Continuing Professional Development

Continuing professional development (CPD) is how registered psychologists develop their professional qualities and maintain, improve and broaden their knowledge, expertise and competence.

Your scope of practice is determined by your formal qualifications, vocational choices, career pathways and experience, including the CPD that you have undertaken. After completing a Board-approved program of study as the minimum threshold to enter the profession, CPD helps you to maintain competence once you are registered.

Professional development is an ongoing process which continues over the course of your career, adapting to changes in practice environments, professional domains, new information and consumer needs. Carefully tailored professional development can promote competency and relevance in practice, which in turn assists members of the public who seek psychology services.

CPD requirements

The CPD requirements for psychologists are set out in the Continuing professional development registration standard and Guidelines for continuing professional development. These include:

1. Developing a learning plan based on objective self-assessment
2. Completing 10 hours of peer consultation activities annually
3. Completing 20 hours of other CPD activities annually
4. Maintaining a CPD portfolio that includes the learning plan, activity log, and reflection, and submitting the portfolio to AHPRA within 28 days if selected for audit.

For more Information

• For more information see the Guidelines for continuing professional development. 
• For information on your specific CPD circumstances contact our Customer Service Team.