Certificates Awarded By The International Focusing Institute

The Proficiency in Focusing Partnership (PFP) is an award (not a certification) given to individuals who have demonstrated they have learned sufficient skills to be a Focusing partner. It may be given as an interim award en route to full certification or it may be given as a stand-alone award. This award can be recommended by any Certified Focusing Professional (in other words, by anyone, whether a Coordinator or not, who has a certification of any type from The International Focusing Institute).

PFP Instructions for Individuals (PDF)

PFP Instructions for Trainers (PDF)

TAE (Thinking at the Edge) Proficiency Award

We are pleased by the growing interest in Thinking at the Edge (TAE). Currently, there is not a certification in TAE. Those interested in TAE are encouraged to get certified in Focusing (which gives you an outstanding basis for the felt sensing skills needed for TAE), and to receive the TAE Proficiency Award. There is more information on that here.

CERTIFICATIONS
Coordinators award the following certificate types by recommending students to The Focusing Institute for certification. To find a Coordinator, go to Find a Focusing Professional and in the search criteria, choose Coordinator (can certify in Focusing). All Coordinators can offer the "Focusing Trainer" or "Certified Focusing Professional" certification. For the other types of certification, only those Coordinators authorized to offer them may do so.

Note: The term “Certified Focusing Professional” can be confusing, because it refers to anyone certified by The International Focusing Institute, yet it also refers to a certain certificate title (equivalent to "Trainer").

Focusing Trainer or Certified Focusing Professional - Either (or both) of these titles (Focusing Trainer or Certified Focusing Professional) can be given based on the same training. All Coordinators are able to recommend for this certificate. It is personal preference which of these two certificate titles an awardee chooses. Focusing Trainer was originally the only title offered in this category. However, since the title "Trainer" implies that the person is becoming a teacher, some people prefer a certificate which reads “Certified Focusing Professional.” Whether we send a certificate as "Trainer" or "Certified Focusing Professional" is determined by the preference of the person receiving the award. Often, "Certified Focusing Professional" is chosen by those who do not plan to teach Focusing and prefer a more general title. We can give both as long as the request is made at the time of certification. (If a second certificate is requested later on, a $25 processing fee is applied.)
FOT – Focusing-Oriented Therapy – This certification may only be recommended by Certifying Coordinators who themselves have a certification in FOT, who are Therapists/ Counselors and who teach a FOT program specifically. It is given only to awardees who are legally authorized in their locale to work as psychotherapists/ counselors and who take a course in Focusing Oriented Therapy with a Coordinator who has certification in FOT and is a therapist.
Wholebody FOT – Wholebody Focusing-Oriented Therapist – This is recommended only by Coordinators who are Therapists/ Counselors and who themselves, have completed a full program in Wholebody Focusing and teach an FOT program from the Wholebody perspective.
Wholebody Focusing Trainer – This is recommended by Coordinators who are have completed a full program in Wholebody Focusing and teach their certification program from the Wholebody perspective.
Children & Focusing Trainer – This is recommended by Coordinators who have special training in Children Focusing. It is given to an awardee who has completed a regular certification course plus an additional 60 hour Children & Focusing training course.
Specialization in Focusing-Oriented Expressive Arts (FOAT) – This is recommended by Certifying Coordinators who have special training in Focusing-Oriented Expressive Arts (FOAT). It is given to an awardee who has completed a regular certification course plus an additional 60 hour FOAT training course.

Coordinator-in-Training – This is not a certification, but a status of one who is training to become a Coordinator. The procedures for being named a Coordinator-in-Training, and subsequently a Coordinator, can be found at the Coordinator and Trainer Resource Page.