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Clearmind announced that we were no longer offering our counsellor training program in the spring of 2020. The last cohort in our program is scheduled to complete in 2023. We will keep this page ‘live’ for our outstanding graduates and those seeking information on their education. The program we offered adjusted over time to meet the required competencies of the counselling profession. This page is an accurate reflection of the last iteration of our program.

 

PRACTITIONERS TRAINING: 2005-2023

Our 3 year trauma-informed program is grounded in established psychotherapy, including positive and transpersonal psychology, and systemic, experiential, relational, and humanistic approaches. Our experiential learning model, which nurtures REAL, deep integration, makes our program unique. Our Course Outline and Policies provide detailed information.

PRAC Year 1: REAL You

The first year of PRAC is an adventure of self-discovery, with your life as the curriculum. Self-awareness is the vital foundation for relationship skills. To be a good counsellor, you must be aware of how your identity, beliefs, and values were formed, and be personally familiar with the emotional territory that you will explore with your future clients. The first year of the program will introduce you to aspects of your REAL, authentic self – essential for you to have a REAL, positive impact on those around you.

Year 1 focuses on Human Development, Attachment, and Systems Theory. Students engage in many creative learning activities and emotional processes designed to foster cognitive and emotional self-awareness. Exercises include writing an autobiography, completing a family of origin study, and presenting your family story. The result is that your reactive or reflexive defended behaviour lessens, and proactive behaviour expands. Many choose to take PRAC 1 for personal reasons, to become better parents, better partners, and healthier, more fulfilled human beings contributing to a better world.

For a sample overview of classes and readings for year 1, please see our PRAC 1 Curriculum Overview.

*PRAC Program Year 1 is an inactive and approved PTIB program. (We are no longer taking submissions for Year 1 entry.)

PRAC Year 2: REAL Connection

The PRAC evolutionary journey now shifts to the interpersonal dynamic, exploring self in connection with others. Students discover how to be in authentic contact with another and be genuinely supportive and helpful. Most people’s ‘helping’ instinct is to ‘fix’ the situation or the person. In PRAC 2 we learn instead how to create REAL connections to reach people where they hurt and to facilitate their natural healing impulse. Through this relational process, students develop a greater awareness of who they are and how to connect in an emotionally responsible way.

Admission into the second year of PRAC requires successful completion of PRAC 1, as well as an undergraduate degree or the equivalent by Prior Learning Assessment Recognition (PLAR) Year 2 focuses intensely on the theory and practice of the experiential and relational schools of therapy that we believe, are the foundation for lasting change. These include, but are not limited to, Person-Centred, Gestalt, Existential, AEDP, ACT, Psychodrama, Buddhist/Mindfulness, Transpersonal and Somatic approaches. From the systemic context established in year 1, students learn to navigate relationally with each other and clients, learning how to use self safely and effectively in the therapeutic context. Learning activities in Year 2 support the student to re-frame pain into purpose, experiencing that who they are and what they have to offer is valuable.

For a sample overview of classes and readings for year 2, please see our PRAC 2 Curriculum Overview.

*PRAC Year 2 is an inactive and approved PTIB program. (We are no longer taking submissions for Year 2 entry).

 

 

PRAC Year 3: REAL Impact

PRAC 3 continues with an exciting and challenging journey into leadership, integrating and deepening previous learning in trauma-informed practice and multi-cultural counselling, as well as offering specific training in group therapy and leadership skills. The bulk of the 400-hour Counselling Practicum occurs in this final year of the program. Unlike many Counsellor Training Programs, we provide Practicum opportunities in-house. Students benefit from professional supervision, allowing you to hone your skills responsibly under experienced Counsellors.

This final year of integration and practice culminates with the student’s delivery of their ‘universal constitution’. Drawing from their work from years 1 and 2, students articulate a personal commitment to the values that will drive their decision-making in life and their unique self-defined life purpose.

For a sample overview of classes and readings for year 3, please see our PRAC 3 Curriculum Overview.

*PRAC Year 3 is an active and approved PTIB program.

 

Accreditations

Clearmind International Institute Inc. (#3151) is designated by the Private Training Institutions Branch of the Ministry for Advanced Education in BC. PTIB, through an annual re-certification process, confirms the approved status of each year of the Program, PRAC 1, PRAC 2, and PRAC 3.  Clearmind International Institute Inc. also has an Education Quality Assurance designation. The National Council of Psychotherapists also accredits it in the UK. This means that our program’s content has been examined in detail, student and Instructor feedback has been solicited, and our administrative procedures and policies have been examined, so that you may be assured we are operating in good standing. We are constantly working to improve our program, maintain our standard of excellence, and meet educational requirements as the Counselling profession evolves.

Upon completing our program, students qualify to apply for registration in Canada and the United Kingdom. If you live in another country and are interested in our online program, please research Counselling regulations, if any, in your area. In Canada, graduates can apply with the Association of Cooperative Counselling Therapists (ACCT) or the Canadian Professional Counsellor’s Association (CPCA) as ‘Registered Therapeutic or Professional Counsellors and will receive a Diploma in ’Transpersonal Counselling Psychology’. UK graduates can apply to the National Council of Psychotherapists (NCP). You can find more information in Registration, Accreditation, Certification, and Licensing.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What if I don’t complete my practicum before my PRAC 3 year ends?

As long as you have attended all classes, you can have an extension to complete the practicum and possibly other aspects of the program, such as online units and exams. To do this, you must sign an extension contract, which is subject to an additional fee of $340 per year. This allows you access to a student forum containing up-to-date information and includes one review of your practicum hour log and transcript update. Additional incomplete components may be subject to fees listed here. Contact the Registrar at [email protected] for more information.

What is Transpersonal Psychology?

We are operating from a particular theoretical paradigm called ‘Transpersonal’, which more or less means ‘spiritual’. We believe that a holistic approach to healing includes mind, body and spirit. Our unique approach draws on the philosophy of A Course in Miracles as well as Buddhist Psychology. You need to be aware of this, particularly if you have firmly held beliefs (ie. religious) that may conflict with what we present. It is not our need that you “buy into” this paradigm; indeed, we would prefer that you think critically about how it fits you and your unique life perspective. We do ask, however, that you “try on” the concepts offered, and keep what works for you.

What is the cost of the program?

You can find tuition and fees in our Course Outline and Policies. The cost for PRAC is comparable to other similar adult education programs and includes built-in practicum hours. Applications require an Application Deposit that will be applied to the tuition once you are approved and become a registered student. We offer early-bird discounts on the full cost of tuition when applying before June 30th. Inquire with [email protected] for more information.

We offer a payment plan that is spread out over 11 months, making the PRAC program affordable and accessible or payment in full can be made over a 60-day period with our 60-Day Voucher purchases. We also provide many practicum hours in-house, making our program great value for money. Many other programs require students to find and/or pay separately for their practicum opportunity. For current PRAC pricing including application fee and discount offers please email [email protected]

What are the class sizes?

Our student/Instructor ratio is 15 to 1. For the most part, classes are in the mid-twenties and led by two Instructors. Our Instructors are heart-centred, professional and dedicated supervisory and/or practicing counsellors that abide by all the standards and ethics required of the profession through their governing bodies. In addition, higher level students and graduates ‘assist’ classes, offering help with learning activities as well as personal support. Our success rate for graduating among those taking it for Counsellor Training purposes is high due to the amount of support available.

How will I be treated and what are my rights as a student? What if I have a complaint?

At Clearmind, we believe in the fundamental importance of real, authentic connection, which cannot occur where one party is unable to see another as fully human due to the internalization of racist, sexist, or other discriminatory ideologies. We recognize that systemic discrimination exists to varying degrees in all organizations, including ours. As an organization, we commit to active and continuous un-learning of conscious and unconscious biases. We take concrete steps towards evolving our organization and are open to feedback on improving. Please see our Student Statement of Rights, Sexual Misconduct Policy, and Dispute Resolution Policy for more information.

What kind of support is available to me after I graduate?

We are pleased to have our graduates return as volunteer Assistants in our programs and workshops, which provide supervision and professional development hours for ongoing registration requirements (contact [email protected] for workshops or [email protected] for PRAC). We have established relationships with Alumni Partners specializing in helping our recently graduated counsellors set up their private practice. We invite our registered, insured Graduates to appear in our Counsellor Directory (coming soon).

 

I have only taken some of PRAC - how do I return and get my diploma?

Some students take a year or more off between years of the program, or do not finish their practicums. Students who have done portions of the program but have not completed are subject to the program graduating requirements currently in effect. If it has been a year or more since you took PRAC 1, 2 or 3, our Senior Educational Administrator ([email protected]) can outline any additional components you may need to move ahead in the program and graduate. There are fees attached to some of these requirements.

What happens if I sign up for PRAC and then change my mind?

We understand that the program is not for everyone and that some may change their minds after registering or taking a portion of it. You may cancel your application or registration in writing up to the first day of the program. See our Cancellation Policy for more information. After the program begins, you can withdraw from the program. When you withdraw from the program after it starts, you will still be required to pay for some or all of it. How much you will be required to pay depends on when you withdraw. See our Tuition Refund Withdrawal Policy for more information.