Cosmetic Psychotherapy: Ethics at the Edge of Enhancement
August 15, 2025, from 12:00 pm - 3:20 pm EDT
Join us for a Live Webinar
3 Ethics CE hours available for behavioral health clinicians
Are your clients seeking more than just symptom relief - perhaps even personal enhancement? Cosmetic psychotherapy is an emerging clinical practice aimed at helping clients optimize rather than recover, inviting mental health professionals into a thought-provoking, ethical, and cultural dialogue.
As therapy continues to gain widespread acceptance, practitioners are encountering clients whose goals resemble those of cosmetic procedures - emotional enhancement rather than healing. This course offers an important opportunity to understand and respond to this shift in clinical demand with depth and ethical clarity.
Dr. Corey Petersen, Ph.D., LCMFT, is a seasoned psychotherapist and communication specialist with a decade of experience. With advanced degrees in Communication Studies and Marriage and Family Therapy, her research has focused on psychotherapeutic language and ethics, making her uniquely qualified to guide clinicians through the nuances of this evolving practice.
In this training, Dr. Petersen will explore the roots and ramifications of cosmetic psychotherapy through an accessible yet thought-provoking approach. Participants will examine the growing appeal of emotional enhancement, the medicalization of self-optimization, and the ethical complexities of providing care at the edge of enhancement. The course balances conceptual frameworks with practical considerations to deepen both insight and skill.
Instructor
Dr. Corey Petersen is a communication specialist and the owner of Communication and Connection Therapy. She completed her Ph.D. in Communication Studies at the University of Kansas, where her research focused on psychotherapeutic language and communication ethics. Prior to her Ph.D., Dr. Petersen earned a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Studies and Professional Communication. She has over 9 years of collegiate communication and psychology teaching experience and is currently a continuing education and corporate trainer. When not teaching, Dr. Petersen can be found working and meeting with clients in her private practice.
Key Takeaways:
- Define and distinguish cosmetic psychotherapy: Understand how cosmetic psychotherapy differs from traditional treatment models and what it means for clinical practice.
- Navigate ethical complexities: Explore the benefits and risks associated with cosmetic psychotherapy, including consent, authenticity, and scope of practice.
- Analyze cultural and systemic drivers: Examine how societal expectations and systemic influences are shaping the demand for self-enhancement through therapy.
Why this course?
- Timely and relevant topic: As therapy trends shift toward optimization, this course equips clinicians to meet emerging client needs with confidence and care.
- Led by an expert: Dr. Petersen’s unique background in communication ethics and psychotherapy provides authoritative insight that bridges theory and practice.
- A trusted provider: Telehealth Certification Institute is committed to excellence in behavioral health education—empowering professionals to deliver the highest quality care.
Learning Objectives:
- Define cosmetic psychotherapy and distinguish it from traditional models of therapeutic treatment.
- Explain the medicalization process and its influence on the evolving landscape of psychotherapy.
- Evaluate the ethical benefits, risks, and considerations involved in the practice of cosmetic psychotherapy.
- Analyze the systemic and cultural factors contributing to the emergence and growth of cosmetic psychotherapy.
In a world where therapy is increasingly viewed as a means of personal development, clinicians need the tools to engage ethically and effectively. This course offers a thoughtful and relevant framework to navigate the new frontier of cosmetic psychotherapy - you're warmly invited to join the training.
Credit Hours: CEs provided with this live webinar include 3 ethics continuing education hours of credit.
Counselors: Telehealth Certification Institute LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6693. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Mental Health Counselors. #MHC-0048.
Marriage and Family Therapists: Many MFT licensing boards accept our courses or one of the approvals which we have from professional associations. You can check with your board to determine if this course would be accepted by your licensing board.
Social Workers: Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, #1609, 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: 05/02/2024 – 05/02/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 3 ethics continuing education credits.
Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Social Workers #SW-0435.
Addiction Professionals: This course has been approved by Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits. NAADAC Provider #193104, Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is responsible for all aspects of the programming.
Psychologists: Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Telehealth Certification Institute LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Psychologists #PSY-0128.
Other Professionals: This activity qualifies for 180 minutes of instructional content as required by many national, state and local licensing boards and professional organizations. Retain your certificate of completion and contact your board or organization for specific filing requirements.
This is a live, interactive online webinar.
Register for the webinar by midnight before the event. So that we can provide you these CEs, you are required to:
- login and access the direct link to the webinar through your account
- participate fully during the event
- complete a post-test and course evaluation at the conclusion of the event
- collect your certificate of completion on your account after steps 1-3 are completed
Enroll in a course by adding it to the cart and proceeding through the check out process. Create an account (or login to yours) during the checkout process.
Prepare: Download Zoom software. Participants must use a device that is connected to adequate internet speed with a camera, microphone and speakers (or headset).
Attend: At least 15 minutes before the start time the day of the event, login to your account on the website. Go to "My Courses", click on the title/date of the webinar. The link to join the meeting/webinar will be listed in the course content.
Attendance is automatically recorded when you use the link to join.
Any recording made of a live event is NOT included with live webinar registration.
When possible, webinars are recorded and converted into online self-study courses, available for separate purchase/enrollment for those who did not attend the live event.