Introduction
Date Course Created: May 2026
Join psychologist-attorney Dr. Jennifer Sweeton for critical knowledge that can keep you out of legal trouble and give you the skills to confidently respond to legal issues and requests that come up in your practice. Too many therapists don’t know this stuff, which often results in lost income, difficult legal entanglements, and even lawsuits and board complaints.
Most therapists lose sleep over the wrong things, such as making a mistake in an EMDR session, saying the wrong thing to a client, or missing a diagnosis. But as a dual-licensed psychologist and attorney, Dr. Sweeton has seen firsthand that the real threats to your license, your livelihood, and your personal assets are hiding in places you’ve never thought to look.
In this eye-opening presentation, Dr. Sweeton will first put your biggest fears to rest by explaining why some of the things you worry about most are unlikely to land you in legal trouble. Then she’ll reveal several hidden legal risks that are lurking in your everyday practice right now from the fine print in your 1099 contract, to the metadata in your EHR, to that free consultation you did last week. You’ll leave this training with a clear understanding of where your real vulnerabilities are and concrete steps you can take immediately to protect yourself, your practice, and your license.
Legal Disclaimer: This program is provided for educational and informational purposes only. The content presented during this program reflects general legal and risk-management principles relevant to mental health practice and is not intended to constitute legal advice. Participation in this program does not create an attorney-client relationship between participants and the presenter or any affiliated organization. Because laws, regulations, licensing rules, and professional standards vary by jurisdiction and by the specific facts of any situation, participants should not rely on the information presented as a substitute for individualized legal advice from an attorney licensed in their state. Nothing presented during the program should be interpreted as guidance regarding any specific legal matter or as a recommendation to take or refrain from taking any particular action. Participants should consult qualified legal counsel or appropriate professional advisors before making decisions related to legal, regulatory, or professional risk in their practice.
This is a 1.5-CE noninteractive, self-paced online video course delivered in home study format via an industry-standard online learning platform.
Agenda
00:00 – 00:30 → Introduction, Background, The Importance of Informed Consent
00:30 – 00:50 → Navigating Legal Challenges and Subpoenas
00:50 – 01:25 → Duty to Warn and Protect, Insurance and Business Entities, Legal and Ethical Dilemmas in Therapy
01:25 – 01:32 → Q&A, Closing Remarks
Objectives
This training will provide participants clinical knowledge and tools to:
After completing this training, participants will be able to differentiate between common clinical fears that carry low legal risk and less-obvious practice vulnerabilities that pose significant legal liability for mental health professionals.- After completing this training, participants will be able to identify at least five specific actions that may be exposing clinicians to board complaints, malpractice claims, or loss of licensure.
Target Audience:
The target audience for this event includes psychologists, social workers, counselors, MFT’s, and other clinical mental health professionals.
Instructional Level: Intermediate
Instructor(s): Jennifer Sweeton, PsyD, JD, MS, MA
Material Author(s): Jennifer Sweeton, PsyD, JD, MS, MA
For additional information about this course, the instructors, or the material authors, please contact Content Assistance at content@onlinececredits.com.
Course Materials & Delivery Method:
- Course Materials – The course is composed of a recorded presentation and written materials (e.g. a slide deck and/or other worksheets, manuals, or handouts as provided by the instructor). The slide deck and any additional worksheets or handouts (as provided by the instructor) are made available inside the Lesson module after a course is purchased.
- Delivery Method – This course is a recorded asynchronous, self-paced webinar training, and there is no access time limit or due date to complete it once enrolled. The enrolled learner will stream the recorded presentation and view the materials from their internet connected device via an industry-standard online learning platform.
CE Approvals:
National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)
Online CE Credits has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6795. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Online CE Credits is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB)
Mind Works Professional Education, Inc. DBA Online CE Credits, #1974, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: July 23, 2025 – July 23, 2028. Social workers completing this course receive 1.5 clinical continuing education credits.
Other Helpful Information:
Refund & Cancellation Policy – You may review this policy at any time by clicking here.- Accessibility Accommodations – If you require a reasonable accommodation for any reason, please email your request to cc@onlinececredits.com.
- Course Completion Requirements – 1.) View the entire Lesson module (accessible from the main course page), to include the embedded and/or linked presentation video(s), slide deck, additional materials, and/or links to any shared video clip(s) that may have been edited from the presentation video(s) to comply with copyright laws. 2.) Click into the Quiz module accessible from either the main course page or the Lesson page and complete the Quiz with an 80% or better pass rate. 3.) Complete the Course Evaluation – you’ll be sent to the Evaluation automatically once you successfully pass the Quiz.
- Posttest Requirements – You must answer 80% or more of the Quiz questions correctly to pass. If you fail to pass the first time, you may attempt the quiz again until you are able to pass with a score of 80% or better. Quizzes are graded instantly and automatically by the learning management system once your attempt is submitted.
- Certificate of Completion – Certificates of Completion are automatically generated – downloadable from your Dashboard and emailed to you – once you view the Lesson Materials and complete the Quiz and the Course Evaluation.
- How to Enroll – Login to the website first if you already have a user account. If not, you will create your permanent user account login information during course enrollment. Select the appropriate course library using the top menu of the website. Once inside your chosen course library, find and select your desired course to be taken to the main course page. Click the button on the top banner to enroll. When the order window pops up, enter your details and place your order. You will be emailed an enrollment confirmation message, and you’ll be sent to a landing page instructing you how to begin your newly enrolled course.
- System Requirements:
- Recommended Devices: Desktop, Laptop, or Tablet computer. (Note: Our platform is mobile responsive and may be fully accessed from a connected smartphone).
- Suggested Browsers: Updated version of Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Apple Safari.
- Recommended Network: Home wi-fi, ethernet, or a public wi-fi with VPN (Note: agency or corporate networks are often equipped with restrictive firewalls that may adversely impact your experience on our platform).
- Recommended speed/bandwidth: Minimum download speed > 20Mbps and minimum upload speed > 6Mbps.