803-x
Medicare Benefits Schedule. (2025). Medicare Benefits Schedule Book – 1 July 2025.
Psychology Board of Australia. (2015). Registration standard: Continuing professional development.
Psychology Board of Australia. (2015). Guidelines: Continuing professional development.
Psychology Board of Australia. (2024). Professional competencies for psychologists. Effective 1 December 2025.
Psychology Board of Australia. (2024). Fact sheet: How to do a self-assessment against the general registration competencies.

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An overview of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for psychologists in Australia, including annual CPD requirements, what qualifies as CPD, Focussed Psychological Strategies (FPS) CPD, and more.