Introduction to Certification in SHEN

The Training and Certification Program in SHEN Physio-Emotional Release Therapy prepares the Intern for Certification as a SHEN Therapist.. The program covers all tasks and activities as described in the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Code No. 076.264-640 The approximately two-year Program, combining classroom seminars and the Mentor supervised practicum, is available only tomembers of the International SHEN Therapy Association (ISTA).

The comprehensive Program is a 628-hour course of instruction. This includes the two prerequisite SHEN Personal Empowerment Workshops and the required personal growth work.

Interns have full use of all SHEN Service Marks while they are on active status. SHEN® is registered in several countries as a Service Mark of the SHEN Therapy Institute, Sausalito, California USA. Physio-Emotional Relief Therapy, Emotional Empowerment Therapy and Physio-Emotional Release & Empowerment Therapy are unregistered Service Marks of the SHEN Therapy Institute.

The SHEN Internship Program is rigorous, but not unduly so. The Instructors and Mentors want the Intern to succeed and will assist in every way possible. Interns having difficulties that cannot be resolved with the Mentor's help are urged to contact the ISTA Office.

• Have successfully completed the SHEN Personal Empowerment Workshop twice prior to application. The second Workshop may be taken from the same or a different Instructor.

Must be members of the International SHEN Therapy Association and must maintain membership throughout their internship, including any periods when on inactive status.

Have no major unresolvable emotional conditions which might affect the ability to maintain a reasonably neutral emotional stance when giving SHEN to clients, or that might otherwise affect the candidate's professional practice.

Have no current or unresolved drug or alcohol addictions.

Be able to receive SHEN well.

Have participated appropriately during their SHEN Personal Empowerment Workshops.

Complete a personal, and employment history and identify the issues the candidate intends to work on through SHEN.

The SHEN Therapy Institute or its off-site Instructors conduct the intensive eight-day, 60+ hour Clinical Skills Seminars for ISTA's Internship Program. Seminars are held semi-annually in the United States, and annually elsewhere.

Interns complete the Clinical Skills Seminar twice, initially during the first six months and again during the last six months of their Internship, the second time at a higher level of learning. Seminar participants are new and advanced Interns as well as Certified SHEN Therapists who enroll for continuing education re-qualification. Second level Interns and CSTs are provided learning tasks of a much deeper level than during their initial Seminar.

A written examination on SHEN fundamentals is given at the end of the Intern's second Seminar.

The individual Intern contracts with a Certified SHEN Instructor/Mentor to supervise and oversee this part of the Program, which includes practical application of SHEN in the field and the Intern's personal growth. The Mentor has the authority to modify the requirements as is appropriate to the Intern's progress through the Program. The Mentor's primary task is to be the Intern's guiding assistant. Interns may request a particular Mentor but Mentors are assigned by ISTA's Intern Application Committee.

The major portion of the practicum is completing a minimum of successful 200 SHEN client sessions. Most, but not all, of the required supervision may be conducted at a distance, through telephone consultations with the Mentor.

During Internship you are required to continue your personal growth and development. Your growth should become visible in such things as a reduction in blaming, an increase in recognition of personal responsibility, improvement of feelings of self-worth, and/or a noticeable positive change in relationships with family and others.

Certification upon completion of the program requirements is not automatic. When all requirements have been completed, the Intern submits the necessary documentation including a typewritten narrative of the Interns progress during Internship, of no more than two pages in length, and a self-assessment of strengths and weaknesses as a practitioner with plans to overcome the latter. The narrative should detail evidence of having gone into and through a pivotal portion of the Intern's own internal fear, grief or shame and having come to resolution as a result of the personal SHEN sessions. It should include major changes in behavior and in social and/or professional relationships. The Mentor reviews the material and, when able to recommend the Intern, will forward the material to the Certification Committee.

Certification takes a minimum of 60 days; all committee members are active Instructors and/or Mentors; many travel to teach classes and have other time constraints as well. All are just as interested as the Intern in completing the process as rapidly as possible.

The Certification Committee reviews the submission and will approve it, ask the Intern or Mentor to clarify elements of the presented work, or ask that the Intern complete additional requirements it deems necessary. When the Certification Committee is satisfied, the Intern will be issued his/her Certificate as a SHEN Therapist.