Counseling Continuing Education: Seminars

There are many different formats the popular seminar can take. These formats vary in time, cost, speaker, subject and location. Choosing the best seminar for you is a matter of researching all of these variables and coming up with the best fit. You will also want to research your state’s licensing and continued educational guidelines, making sure that whatever you choose it matches what the state considers viable.

First of all, what is the general definition of a seminar as it applies to your counseling continuing education? There are a number of definitions but probably the best way to understand a seminar is to consider it a gathering of like-minded people or counselors that have a particular learning goal in mind. It is usually an intensive class experience where a lot of learning is condensed into only a few short hours or meeting times.

Seminars can vary even from the aforementioned definition. Different factors come into play to change the seminar’s goals and target audience. One of the most important factors in making a seminar unique is the length of time the gathering is taking place. Some seminars in university settings will last an entire semester. They have the structure of a class with the option of having an open dialogue on a given subject.

Some seminars for professionals will be held over a weekend or even for a few short hours on a Saturday or weekday. This give the professional, in this case professionals seeking counseling continuing education credits, the chance to learn intensively on one subject. This specialized seminar can also have a difference in cost because of the organizational requirements of the meetings. For example, will the seminar be catering to multiple hundred of people and will it need to be held at a hotel?

Cost can also come into play when you begin looking at the speakers or instructors that will be leading the seminars. When a widely known expert in the field is invited to teach at a weekend intensive seminar, the price tag for the event can go way up. Because of the notoriety of the individual, enrollment can be higher. The subject that speaker discusses can cause a difference in cost as well, especially when it is a highly publicized educational subject.

The subjects or topics that the seminar focuses on can also change regionally. Different parts of the country and even the world have different needs when it comes to counseling continuing education. A seminar topic may be very popular and current in one region and completely out-dated in another. Finding the right seminar and the right topic for you sometimes means traveling out of state.

Seminars can be an exciting way to get your counseling continuing education credits. Look into different seminars in your region for topics of interest to you. If you don’t find any local seminars that meet your criteria, then start to look nationally and even globally. Who knows? You could turn your seminar experience into a family vacation.