Certified Relationship Specialist, CRS®
As our ever-changing world becomes smaller, the relationships we cultivate with one another become more and more important. The Certified Relationship Specialist, CRS® credential is a unique program that advances willing individuals into professionals who will transcend all areas of relationships. Whether you are a psychologist, teacher, coworker, mentor, or friend, the Certified Relationship Specialist, CRS® designation will equip you with the necessary tools to create and maintain healthy, rewarding relationships.
The CRS program is a one-of-a-kind credential that affords those from all walks of life the opportunity to experience the universal field of relationships. As human beings, helping others repair broken relationships is among the most rewarding experiences we may have. By simply lending a hand to a stranger or helping to resolve a conflict with a coworker, the CRS credential assists in preparing individuals with the skills to make a positive difference in their connections with others.
How will this help my career?
Helping others with relationships requires a high level of dedication to communication, compassion, and an ongoing drive to build greater skills. Obtaining the CRS credential places you in a class of individuals dedicated to seeking the tools to help solve a myriad of relationship problems within their own lives and in the lives of those around them.
How do I gain the credential?
There are currently two ways to become a Certified Relationship Specialist®.
1. Portfolio Review
- Be a member of the American Psychotherapy Association®.
- Have a bachelor's degree in a counseling related field with 1 year experience OR a minimum of 5 years of experience in a counseling related role.
- Complete application form based on education, experience, and skills.
2. Completion of four modules of course work
- Be a member of the American Psychotherapy Association®
- Bachelor's degree in a counseling related field and completion of 4 courses*, see list below for approved courses.
- Complete application form based on education, experience, and skills.
*The four courses involve one mandatory module in counseling ethics and three additional modules of your choice from our approved CRS catalog. The fee for each course will be waived, if you are applying for the Certified Relationship Specialist certification.
- American Psychotherapy Counseling Ethics Module (Required)
- Self-Mutilating Children and Adolescents
- Guidelines for Understanding and Working with Dissociation and Dissociative Identity Disorder
- Parenting Capacity Assessments in Child Protection Cases
- Spiritual Coaching: A Tool for Psychotherapists, Counselors, and Ministers
- Substance Abuse and Dependence
- Adolescence and Substance Abuse
- Bought Out and Spent: Recovery from Compulsive Shopping and Spending
- Solutions for the Treatment-Resistant Client
*Applicants who have obtained their education outside of the United States and its territories must have their highest academic degree(s) validated as equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree or higher degree conferred by an accredited college or university in the United States.
To learn more about what it takes to become a Certified Relationship Specialist®, call American Psychotherapy Association® toll free at (800) 205-9165, or send an e-mail inquiry to cao@americanpsychotherapy.com
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