CEUS Continuing Education for LMFT, LCSW, and LPC Licenses in many states including California

Why choose Aspira?

Aspira's commitment to excellence means that the mental health and social work online courses we offer are the best you'll find. We offer a broad range of course subjects that are board approved for many professions including MFT, LCSW, and LPC. The process is as simple as selecting a course, completing and passing the online exam, and receiving/printing your certificate issued immediately with your payment.

With Aspira, you can:

• Satisfy your CE requirements conveniently anywhere you have online access.
• Take your test and even print your completion certificate at any time.
• Take as much time as needed to complete the exam.
• Take the exam as many times necessary to receive a 70% passing score.
• Pay only after you have passed your exam.
• Earn hours for passing exams based on books you may have already read.
• Listen to selected audio courses directly from your computer or MP3 player.
  Take some time to browse our courses, and become a part of the Aspira family.

What our users have to say...
"Great value in a NO-NONSENSE approach to Continuing Education Units required for
professional licensure. No fluff or filler, just the facts in a clear and
concise format...I'd gladly use them again..."
B.C., MA, LMFT, California

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Aspira Continuing Education to Launch in June 2009

Aspira Continuing Education's launch date is June 1st, 2009. Aspira provides online continuing education for licensed mental health professionals and social workers. Aspira has obtained approval in five states thus far including Texas, California, Nevada, Florida, and Ohio. The website currently features a spalsh page and can be linked to at http://aspiraCE.com/. You can also join us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/aspiraCE , Linkedin, and Facebook under Aspira Continuing Education.

MANAGING FINANCIAL ANXIETY

Sarah is a self-employed hair stylist who’s watched her business decrease by 50 percent. She’s cut expenses, but is stuck in a costly lease she can’t afford. She’s also worried about losing her home, and says her anxiety is “through the roof.” Frank and Marilyn have well-paid jobs, and she believes that they will weather the economic downturn. However, Frank is so afraid that one of them will lose their job that he has stopped paying anything but basic bills and recently yelled at Marilyn for going to the dentist. If you have had to tighten your belt, like Sarah, it’s normal to experience anxiety. And when you read every day about failing businesses and people losing their jobs, you can understand that Frank would fear losing theirs. Money is connected with security, a basic need. And when our basic needs are threatened, we feel alarmed. Although uncomfortable, anxiety isn’t all bad. Mild anxiety can actually motivate us to take positive action. Indeed, that seems to be its role. We can’t let go of what’s bothering us until we face the situation, and then we often find that the anxiety has lessened or gone away. But severe anxiety is different. It’s debilitating. And when anxiety interferes in our lives it can be a disorder. If you have these symptoms of anxiety disorder, you might want to seek professional help:

• worry, panic or fear that is extreme
  for the situation

• repeated thoughts or flashbacks of
  traumatic experiences

• nightmares, night terrors and
  insomnia

• cold or sweaty hands and/or feet

• shortness of breath

• heart palpitations
  

Use Anxiety Productively to Ease It If your anxiety is mild or moderate, these strategies can help reduce it by using anxiety as a spur for action. Face any money issues. Fighting yourself in a down economy adds insult to injury. Seek support and learning in therapy, Debtors Anonymous, and books such as Get Out of Debt, Stay Out of Debt and Live Prosperously, by Jerrold Mundis
and Your Money or Your Life, by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin. Acknowledge your role. If you made a questionable financial choice, blaming others or beating yourself up won’t help. Understand why you made the choice. Do something about it, if you can, and then let it go. Forgive yourself. Be proactive. You can’t direct the economy, but you can gain a sense of control and reduce your anxiety by being more proactive around your finances. Face the reality of your situation and take appropriate steps, whether that’s negotiating with creditors or leaseholders, reducing expenses or seeking other sources of income. Don’t cut to the bone. Eliminating all treats from your budget reintroduces scarcity into the equation, which can breed more anxiety. Learn to live well within your means by seeking pleasures you can afford. Find the courage to face your anxieties and take the actions that present themselves. Sarah eventually negotiated with her leaseholder and moved to an affordable location he also owned. Frank is now exploring the root of his money issues, and he and Marilyn have added inexpensive pleasures to their lives**

HOW WELL DO YOU MAINTAIN BALANCE?

If trying to maintain balance in your life makes you feel like a tightrope walker, you’re not alone. Most of us have so many demands on our time and energy, life can feel like a three-ring circus. Take this true or false quiz to see how well you are meeting responsibilities, while also recognizing and fulfilling personal needs and wants.

1. The only way I can successfully manage my life is to take care of myself physically and emotionally.

2. Nurturing myself enlarges my capacity to help others.

3. I eat healthfully and exercise regularly.

4. I get check-ups, go to the dentist, and take preventative precautions.

5. I set aside personal, quiet time for myself, whether I’m meditating or simply letting my thoughts drift.

6. I experience the gifts of each season: ice skating, sledding, bundled-up beach walks; gardening, hiking, more time outside; camping, swimming, barbeques; harvesting the bounty, gathering wood, spending more time inside.

7. Creativity nurtures me, too. I do what I love, whether that’s cooking, drawing, painting, writing, dancing, singing or another creative pursuit.

8. Reaching out to others enriches my life. I spend quality time with family and friends.

9. Contributing to the world provides connection and purpose, so I give my time, energy and experience where it is most useful.

10. I notice and heed the emotional signals that tell me I’m out of balance: irritability, overwhelm, resentment.

11. If I feel that I’m catching a cold, I realize I may have stressed my immune system with overactivity, so I stop and take care of myself.

12. When I need or want to, I say no to requests for my time.

13. I listen to and honor the requests my body makes for such things as a nap, a walk, green vegetables, hot soup.

14. If I have something planned for myself, I don’t just toss that aside when someone makes a request of me.

15. I’m busy, but I find time to do the things I want to do.

If you answered false more often than true, you may want to take a look at the questions to which you answered false and see if you can incorporate something of its message into your life**