How to meet your CPD requirements beyond ticking boxes
Ask most psychologists how they feel about CPD and you'll get a version of the same answer. It's necessary. It's sometimes useful. It's often a lot of admin.
That's understandable. The requirement to complete continuing professional development each year is a regulatory obligation, and it can start to feel like one - something to satisfy rather than something to seek out. But it doesn't have to be that way, and the psychologists who get the most from their CPD tend to approach it differently.
Here's what the requirements actually involve, and how to meet them in a way that's worth your time, whether you're based in Sydney or practising anywhere in Australia via telehealth.
What the CPD requirements actually are
The Psychology Board of Australia requires registered psychologists to complete a minimum of 30 hours of CPD activity per registration year, which runs from 1 December to 30 November. Of those 30 hours, at least 10 must be peer consultation. This includes group clinical supervision in individual or group format. The remaining 20 hours can be met through any other CPD activities including structured training, conferences, reading, and reflective practice.
Importantly, the requirements aren't just about hours. The Board expects CPD to be relevant to your area of practice and linked to your individual learning needs. That means there's genuine flexibility in how you structure your year, but also a responsibility to be intentional about it.
Compliant CPD vs useful CPD - why the difference matters
Compliant CPD gets you to 30 hours. Useful CPD actually changes how you practise.
The distinction matters because it's easy to fill a CPD log with activities that are technically valid but don't connect to anything you're genuinely curious about or working to develop. A webinar you half-watched. A workshop that covered ground you already know. An hour of reading that didn't stick.
The psychologists who seem to benefit most from CPD are the ones who start with a genuine question - something they're uncertain about, a clinical area they want to develop, a challenge they keep running into - and then build their CPD around that. The hours follow naturally when the learning is actually engaging.
Why group clinical supervision counts and what you get beyond the hours
Peer consultation counts toward the mandatory 10 hours of your CPD requirement, and for many psychologists group clinical supervision is one of the most valuable ways to meet it.
Group supervision offers something that structured training often doesn't: the chance to think about your own practice in real time, with other clinicians who are navigating the same complexity. You bring a case or a challenge, and the group helps you see it differently. That kind of reflective learning tends to stay with you in a way that a workshop or online module rarely does.
What we observe time and again is that the benefits of group supervision go well beyond the sum of the parts. The learning that happens when three clinicians think through a problem together is rarely what any one of them would have arrived at alone. A question from a peer opens a door you didn't know was there. A different clinical lens shifts how you see your own work. Over time, that accumulation of shared thinking becomes one of the most valuable parts of professional practice.
For psychologists in Sydney and across Australia, telehealth supervision means access to high-quality peer learning without being limited by geography. Well-structured group supervision also comes with CPD-compliant documentation including attendance confirmation and a reflective log summary, which makes the record-keeping straightforward.
How to document your CPD properly
The Board requires psychologists to keep records of their CPD activities for five years. Your records should include what the activity was, when it took place, how many hours it involved, and what you learned or how it connects to your practice development.
Some psychologists find it useful to keep a running CPD log throughout the year rather than trying to reconstruct everything at renewal time. A simple document or spreadsheet updated after each activity is enough. You don't need a formal system, just something consistent.
If you're participating in a structured program like group clinical supervision, documentation is typically provided by the supervisor after each session. Keep those records alongside your broader CPD log.
What to do if you're running low before your renewal date
If you're approaching your renewal date and realise you're short on hours, the most efficient options are usually structured training programs, webinars, or peer consultation - activities that can be completed in a defined timeframe with clear documentation.
It's worth noting that the Board can and does audit CPD records. Completing hours quickly is fine, but the activities still need to be relevant to your practice area and supported by documentation. Quantity without quality doesn't serve you if you're selected for audit.
The better long-term approach is to plan your CPD at the start of each registration year. Identify two or three things you genuinely want to develop, map those to activities, and spread them across the year so renewal isn't a scramble.
At Aperture Psychology, our Group Clinical Supervision Program provides a structured, CPD-compliant space for psychologists to develop their practice alongside peers. Led by Peter Walker, clinical psychologist, practice director, and 2025 Asia Pacific Stevie Award winner for Most Innovative Mentor of the Year, sessions run monthly via telehealth and include documentation for your CPD records after every session.
If you'd like to know more about the next cohort, we'd love to hear from you.
To find out more, refer a client or make an appointment, visit our website or contact our team today.
