Professional Certification in Emotional Brain Training (EBT)
Provider Overview ---- Training Process
Clinical certification in emotional brain training (EBT) is available to licensed or registered health professionals. The method integrates scientific research on neuroplasticity, stress science, and attachment theory. Six levels of certification are offered, providing health professionals with a specific set of competencies and practices. Training modalities are convenient: distance learning, including elearning small group mentoring in telegroups; and weekly drop-in seminars on the method. There are also annual meetings and regional provider groups for
support.
Professional training and certification are administered by the Institute for Health Solutions, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. The method is protected by registered trademarks and copyrights, and a non-provisional patent for the 5- Point System of Emotional and Behavioral Regulation™ is pending.
The mission of the Institute for Health Solutions is to develop, evaluate, and disseminate EBT for the prevention and treatment of biopsychosocial problems and the promotion of health and well-being. The Institute for Health Solutions provides program materials and a range of training options for participants as well as training and certification, promotional support, and research opportunities for health professionals. The EBT Center of Excellence housed at the University of California at San Francisco Medical School’s Center for Health and Community serves as the national coordinating center for research in the method. It is directed by Laurel Mellin, the developer of the method.
Certified EBT Providers adhere to rigorous standards of practice that are specified in certification agreements at each level. Maintaining program integrity and supporting the development of a professional community of the highest caliber are core principles of the organization. The Institute for Health Solutions is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. IHS maintains responsibility for all programs and their content. The Institute for Health Solutions is also approved to offer continuing education by the American Dietetic Association, the National Board ofCertified Counselors, and Boards of Behavioral Sciences in selected states.
Because certification involves completing the training personally to learn the content of the courses, one of the benefits of becoming a Certified EBT Provider is personal growth: improvement in managing stress and being wired for homeostasis, or high-level well-being. Our 20 years of experience in training health professionals in the method has shown that the greater the skill level of providers, the better they can teach the skills to others. As providers integrate the skills into their own lives, they observe in participants higher levels of retention and enhanced treatment outcomes.
Each level of certification is designed to require two or three months of part-time training, approximately 4 hours per week. EBT is a transdisciplinary method and throughout certification training an EBT Trainer, a certified EBT Provider who facilitates the training of others, provides feedback and support in individualizing the training experience to ensure that each provider candidate continues with the next level of training only after mastering the current level.
Certified providers may have EBT practices that include group training and/or individual coaching. Group programs include participants who are engaged in completing any of the six EBT Kits, so that each group may include individuals who are relatively new to EBT and those who are more advanced. Most participants enroll in group training, and then may participate in supplementary coaching, if and when needed; this may be particularly for rewiring the allostatic circuits encoded during trauma, or doing intensive rewiring about a loss. When a provider offers a safe, warm environment and excellent coaching in The Cycle Tool, participant retention in the group tends to be high, and participants re-enroll in the 12-week groups on an ongoing basis until they have completed the training, typically for one to three years. In addition to the activities shown below, actual clinical sessions are available on the provider website for download and review, showing a myriad of clinical encounters and situations. We recommend that all providers and provider candidates listen to and study these sessions. Continuing education credit is available for some disciplines at Levels 1- 4, for completion of the Training Guide for that section. Fees apply; please contact Deanne Hamilton at The Institute for Health Solutions for more information about continuing education credit.
Full certification requires at least 10 months of part-time (4 hours per week) training to acquire the tools personally and professionally and to be fully certified to deliver coaching and group programs for all EBT courses. Course fees and materials average $250/month for 10 months. Some may prefer to take longer to complete certification training for developing a better grasp of the material and/or to decrease monthly expense. Providers may be certified to provide some EBT client services after 4 weeks of training. After completing certification for EBT provider level 2, providers can be listed on the Provider Finder on the website for referrals. A small annual certification fee applies to those who are certified at level 2 or above ($65 to $225 per year depending upon level of certification).Providers receive discounts on quantity orders, access to provider training experiences on the provider website, and complimentary access to weekly seminars.
Certified EBT Provider Eligibility Providers of EBT embody the work. They are skilled clinicians and people who exude joy. Providers have education and training in interdisciplinary health and clinical practices. They are very warm and enthusiastic, emotionally expressive, and vibrant. EBT providers are comfortable with their own positive and negative emotions and skilled at teaching and facilitating small groups. They are skilled in creating a therapeutic relationship and a warm, loving bond with participants. In essence, EBT Providers are exceptional clinicians who are wired at Brain State 1 and inspire their participants while they convey the tools, by embodying the method.
To be eligible to apply for certification training, individuals must have these exceptional personal qualities and interests and one of the following combinations of professional credentials and experience:
• Licensed mental health professional who has interdisciplinary training and experience in medical and behavioral health
• Registered or licensed dietitian who has interdisciplinary training and experience in psychology and counseling
• Registered nurse (Master’s prepared) or licensed nurse practitioner who has interdisciplinary training and experience in psychology and counseling
• Board-certified physician who has interdisciplinary training and experience in psychology and counseling
• Health professional with outstanding personal qualifications and professional credentials that are the equivalent of one or more of the above and who has the equivalent training and experience. (If you are applying for certification based on this option, please email your curriculum vitae to Deanne Hamilton, Director of Professional Training. Initial screening of application is complimentary. If your qualifications suggest that you may be eligible for certification, a $40 review fee applies.)
EBT Provider Level 1 (1 month)
Begin by becoming certified to introduce the method and provide an initial instructional session to clients. This initial training provides key information and skills that you will build upon as you continue with provider training.
Level 1: EBT Provider
Certified to provide individual Introductory Session on EBT for clients, including what the method is, how it works, and coaching them through their first Check In and use of the tools.
Objectives:
• Explain the basics of the method to clients.
• Coach a client through their first use of the tools.
• Advance your professional and personal skills in EBT.
Learning Activities:
1. Complete the EBT Provider Level 1 Training Guide to learn the content and practice of providing an individual introductory session.
2. View a One Hour Scientific Talk on EBT (on www.ebt.org website/research).
3. Read the White Paper on EBT (on www.ebt.org website/research).
4. Complete the Great Start e-Course (on www.ebt.org website/courses).
5. Complete the Wired for Joy Introductory on-site Group or Telegroup
6. Provide 2 individual introductory sessions to peers (i.e., not clients).
7. Complete the EBT Provider Level 1 Certification Self-Test and Reflections.
Level 2: EBT Provider (3 months)
Certified to provide up to 6 sessions of introductory individual coaching in the method to clients (introductory courses taught one on one). You will have mastered key clinical skills in coaching participants in their use of The Cycle Tool to break allostatic circuits and encode homeostatic circuits. Individual coaching becomes a rich experience for the provider as well as the client. By coaching clients in the introductory tools, and experiencing how clients learn about the method and use the tools to process daily life, your skills in conveying the content and process of the method become stronger. You will receive more support at this phase of certification, joining a monthly teleconferencing cluster group of other professionals who are completing EBT certification. These sessions are facilitated by an EBT Trainer who will provide mentoring and support as you complete certification. The trainer will also give you support in coaching peers in at least 5 applications of The Cycle Tool, and you will receive individualized support from a review of one recorded session of Cycle coaching.
Objectives:
• Train clients individually on the EBT 5-Point System.
• Coach clients in using The Cycle Tool.
• Advance your professional and personal skills in EBT.
Learning Activities:
1. Complete the Provider Level 2 Training Guide (Cycle Coaching, One-on-One Sessions for Introductory EBT Courses).
2. Read Wired for Joy, the lay book on the method.
3. Complete EBT Kits 1 & 2 in a Telegroup or on-site Group (12 to 24weeks).
4. Review EBT Introductory Group Audiotape (on provider website)
5. Participate in an EBT Monthly Cluster Group: Practice 5 Cycles with Trainers/Peers**
6. Record a Basic Cycle Coaching Session and review the audio tape with Deanne Hamilton, Director of Professional Training
7. Complete the Certification self test and reflections. **Professional Support: EBT Cluster Group Level 2
Meet for three monthly sessions with an EBT Trainer in a small group by telephone for 90 minutes with web-support page and peer support.
Level 3: EBT Provider (3 months)
Certified to provide Introductory Individual and Group Training for Introductory Courses and Coaching. After training individuals in the tools of the method, the next step is to conduct introductory groups on the method. Some providers continue with individual coaching at this point, and others start facilitating introductory group programs. Either way, you will continue to deepen your personal and professional skills in EBT.
Objectives:
• Facilitate group introductory programs in EBT 5-Point System.
• Advance your professional and personal skills in EBT.
Learning Activities:
1. Complete the EBT Provider Level 3 Training Guide (Group Sessions)
2. Read Emotional Brain Training: A Scientific Solution to Stress.
3. Complete Kits 3 & 4 in a Telegroup or on-site Group (12 to24 weeks)
4. Review Group Audiotapes (on provider website).
5. Provide at least one peer or client EBT Introductory 4-week group.
6. Participate in an EBT Monthly Cluster Group: Practice at least 20 hours of
One-on-One EBT or Group Training**
**Professional Support: EBT Cluster Group Level 3
Meet for three monthly sessions with an EBT Trainer in a small group by telephone for 90 minutes per month with web-support page and peer support. By the conclusion of this cluster group, you will have mastered the content and skills of EBT Kits 1, 2, 3, and 4 for clinical training and personal rewards, and you will have reviewed and discussed EBT Group Training principles and practices with your Cluster Group.
Level 4: EBT Provider (3 months)
Certified to provide Group Training for Introductory Groups, Kits 1 & 2 and Coaching. At this level of provider certification, begin facilitating EBT ongoing Groups, enrolling participants who are starting the program, and running 12-week
groups for long-term training and rewiring the emotional brain. Participants complete the first three kits and can stay in the same group sessions in the long term, moving through the first kits and preparing to complete the remainder of the training program.
Objectives:
• Facilitate group programs in EBT 5-Point System.
• Advance your professional and personal skills in EBT.
Learning Activities:
1. Complete the EBT Provider Level 4 Training Guide (Allostatic Load Assessment/Coaching)
2. Complete Kits 5 & 6 in a Telegroup or on-site Group (12 to24 weeks)
3. Review the Cycle Intensive Course Audiotape (on provider website)
4. Participate in EBT Cluster Group Monthly: Provide at least 20 hours of One-on-One or Group EBT **
**Professional Support: EBT Cluster Group Level 4
Meet for three monthly sessions with an EBT Trainer in a small group by telephone for 90 minutes per month with web-support page and peer support. By the conclusion of the cluster group, you will have mastered the content and skills of EBT and transitioned into participating in provider seminars, building your practice and deepening your skills. Optional provider monthly graduate groups available.
Level 5: EBT Provider – Fully Certified
Certified to provide Individual and Group Training for Introductory Sessions, all 6 Kits, and Coaching within the limits of professional training and scope of practice. Complete the EBT Certification Test.
Additional Certifications:
EBT Trainers – EBT Providers who are fully certified and have shown exemplary clinical skills and teaching abilities. EBT Researchers – EBT Providers who are certified at level 2 or above and have made significant leadership contributions in EBT Research.
EBT Master Trainers – EBT Trainers with a minimum of 5 years of certification, who have demonstrated exceptional clinical skills and teaching competencies in EBT. This certification training protocol applies to health professionals who have enrolled in training June 1, 2010 or later.