What are the best continuing education courses… | Parse
What are the best continuing education courses for a marriage and family therapist on topics like trauma or addiction?
Data as of Sep 26, 2026 · Based on 341 AI responses from ChatGPT Search and Google AI Mode · See how Parse measures this
For marriage and family therapists pursuing continuing education in trauma and addiction, PESI, AAMFT, and AllCEUs are among the top recommendations. PESI and Evergreen are preferred for accredited certifications and expert-led modules, while and provide affordable, subscription-based libraries for ongoing requirements. Specialized organizations like the Academy of Therapy Wisdom and AAMFT provide advanced, discipline-specific training for complex relational and trauma work.
Ideal for therapists seeking in-depth, expert-led online certifications in areas like Complex Trauma (CCTP) and Addiction. They are highly regarded for structured, multi-level learning programs.
A premier choice for MFTs looking for association-verified training specifically designed for systemic and relational therapies, including high-conflict couples and trauma work.
Continuing Education Courses for Marriage & Family Therapists | eCare Behavioral Health Institutehttps://www.ecarebehavioralinstitute.com/continuing-education-courses/marriage-and-family-therapist/
If you’re an MFT looking to build practical clinical skills in trauma and addiction, I’d focus on CE programs that are evidence-based, clinically oriented, and clearly accepted by your licensing board.
Strong options to consider
naadac.org
Probably the most directly relevant source for substance-use training. NAADAC offers specialty online trainings, webinars, and certificate programs. Its current offerings include co-occurring disorders/SUD and incorporating the family into addiction treatment and recovery, which is particularly well aligned with MFT practice.
Especially useful: SUD assessment/diagnosis, co-occurring disorders, family systems and addiction, opioid-use treatment, and relapse/recovery work.
NAADAC also maintains a list of boards that accept its CEs, including MFT-related approvals.
emdria.org
A strong route if you want to develop a rather than simply accumulate general trauma CEs. EMDRIA offers approved basic training as well as continuing-education workshops and on-demand courses.
Particularly relevant for PTSD, complex trauma, dissociation, attachment, and trauma-related symptoms.
Their calendar includes specialized courses such as complex trauma, attachment and dissociation.
Important distinction: EMDRIA CE credits generally have specific eligibility requirements; EMDRIA notes that EMDRIA credits themselves are intended for clinicians who have completed approved EMDR basic training.
NAADAC's family/addiction training
For an MFT specifically, I'd pay particular attention to training that integrates family systems with SUD treatment rather than addiction counseling in isolation. NAADAC has a specialty certificate series specifically addressing tools and best practices for treating families affected by addiction.
Trauma-informed treatment rather than EMDR alone
If you don't necessarily want to become an EMDR therapist, look for CEs covering complex PTSD, attachment trauma, dissociation, stabilization, somatic approaches, and trauma-informed couples/family therapy. EMDRIA's continuing-education catalog is one place to find this type of material.
If I were building an MFT CE plan
I'd consider something like:
Trauma fundamentals: complex trauma, attachment, dissociation, and stabilization.
Trauma treatment: an evidence-based modality such as EMDR, CPT, or TF-CBT.
Addiction: SUD assessment, motivational interviewing, relapse prevention, and recovery.
Family + addiction: treating the couple/family system when one member has an SUD.
Co-occurring disorders: trauma + SUD + anxiety/depression and appropriate treatment sequencing.
Advanced clinical topic: shame, grief, chronic pain, personality disorders, or high-conflict couples in the context of trauma/addiction.
One particularly useful feature of NAADAC is that it has offered free addiction-specific webinars, including material on adult children of parental addiction/trauma, co-occurring disorders, family/community addiction, and SUD treatment practices.
One caveat: CE acceptance is ultimately determined by your licensing jurisdiction. If you tell me which state you're licensed in (e.g., New York, California, etc.) and whether you're looking for online/self-paced or live training, I can narrow this down to 5–10 specific courses available now, with CE hours, cost, modality, and whether they're accepted for your MFT license.
Top Organizations and Programs for Trauma & Addiction CEUs
AAMFT On-Demand Courses : Offers virtual, self-paced learning explicitly tailored to systemic and relational clinical practices, covering core diagnosis, family systems, and specialized treatment modalities.
PESI Continuing Education Certifications : Provides robust intensive training paths, including specialized credentials like the Complex Trauma Certification (CCTP), alongside comprehensive modules on relational trauma, addiction, and evidence-based modalities like DBT and IFS.
ACORN Family Therapy Trainings : Features free or low-cost, research-informed on-demand courses focusing on relational assessment, safety planning, and treating systemic issues including behavioral and substance-related dependencies within a family framework.
If you can let me know your state licensing board and specific clinical focus (e.g., substance addiction vs. developmental trauma), I can recommend precise courses that meet your exact license renewal requirements.
For Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs) looking to deepen their expertise in trauma and addiction—especially through a systemic or relational lens—several gold-standard organizations and specific online training programs offer accredited continuing education (CE) credits.
Top-tier CE providers and specialized courses in these areas include:
Internal Family Systems (IFS) Institute
Focus: Trauma, Self-leadership, and Parts Work.
Why it fits MFTs: IFS naturally aligns with systemic thinking by looking at internal family systems and how wounded "exiles" and protective "managers/firefighters" react to trauma. Official Level 1 trainings or shorter specialized workshops (like IFS & Trauma ) provide profound tools for treating complex trauma.
Why it fits MFTs: PESI offers structured packages such as the Complex Trauma Certification (CCTP) as well as targeted modules on the neurobiology of addiction, dual diagnosis, and somatic interventions. They provide flexible self-study or live webinar formats that map well to MFT license renewal needs.
The Gottman Institute
Focus: Trauma-informed relational therapy and couples work.
Why it fits MFTs: Trauma rarely lives in a vacuum; it heavily impacts intimacy and attachment. Gottman offers specialized continuing education addressing how past trauma and emotional flooding derail couples, alongside practical relational interventions. You can review their offerings directly via The Gottman Institute CE Credits.
National Center for PTSD (via SAMHSA / VA)
Focus: Evidence-based trauma treatments, PTSD across populations, and resilience.
Why it fits MFTs: They offer robust, free online CE courses specifically tailored for mental health treatment practitioners. Modules cover deep dives like managing suicidal ideation, cross-cultural trauma considerations, and post-traumatic stress in older adulthood. Access these resources through the SAMHSA Continuing Education for Trauma portal.
Focus: Integrated medicine, neurobiology of addiction, and complex PTSD.
Why it fits MFTs: They feature practical, focused tracks such as Neurobiology of Addiction, Culturally Competent Trauma-Informed Practice , and Treatment of Sexual Addiction designed to give clinicians direct application frameworks.
If you'd like to narrow this down, let me know:
Are you looking for free vs. paid options?
Do you prefer live webinars or self-paced online modules?
Do you need credits that count toward a specific state board requirement or a formal certification?
When looking for continuing education (CE/CEU) courses as a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) focusing specifically on trauma or addiction —especially through a systemic/relational lens—several premier organizations and specialized programs stand out.
Top-rated providers and targeted courses are categorized below by their clinical focus:
1. Trauma & Complex Trauma Courses
The Gottman Institute: Treating Affairs and Trauma
Focus: Perfect for MFTs, this intensive training dives into healing betrayal, past affairs, and PTSD/trauma dynamics within committed relationships. It teaches you how to rebuild trust and process deep emotional wounds using the Sound Relationship House framework.
Focus: Comprehensive multi-modal approaches integrating somatic experiencing, parts work (Internal Family Systems/IFS), EMDR concepts, and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). It helps clinicians treat nervous system dysregulation and developmental trauma.
Clearly Clinical: Healing Invisible Wounds (Sexual Trauma in Relationships)
Focus: Features expert-led podcast and audio-based CE courses (including guest lectures by figures like Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman) exploring how past sexual trauma impacts adult attachment and intimacy.
The Gottman Institute: Couples and Addiction Recovery
Focus: Co-developed to address how substance use and behavioral addictions hijack a relationship system. Created using Dr. Robert Navarra’s research, this training guides MFTs on how to navigate denial, establish boundaries, and construct a joint recovery plan that supports both the individual and the couple.
AAMFT (American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy) Online Courses
Focus: Offers specialized clinical practice modules addressing systemic dynamics, co-occurring disorders, and family systems theory in recovery. Because it’s tailored specifically for MFTs, the ethical and systemic context matches day-to-day practice realities.
If you’re an LMFT in California, I’d prioritize CE that gives you immediately usable clinical skills rather than courses that are primarily “credential collecting.”
Strong options for trauma + addiction
Complex trauma / dissociation — Janina Fisher–style training.
Particularly useful if you work with developmental trauma, attachment injuries, dissociation, shame, or clients whose symptoms don't fit neatly into a single diagnosis. PESI currently offers a Complex Trauma Certification Training featuring Janina Fisher and Bessel van der Kolk.
EMDR.
If you want a structured trauma-treatment modality that you can actually incorporate into practice, EMDR is worth considering. Be aware that a CE course about EMDR isn't necessarily the same thing as completing a recognized EMDR training/certification pathway. PESI offers courses ranging from introductory material through intensive training.
Trauma + addiction / co-occurring disorders.
This is particularly relevant for an MFT because substance use frequently affects the entire couple/family system. PESI currently has a Trauma & Addiction Dual Certification covering approaches including CBT, CPT, EMDR, prolonged exposure, somatic and psychodynamic approaches.
Motivational Interviewing for substance use.
I'd strongly consider this even if addiction isn't your primary specialty. MI skills are broadly applicable to ambivalence, treatment engagement, relapse, behavioral change, and family work. Current CE offerings include trauma-informed MI combined with CBT/DBT approaches.
Addiction + EMDR.
If you already have EMDR training, a focused course on using EMDR with addiction can be a logical next step. EMDRIA has offered training specifically addressing trauma-focused treatment of addiction, including the PEIA and MET(T)A protocols.
Don't overlook CAMFT
For a California LMFT, California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists is especially useful because its CE programming is specifically oriented toward California MFTs. CAMFT's on-demand library has 100+ workshops, and CAMFT is recognized by the California BBS as a CE provider for LMFTs.
Their 2026 conference, for example, includes sessions on Addiction in 2026 and Trauma-Informed Psychotherapies as Mind–Body Medicine.
EMDR or another trauma modality if you want to develop a specialty
Ethics, documentation, and California-specific requirements separately
That gives you both clinical depth and practical applicability rather than accumulating unrelated CE hours.
If you tell me whether you're already licensed, an associate, or a supervisor, and whether you prefer online/self-paced vs. live/in-person, I can narrow this down to 5–10 specific courses available in 2026, including CE hours, cost, instructor, and California BBS approval.
If you're an LMFT looking to deepen clinical skills in trauma, addiction, or co-occurring disorders, I'd prioritize training that is evidence-based, clinically practical, and clearly accepted for your license's CE requirements.
My top picks
EMDRIA-approved EMDR training — best for trauma treatment.
If you want a substantial trauma specialization, this is probably the strongest option. EMDRIA-approved Basic Training covers case conceptualization, treatment planning, methodology, practice, and consultation. EMDRIA also offers ongoing credit workshops and on-demand education. EMDR International AssociationEMDR International AssociationBest for: PTSD, complex trauma, attachment trauma, dissociation-informed work.
Important: Basic training is not the same as EMDRIA certification; certification involves additional clinical hours, consultation, and CE.
NAADAC education — best for addiction/SUD.naadac.org has a particularly good selection for therapists wanting practical substance-use training. Their education covers addiction, co-occurring disorders, assessment, treatment, recovery, and process addictions. NAADAC also specifically lists CE approvals for marriage and family therapists. NAADACNAADACBest for: SUD assessment, co-occurring disorders, family addiction dynamics, process addictions.
ASAM Criteria training — best for understanding the addiction-treatment system.elearning.asam.org offers training around the ASAM Criteria, including a 6-hour Foundations course scheduled for December 2026. It focuses on patient-centered service planning and decisions around admission, continuing care, transfer, and discharge. ASAM eLearningBest for: LMFTs who collaborate with treatment centers, IOPs, PHPs, or medical/addiction teams.
AAMFT Teneo — best for keeping a systemic/family-therapy perspective.aamft.org provides online CE specifically oriented toward systemic and relational therapies. This is useful if you don't want your continuing education to become entirely individual/diagnosis-focused. AAMFTBest for: integrating trauma and addiction work into couples/family treatment.
NAADAC's free webinar library — best low-cost starting point.
NAADAC currently offers hundreds of hours of free educational webinars, with topics including trauma and parental addiction, substance-use assessment, process addictions, toxic shame, youth substance use, and co-occurring disorders. Members can receive CEs free for the webinar series; nonmembers pay for the CE certificate.
If I were building an LMFT specialization
I'd do something like:
1. Trauma foundation → EMDR or another structured trauma modality2. Addiction foundation → NAADAC coursework3. Co-occurring disorders → ASAM Criteria training4. Couples/family application → AAMFT systemic training
That combination gives you more than a collection of random CE hours: it builds a coherent clinical specialty in trauma + substance use + relational/family treatment.
One caveat: CE acceptance is state-specific. Before paying for a course, check that the provider/course is approved for your particular LMFT license. AAMFT itself notes that acceptance varies by state, and NAADAC publishes its specific CE approvals.
If you're licensed in New York, I can also , including cost, number of CE hours, online vs. live, and which ones I'd choose first.
For Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFTs) looking to deepen their expertise in trauma and addiction, several high-quality, accredited continuing education (CE) providers offer specialized certifications and targeted courses.
PESI Mental Health Continuing Education: PESI is widely recognized for comprehensive, expert-led online and live courses. They feature prominent figures in the mental health space and offer structured certification tracks such as the Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP/CCTP-II) and specialized addiction and complex trauma workshops. You can explore their catalog on the PESI Website.
Trauma Institute & Child Trauma Institute: Providing specialized continuing education credits approved for LMFTs (and other mental health practitioners), they focus heavily on evidence-based trauma treatments like EMDR and specialized child/family trauma methodologies. Details on credentials are available via the Trauma Institute Continuing Education.
National Center for PTSD (VA/SAMHSA): For evidence-based clinical training specifically centered around post-traumatic stress and co-occurring issues, the U.S. government provides robust, high-level learning modules. Many of their professional tracks offer free CE credits for mental health providers. You can access these offerings through the SAMHSA Trauma Education Resource.
If you'd like to narrow this down, let me know:
Are you looking for live interactive webinars or self-paced online courses?
Do you need credits that fulfill a specific state board requirement for LMFT renewal?
When looking for top-tier continuing education (CE/CEU) for Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs) focusing on trauma and addiction, several gold-standard providers and specialized certification programs stand out for their clinical depth and board approvals.
Here are the best options categorized by format and clinical focus:
Comprehensive Dual Certification Programs
PESI / Evergreen Certifications Trauma and Addiction Dual Certification Training : Offers structured, combined training paths to become a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP) alongside an addiction-focused credential. These are self-paced, highly practical, and explicitly designed to bridge co-occurring disorders.
AAMFT Professional Development Center : The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy provides targeted online courses and clinical update packages directly tailored to systemic perspectives on relational trauma, substance use, and family recovery.
Trauma-Specific Master Classes & Immersions
PESI Internal Family Systems (IFS) & Trauma Mastery Courses : Comprehensive tracks like Complete IFS Therapy Immersion or Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) Mastery Course provide modality-specific tools that translate exceptionally well to treating relational and developmental trauma within family systems.
Aspira Continuing Education : Offers a large catalog of state-board-approved online CE courses specifically categorized for LMFTs, associates, and interns, making it easy to fulfill specific state credit distributions on abuse, trauma, or chemical dependency.
To help narrow down the best fit, let me know:
Which state licensing board do you need to satisfy?
Are you looking for self-paced online learning or live/interactive webinars?
Do you prefer a specific clinical modality (like EMDR, IFS, or CBT) for the trauma/addiction work?
If you’re an MFT looking to build stronger clinical skills in trauma and addiction, I’d prioritize courses that are evidence-based, clinically practical, and clearly accepted for your particular state’s license renewal.
NAADAC is specifically focused on addiction and co-occurring disorders.
It offers specialty online trainings plus a large library of webinars.
Their free webinar library includes topics such as substance-use assessment, ethical SUD treatment, opioid-use treatment, behavioral addictions, and addiction's impact on families.
Even if you're not in California, CAMFT's CE Finder is useful for discovering specialized workshops and online courses.
Its on-demand library has more than 100 workshops/articles, and CAMFT specifically approves CE for LMFTs and other behavioral-health professionals in California.
If I were building an MFT CE plan
I'd choose a combination like:
Trauma: complex trauma, dissociation, attachment trauma, and trauma-informed couples/family therapy.
Addiction: SUD assessment, motivational interviewing, relapse prevention, family systems and addiction, and co-occurring disorders.
Advanced skill: EMDR, CPT, or another established trauma treatment if you actually want to incorporate that modality into your practice.
Systems-focused: addiction and trauma in couples/families rather than training exclusively designed for individual treatment.
Ethics: one course specifically addressing boundaries, documentation, mandated reporting, and clinical issues with SUD/trauma populations.
One particularly nice overlap for an MFT is trauma + addiction + family systems. NAADAC has even offered training specifically on families, trauma, and addiction from a medical-family-therapy perspective.
One important caveat
CE acceptance is state-specific. Before paying for a course, check that the provider/course satisfies your state MFT board's requirements and whether the hours count as clinical, ethics, live, asynchronous, etc. AAMFT itself recommends checking directly with your licensing board.
If you tell me what state you're licensed in and whether you're more interested in trauma, addiction, couples/family work, or all three, I can narrow this down to 5–10 specific courses available now, including CE hours, cost, format, and which I'd take first.
Focus: An affordable subscription-based library providing unlimited audio, video, and text courses specifically for MFTs and counselors. They feature robust tracks on childhood trauma, addiction dynamics, and family-of-origin impacts.
naadac.org Probably the most directly relevant source for substance-use training. NAADAC offers specialty online trainings, webinars, and certificate programs. Its current offerings include co-occurring disorders/SUD and incorporating the family into addiction treatment and recovery, which is particularly well aligned with MFT practice.
