Policies

Records Retention and Security Policy

How long

I keep all program records for 7 years from the date each participant finishes a program, or from the last date the program was offered, whichever is later.

What I keep for each program

1. A roster of participants: name, email, license type and number, purchase date, and completion date.
2. Each author's name, CV, and a description of what they wrote.
3. The program description and learning objectives, with each version and the dates it was used.
4. Every evaluation, and the summaries made from them.
5. All advertising, including each version of the course page and when it was live.
6. The learning materials as sent out (each PDF version), the post-test, and the answer key.
7. Post-test attempts, scores, attestations, and the date passed. For home study this is the sign-in record.
8. A log of every certificate: number, participant, program, hours, and date.
9. The word count and credit calculation for each version.
10. Complaints, how they were handled, and any reports sent to approval bodies.
11. Refund and accommodation requests and how each was handled.

Where

Purchases are in Payhip. Tests, evaluations, and attestations are in Tally, and each submission is also copied to a Google Sheet, so there are two copies. The certificate log is in the same Google Sheet. Course documents are saved in dated versions with a backup copy.

Security

Only I have access. Every account that holds records uses a strong password and two-factor sign-in. No card numbers are stored.

Requests from approval bodies

When an approval body or licensing board asks in writing for records, I send complete copies by their deadline.

Copies for participants

If you took a course in the last 7 years, I can send you a copy of your certificate. I send it within 5 business days, free.

Disposal

After 7 years I delete the records from each account and shred any paper copies.

Complaint and Grievance Policy

What counts

Any complaint, formal or informal, about a program, its materials, the post-test, the evaluation, the certificate, advertising, fees, refunds, or the course site. It can come from a participant, another organization, or a government agency. If the same problem shows up in more than one evaluation, I treat that as a complaint too.

How to file

Email support@therapistcehours.com with "CE Complaint" in the subject, or mail a letter to the address above. Tell me your name, the course, what happened and when, and what you'd like me to do.

What happens next

1. I confirm I got it within 2 business days.
2. I look into it, and I may ask you for more information.
3. I send you a written answer within 14 days. If I need more time, I'll tell you why and give you a new date.
4. The outcome might be a fix to the course, a corrected certificate, a retest, a refund, or an explanation of why nothing changed.
5. I log every complaint and its outcome and keep the log for 7 years.

If it isn't resolved

You can contact your own licensing board. For programs offered for CAMFT credit, you can contact CAMFT at cepa@camft.org.

Reporting to approval bodies

I report complaints in writing to any approval body that asks for them, by its deadline, with copies of the related messages. I note the report date in the complaint log.

No retaliation

Filing a complaint won't affect your access, your test results, or your certificate.

Where this is posted

On the Policies page (therapistcehours.com/policies/), linked from every course page.

Fees, Refunds, and Cancellation Policy

Fees

Each course page shows the price before you buy. The price covers the course materials, the post-test with free retakes, the evaluation, and the certificate. There are no other fees, and accommodations are free.

Refunds

You can get a full refund within 3 days of purchase as long as you haven't started the post-test. After you start the post-test, or after 3 days, I'm not able to offer a refund.

For a bundle, the same rule applies: a full refund within 3 days if you haven't started any post-test. Once a refund goes through, course access ends and no certificate is issued.

Cancellation

Courses are self-paced with no time limit, so there's no session to miss. If you change your mind, email me within 3 days of purchase, before you start the post-test, for a full refund.

If I stop offering a course before you finish it, you get a full refund, or the choice to finish by a set date.

How to ask

Email support@therapistcehours.com with your name, the email you bought with, and the purchase date. I reply within 2 business days. Refunds go back to your original payment method within 5 business days.

Exceptions

I'll consider a refund outside this policy if something on my end kept you from finishing, like a technical problem, or if a complaint is resolved in your favor.

Payment security

All payments go through Payhip's encrypted checkout, with Stripe or PayPal.

Disability Accommodation and Nondiscrimination Policy

Access

I offer every program in line with the Americans with Disabilities Act and other federal, state, and local laws. Participants with disabilities, including physical, visual, and hearing disabilities, should have equal access to the course, the post-test, the evaluation, and the certificate.

How to ask

If you need a disability accommodation, like a screen-reader-friendly file, larger print, or extra time on the post-test, email support@therapistcehours.com. I respond within 5 business days. There's no charge. You don't have to share a diagnosis.

Every course already comes with a print-friendly black-and-white PDF. I can also send the post-test or evaluation in another format, or walk you through the technical steps.

Privacy

I keep accommodation requests private, use them only to set up the accommodation, and keep them with the course records for 7 years.

Nondiscrimination

I don't discriminate against anyone on the basis of gender, race, creed, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, organizational membership, or any other basis the law prohibits. No program requires participants to accept any religion, creed, or political belief.

Concerns

Use the Complaint and Grievance Policy.

Completion Verification Policy (Home Study)

What you need to do for credit

1. Enroll through the secure checkout.
2. Read the whole course.
3. Pass the online post-test with 70% or higher. Each test has 5 questions per hour of credit, so a 3-hour course has 15 questions and you need 11 right. Retakes are free.
4. Check the box confirming you did the reading and the test yourself, and fill out the evaluation.

There's no partial credit.

How I verify it

This is the home study version of a sign-in sheet. Before I send a certificate, I check that the post-test shows a passing score, the attestation, and a finished evaluation. I check that it matches a paid order for that course, by name and email, and that the order wasn't refunded. If the names or emails don't match, I email only the address on the order to sort it out. I never reveal one person's details to another.

I log each check with the certificate number. The order, the test record, and the certificate log are kept for 7 years.

Hours

The hours come from the course's word count, using the words-per-hour standard of the body that approved the course, in quarter-hour steps. Everyone who finishes the program gets the same hours.

Certificate of Completion Policy

Timing

Your certificate is emailed within 1 business day after you pass and complete the evaluation, usually the same day. It's a PDF you can print or save. I never send a certificate before every requirement is met.

What the certificate shows

1. Provider name and contact information: Therapist CE Hours, 200 San Mateo Ave, Los Gatos, CA 95030, support@therapistcehours.com, (408) 665-7920, therapistcehours.com.
2. Program title and date completed.
3. Participant name, with license type and number.
4. Hours awarded.
5. My name and signature as the authorized representative.
6. The approval statement for each body that approved the course.

It also shows the format (home study) and a certificate number.

Corrections and copies

If something is wrong, like a license number, I send a corrected certificate within 5 business days. Copies are free any time during the 7 years I keep records.

Evaluation, Content Review, Presenter, and Advertising Policy

Evaluation

Every participant fills out an evaluation before getting a certificate. It shows the program title and asks for the completion date. It uses a 5-point scale and asks about the content, the author's knowledge and presentation, the quality of the materials, relevance to professional counselors, and whether the program met the participant's expectations. There's space for written comments.

Using feedback

I read evaluations as they come in. If anyone rates an item 2 or lower, or points out an error, I look at it within 14 days. Errors get fixed in the next version of the course, and I note the change.

Every 6 months I write a summary for each program: title, dates, number of participants, the average score for each item, and all comments, without names. The summary notes any changes I made because of the feedback.

Content review

I review each program at least once a year, and sooner if a law, code, or major guideline it cites changes. When the text changes, I re-run the word count and confirm the hours before the new version goes up.

Presenter and author qualifications

Before a program goes up, I confirm the author has the training the content needs. Programs on counseling theory, practice, or treatment are written by an author with a graduate degree in a mental health field. I keep each author's CV and a description of what they wrote.

Advertising

Each program page lists how to register and any prerequisites, the description and learning objectives, the author's name and qualifications, the number of hours, and my mailing address, phone, email, and website.

I only name an approval on a page after the approval body confirms it in writing, and I clearly mark any course that a given approval doesn't cover.

Changes

I report changes to the provider name, contact information, business structure, or administrator to each approval body in writing within 30 days.