Thinking About Hosting Online Workshops? How I set up a CE Workshop and Sold 3 Spots in 24 Hours
Have you ever thought about hosting your first CE workshop?
Last week, I set up a sales page and applied for continuing education hours (CEs) for my online workshop “Diagnosing Medical Trauma Through TV Case Studies” - all within 24 hours.
Setting up the workshop (from the sales page, to the presentation, to the CE applications) was filled with ease. A morning of sitting outside with my laptop, an iced lavender latte, and 3-5 hours to spare.
And this is a fun workshop for me! It’s all about case studies of medical PTSD in some of our favorite medical TV shows (Like “Grey’s Anatomy” or “The Pitt”). So it was easy to feel motivated to share this workshop.
Within 12 hours of sharing, 3 spots had sold.
If you’re a therapist looking to build a side income stream you can do at home right from your laptop, putting on workshops for therapists and other professionals can be a great way to diversify income (a must-do as a therapist as our profession has “high” and “low” seasons throughout the year).
Maybe you’ve seen other therapists posting workshops on local Facebook groups or maybe you’ve even attended those presentations and thought “I could totally do this”.
Here are the steps I took to start selling a workshop in just 24 hours:
Re-work a previous presentation - No need to re-invent the wheel. I had all the research for this presentation from a previous project and decided to re-work that information into a powerpoint. Try choosing a topic from a presentation you’ve already done for work or even from grad school.
Apply for CEs long before workshop - I went through my state organizations (less than $100 to apply to offer CEs for both counselors and social workers). Contact your state boards to ask about their CE application process. Make sure to do this well in advance as many require you to apply at least 1 month in advance.
Set up a way for people to buy - There are so many systems you can use to accept payment as therapists sign up.
Post in local groups - Share in local Facebook groups or send out an announcement in your local email listserv. You can also share your workshop with your state organizations, with colleges, and with local agencies and hospitals to get the word out.
Hosting CE workshops doesn’t have to be complicated or overwhelming. You probably already have the skills, content, and insight to get started.
Whether you want to teach something you’re passionate about, earn some extra income, or grow your professional visibility, workshops can be a powerful and flexible tool.
If this sparked some ideas for you, take it as your sign to stop waiting for the “perfect time” and start with what you have. You’re more ready than you think.
Want to see an example of what a sale’s page and flyer for a CE workshop for therapists looks like so you can start working on your own?
You can check out the sales page I made here for my next CE workshop on May 31st
