Fot cERtIFICATION

February 2024: FULL

Next Start Date: Spring, 2026

This is a Focusing Oriented Therapy (FOT) Certification program for existing Registered Psychotherapists in Ontario.

There will be learning, experiencing and teaching opportunites for you during the program.

Frequency of Meetings: 1 meeting per week (except July, Aug, and the last 2 weeks of December)

Duration of program:
For new students: Approximately 3 years & 200 hours total
For previous practicum students: Approximately 2 addtional years & 200 hours total

FOT PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS:

Core Courses:

1) Introduction to Focusing (small Focusing book)

2) Focusing Oriented Psychotherapy: A Manual of the Experiential Method

3) Presencing

4) Deidentification

5) Experiencing and the Creation of Meaning

6) Introduction to TAE

7) Introduction to A Process Model (exploring one concept of each student’s choice)

8) Introduction to Focusing and Dreams

Crossing with Other Modalities

1) Parts, Timeline, Ego States

2) EMDR, CBT, DBT

3) Writing (Gestalt, Narrative)

4) Polyvagal Felt Sense Model (Jan Winhall's book: Treating Trauma and Addiction with the Felt Sense Polyvagal Model)

5) Imago, Dialoguing & Safe Conversations in an embodied way with the Focusing Attitude (Hendrix & Hunt couples work)

Self - Practice Focusing Partnership

Throughout the program, students will use Focusing as a self-practice. You will form a partnership with another student which will be ongoing throught the 3 years of this program.

Teaching Practicums

1) Practicum: Teaching partnerships to new students by explaining, demonstrating and leading them in their partnership

2) Practicum: Participating in new student learning via FOT Book Club

3) Practicum: Teaching master's students via self-created workshops

Recordings/Live Evaluation

To eveluate your progress, some live evaluations or recordings demonstrating your FOT skills will be required.

Final Paper

One final paper (utlizing TAE stills learned in the program) to encapsulate and synthesize your learnings over the course of the program (4 - 10 pages APA style)

Involvement with TIFI

To become an FOT is to become involved in the community. At least a minimal amount of imvolvment will be required. For example, attending a TIFI offered webinar, or offering your own Hightlight to the institute. https://focusing.org/more/focusing-highlights-series


Costs and Additional Notes:

A minimum amount of students per cohort is 4. The maximum is 6.

The fee per class is $45CAD (therefore, in a month where we have 4 classes, it will cost $180 for that month).

You will be required to register wtih TIFI, paying FOT-in-training dues during your program at the rate of $55USD per year

Upon completion of your program, to get your certificiate through TIFI, there is a one time registration fee of $375USD

Yearly dues with TIFI upon completion are $125USD

Please find the fee schedue here (Canada is in group 2): https://focusing.org/membership/schedule-prices-membership-certification-and-pfp-award-effect-january-1-2022

One additional note: we will attempt to make this as collaborative of an approach as possible, so we do not need to complete these courses in the order listed above. In addition, if there are areas of interest you have, there is a likelihood that we can incorporate them into the process, or create an additional course to explore your area of interest.

Next FOT Certification Program Start Date

Spring 2026

Please email for details: nicole@nicolemitchell.net