Curriculum

The curriculum of our 2-year training program is made up of 4 separate and complementary courses. If you take all 4, you are eligible for professional certification.

You commit to only one course at a time. In fact, we welcome people who just want to take specific courses as well as people who take the full training for FOT certification. How you schedule these courses is up to you.

Courses are scheduled at a time of day that is convenient to people on both coasts of North America as well as in Europe. The 4 courses are as follows:


The DNA of change: The proactive and mindful edge of Focusing-oriented therapy with Serge Prengel

This course trains you to deepen and integrate your conceptual and experiential understanding of the process of change at several levels.

One level is to integrate what happens clinically with clients and what it brings up for you personally. Our exploration straddles personal process and supervision, based on the idea that what we encounter with our clients is a rich source of personal and professional growth.

Another level is integrating this deeply personal process with conceptual learning about Focusing as the DNA of Change. 

In so doing, you develop your ability to embody the Polyvagal Theory, as opposed to just applying it. You help clients discover their way forward through an experiential process that flows naturally.

There is a theme for each session, and students receive a video lecture and/or reading materials to prepare for each session.

In addition to our sessions together as a group, you will be assigned to ongoing Focusing partnerships between sessions. 

This course is suitable for all levels of Focusing experience, including therapists who have no prior knowledge of Focusing. 

When:
– The next cohort begins September 12, 2024 (on the second Thursday of the month at 12 noon New York time)

See more info & enrollment.


Sunflower Mind: The embodied & relational edge of Focusing-oriented therapy with Serge Prengel

Focusing is based on our ability to experience and process a bodily felt sense. This course describes what makes this possible, how it relates to fostering therapeutic change, and how to apply it effectively in therapy. 

The Sunflower Mind metaphor reflects the focus on interaction, as opposed to one-person psychology. It is informed by the Polyvagal Theory, the neuroscience conception of the mind as an embodied relational process, and a somatic approach to trauma.

This is an experiential course. We will explore the physicality of our relational patterns, and how to harness the transformative power of creatively working with embodied experience. 

In addition to our sessions together as a group, you will be assigned to ongoing Focusing partnerships between sessions. 

When:
– The next cohort will be announced later in 2024. It will be at a time convenient to many time zones: 12 noon New York time.

See more info & enrollment.


Embodied Experiential Dreamwork courses with Leslie Ellis

This course is a deep dive into the world of dreams, and a clear path to learning how to engage yourself and guide others in embodied experiential dreamwork practices.

Students will learn and practice three ways of engaging experientially with dreams and will have a chance to practice these methods in class and with each other between sessions.

There will be a focus on finding and embodying the resources that can be found within dreams themselves and applying this to navigate the depths of any dream, including nightmares. And you will be able to help those who suffer from trauma-related nightmares to not only reduce nightmare frequency and distress but also PTSD symptoms.

There are two versions of this course: as a six-month course, or a full-year course. The next cohort will start in March 2024.

See more info & enrollment.


Treating Trauma and Addiction with the Felt Sense Polyvagal Model with Jan Winhall

In this 6-month certificate program, we explore the intersection of trauma and addiction and how to address both with an embodied approach.

Participants of this course will be in Focusing partnerships and become part of a growing supportive community of like-minded therapists who understand the importance of a polyvagal lens in working with clients.

In addition to play-on-demand lectures, there will be six live monthly zoom classes, as well as monthly Focusing with your assigned partner.

When:
– The next cohort begins January 25, 2024 (4th Thursday of each month, 12 to 2 pm New York time)
– More classes in the future, dates TBD

See more info & enrollment.


You do not enroll in the program as a whole. You enroll in a specific course, using the “more info & enrollment” links above.

We would appreciate your letting us know if you intend to do the whole program. This is not a commitment, just a way of introducing yourself. Please use the application form.