Continuing-education / CPD renewal requirements for behavioral and mental health licenses in Nova Scotia — hours or CPD model per cycle, mandated topics, live/interactive rules, and home-study limits. Pick a license for the full breakdown.
VerifiedNova Scotia
Registered Social Worker (RSW)
Regulator: Nova Scotia College of Social Workers (NSCSW)
40hours / credits / 1-year renewal cycle
No live / interactive hours required — all hours may be self-study
Mandated topics
- Social work ethics — 1 h
- Anti-racist and anti-discriminatory practice — 1 h
- Truth & Reconciliation — 1 h
- Vicarious trauma & secondary stress — 2 h
- Social justice — 1 h
Home study: Informal PD capped at a maximum of 14 hours/year for Active members. Within informal PD, sub-caps apply: critical review of published materials up to 5 hrs/yr, supervision/consultation up to 12 hrs/yr, personal growth up to 12 hrs/yr, self-care up to 5 hrs/yr, professional/technical knowledge up to 5 hrs/yr.
Board notes: Active members: 40 total hours/year = 6 hours mandated topics + minimum 20 hours formal PD + maximum 14 hours informal PD. Associate members: 20 total hours/year (6 mandated + 14 discretionary). The five topic AREAS are mandated (ethics, anti-racism/anti-discrimination, Truth & Reconciliation, vicarious trauma/secondary stress, social justice) totalling 6 hours, but members choose the specific training. Annual reporting cycle runs February to January and is reported at registration renewal. Record shown reflects the Active member standard.
View full Registered Social Worker requirements → VerifiedNova Scotia
Counselling Therapist (RCT)
Regulator: Nova Scotia College of Counselling Therapists (NSCCT)
36hours / credits / 3-year renewal cycle
No live / interactive hours required — all hours may be self-study
Mandated topics
No specific subject mandates — general CE hours only.
Home study: Not specified in the Continuing Education Requirement policy.
Board notes: Requires thirty-six (36) continuing education credits (CECs) over each three-year period. Registrants who are Canadian Certified Counsellors (CCC) may satisfy the requirement by submitting evidence of current CCPA certification; non-certified registrants must provide a CCPA transcript verifying 36 CCPA-approved CECs accrued in the previous three years. No category breakdowns, self-study caps, or specific mandatory topics (e.g., ethics, cultural competency) are stated in the policy. Counselling therapy is a regulated profession in Nova Scotia; marriage and family therapists are not separately regulated and fall within the counselling therapy scope.
View full Counselling Therapist requirements → VerifiedNova Scotia
Psychologist
Regulator: Nova Scotia College of Registered Psychologists (NSRP; formerly Nova Scotia Board of Examiners in Psychology, NSBEP)
20hours / credits / 1-year renewal cycle
No live / interactive hours required — all hours may be self-study
Mandated topics
- Cultural responsivity — 2 hMinimum 2 credits per year (effective April 25, 2025), subdivided into 1 credit of reflective/reflexive learning and 1 credit of knowledge and skills development.
Home study: Not specified; credits earned across five Core Competency areas via a six-step continuing competence process, no explicit self-study/home-study cap published.
Board notes: Continuing Competence Program is annual: minimum 20 credits per calendar year, including 2 credits in cultural responsivity. Mandatory for all psychologists holding a Practising Licence or a Psychologist Conditional Licence. Requirements begin January 1 of the calendar year following initial licensure. The regulator rebranded from NSBEP to the Nova Scotia College of Registered Psychologists (ns-rp.ca).
View full Psychologist requirements → How many CE hours do behavioral health licenses require in Nova Scotia?
In Nova Scotia, hour-based licenses require 20 to 40 continuing-education hours per renewal cycle depending on the license type; some credentials follow a CPD model instead. See the table above for each credential.
Do CE requirements differ by license type in Nova Scotia?
Yes. Social work, counseling, psychology, marriage & family therapy, and behavior-analysis credentials each have their own requirements, mandated topics, and renewal cycles in Nova Scotia. This page lists each one separately.
Does Nova Scotia require ethics CE?
Nova Scotia requires dedicated ethics continuing education for: Registered Social Worker. Exact hour counts are on each license's page.
Updated July 2026 from official licensing-board, regulatory-college, and government sources. CE / CPD requirements change often — always confirm current rules directly with your licensing board or regulator before you renew. Informational only, not legal advice.