CPD for Psychologists Australia: Requirements, What Counts, and How to Stay Compliant (2026)

For Australian psychologists, Continuing Professional Development is more than a compliance box to tick — it's a genuine commitment to maintaining the standard of care your clients deserve. But the requirements aren't always clear, and with a demanding caseload, staying on top of CPD can feel like yet another thing competing for your attention.

This guide covers everything you need to know about psychology CPD in Australia: how many hours you need, what activities count, how supervision fits in, and how to prepare if you're ever selected for an audit.

Psychology CPD Requirements in Australia

Psychologists registered with the Psychology Board of Australia under AHPRA must complete a minimum of 30 hours of Continuing Professional Development each registration year.

Key requirements

• Minimum hours: 30 hours per year
• Cycle: Annual (aligned with your registration renewal period)
• Applies to: All registered psychologists, including general and endorsed practitioners
• Must be: Relevant to your area of practice
• Documentation: Required for all activities

The 30-hour requirement applies regardless of your registration type — whether you're a general psychologist, a clinical psychologist, a forensic psychologist, or any other endorsed area of practice.

Unlike some other health professions with a single activity type, psychology CPD has specific requirements around the mix of activities. The Psychology Board expects practitioners to engage in a variety of learning activities, not just attend conferences year after year.

What Counts as CPD for Psychologists?

The Psychology Board of Australia recognises a broad range of CPD activities. The central principle is relevance: activities must contribute to your professional development in ways that benefit your clients and enhance your competence.

Formal and structured learning

• Workshops and training programs — Structured training in therapeutic modalities, assessment tools, or clinical skills
• Conferences and seminars — National and international psychology conferences, professional association events
• Online courses and webinars — Accredited e-learning programs from recognised psychology education providers
• Postgraduate study — Units within Masters or Doctoral programs in psychology or related fields
• Certificate programs — Formal training in specific areas such as trauma, neuropsychology, or health psychology

Supervision and consultation

Supervision is a cornerstone of psychological practice, and the Psychology Board recognises it as a legitimate CPD activity. This includes:

• Professional supervision — Receiving supervision from a more experienced psychologist focused on professional development (not just case management)
• Peer consultation — Structured peer discussion groups where you review cases, discuss ethical dilemmas, or explore clinical challenges
• Collegial consultation — Consulting with colleagues on complex cases in a structured way

Note that supervision you provide to others (as a supervisor) also counts as CPD, as it contributes to your development as a practitioner and educator.

Self-directed learning

• Reading psychological research — Journal articles, systematic reviews, practice guidelines, and evidence-based resources
• Reviewing clinical assessments and tools — Studying updated versions of assessment instruments you use in practice
• Critically appraising research — Active engagement with the evidence base, not just passive reading
• Self-reflection — Structured reflection on your practice, ethical decision-making, and professional development

Teaching and education

• University lecturing or tutoring — Teaching psychology to undergraduate or postgraduate students
• Presenting at conferences — Delivering papers, workshops, or symposia at professional events
• Mentoring colleagues — Providing structured mentoring to junior psychologists or registrars
• Writing clinical guidelines or educational materials

Research and scholarship

• Conducting research — Participating in studies, clinical trials, or research projects
• Publishing — Contributing to the peer-reviewed literature
• Research consultation — Advising on study design or contributing expertise to research projects

Practice improvement activities

• Clinical audits — Reviewing your own clinical outcomes and practice patterns
• Quality improvement initiatives — Participating in service improvement projects in your workplace
• Ethics and professional development reviews — Engaging with case studies or ethics training

What doesn't count

Activities that don't count towards psychology CPD:

• Routine client sessions (therapy, assessment, report writing as part of normal practice)
• General personal development activities unrelated to psychological practice
• Administrative and management duties
• Activities completed outside your registration period

Supervision as CPD: A Closer Look

One of the most frequently asked questions from psychologists is: how does supervision count as CPD?

The Psychology Board distinguishes between supervision for registration purposes (required for provisionally registered psychologists) and supervision as a professional development activity for general registrants.

For registered (non-provisional) psychologists, professional supervision — where the focus is on your growth as a practitioner — counts as CPD. The key elements that make supervision count:

1. Developmental focus — The supervision is genuinely about your professional development, not just managing a caseload
2. Structure — Sessions have clear goals and are documented
3. Duration — The time spent in supervision counts towards your CPD hours
4. Qualified supervisor — Your supervisor should be an experienced registered psychologist

A 50-minute supervision session typically equates to 1 hour of CPD. You'll need to document who supervised you, the date, duration, and what was covered.

Peer consultation groups also count, provided they're structured and focused on professional learning rather than informal case discussions.

CPD for Endorsed Psychologists

If you hold an area of practice endorsement (such as clinical, forensic, health, neuropsychology, or another endorsed area), your CPD should include activities relevant to your endorsed area.

The Psychology Board doesn't specify a minimum number of hours that must relate to your endorsement, but auditors will look for evidence that your CPD is appropriate for your scope of practice. A clinical psychologist whose CPD consists entirely of organisational psychology conferences may face scrutiny.

Practical approach: Aim to have the majority of your CPD hours relevant to your primary practice area, with some general psychology development included.

How Psychology CPD Audits Work

The Psychology Board of Australia conducts random CPD audits of registered psychologists. Being selected for audit doesn't mean anything is wrong — it's a routine compliance check.

What triggers an audit?

Audits are typically random, though the Board may also audit practitioners who have had previous compliance issues or who have registered unusual patterns.

What you'll need to provide

If audited, you'll need to demonstrate:

1. Total hours completed — 30 hours for the registration year under review
2. Variety of activities — A range of CPD types, not just one activity
3. Relevance — Activities relevant to your scope of practice
4. Documentation — Evidence for each activity (certificates, supervision records, notes)

Documentation requirements

For formal activities (courses, conferences, webinars):

• Certificate of completion or attendance record
• Provider name and details
• Date and number of hours

For supervision and peer consultation:

• Date and duration of each session
• Name of supervisor or peer group
• Brief description of topics covered

For self-directed learning (journal reading, reflection):

• Title and source of material read
• Date and estimated hours
• A brief reflection on what you learned and how it's relevant to your practice

What happens if you're non-compliant?

If you can't demonstrate you've met your 30-hour requirement, the Psychology Board may:

• Require you to complete additional CPD
• Place conditions on your registration
• Refer the matter for further investigation

The Board takes CPD compliance seriously because it's directly linked to maintaining practitioner competence. Non-compliance is not treated as a minor administrative matter.

Common CPD Mistakes Psychologists Make

1. Counting supervision for registration as CPD

If you're a provisional psychologist completing supervision for general registration, that supervision generally doesn't count as CPD — it's a separate requirement. Check the Board's guidelines for your specific situation.

2. Only counting conference hours

A week-long conference might deliver a large chunk of CPD hours, but relying on events alone misses the depth of professional development the Board expects. Include self-directed learning, supervision, and practice improvement activities too.

3. Not documenting informal learning

Psychologists often undercount their CPD because they don't record self-directed learning. If you're reading research, reflecting on your practice, or engaging in peer consultation informally, this counts — but only if you document it.

4. Forgetting about ethics training

Ethics is a core component of psychological practice. Activities focused on ethical decision-making, boundary management, or professional conduct are valuable CPD — and they signal to auditors that you're engaged in the full breadth of professional development.

5. Waiting until the end of the year

Psychologists who try to complete all 30 hours in the last quarter of their registration year often feel rushed, choose activities based on convenience rather than development value, and struggle to document everything properly.

Building a Strong CPD Portfolio

A good psychology CPD portfolio demonstrates thoughtful, planned professional development — not last-minute compliance.

Structure your CPD around your practice goals

At the start of each registration year, identify:

• Areas of your practice you want to develop
• Any knowledge gaps or skills you'd like to build
• New therapeutic approaches you're curious about

Then select CPD activities that address these goals. This makes your portfolio more coherent and more defensible if audited.

Include a range of activity types

A balanced psychology CPD year might look like:

• 10 hours: Structured courses or workshops
• 8 hours: Professional supervision (developmental focus)
• 6 hours: Conference or seminar attendance
• 6 hours: Self-directed learning (reading, research review)

This isn't a formula — it's an illustration of the variety the Board looks for.

Write brief reflections for informal activities

For journal reading and self-directed learning, a short paragraph noting what you read, what you learned, and how it applies to your practice transforms passive activity into documented CPD. This takes five minutes and makes an enormous difference in an audit.

Using Technology to Manage Your Psychology CPD

Keeping 30 hours of CPD documentation organised across supervision sessions, conferences, online courses, and self-directed learning is a real administrative challenge. Manual systems — spreadsheets, folders of certificates, handwritten logs — work but require discipline.

Purpose-built CPD tracking tools make this significantly easier. CPDKeep is designed for Australian health professionals and handles the specific requirements of AHPRA-registered practitioners:

• Log activities in seconds from any device
• Attach certificates, supervision records, and evidence electronically
• See your 30-hour annual progress at a glance
• Generate a complete audit-ready PDF report at any time
• Set email reminders so you don't lose track of your cycle

The free plan covers logging and progress tracking. The Pro plan ($5/month) adds audit-ready PDF reports and deadline reminders — particularly valuable when you're juggling client work, supervision, and the rest of practice life.

Summary: Psychology CPD at a Glance

Requirement	Detail
Total hours	30 hours per year
Cycle	Annual
Governed by	Psychology Board of Australia (AHPRA)
Activity variety	Broad range required
Supervision	Counts as CPD (developmental focus)
Documentation	Required for all activities
Audit	Random selection at registration renewal

The good news: if you're a practising psychologist who attends some training, reads the literature, and participates in supervision, you're probably completing enough CPD. The challenge is documenting it consistently and building the habit of logging as you go.

Start that habit now, and CPD compliance becomes something you maintain effortlessly throughout the year — rather than something you scramble to demonstrate when renewal comes around.

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