Faculty

Shaura Hall
Shaura is the founder and director of the PCIP as well as a Neurosomatic Psychotherapist (NCIP), Yoga Therapist (IYAT), Supervisor (certificate with CTSD), and Interfaith Minister. Her personal journey began in 2004 with the First Nation People of North America. Her connections to these people and their ceremonial ways of life have greatly influenced her worldview and work. Shaura’s training includes over 1,000 hours of yoga therapy, yoga teacher training, and further training in the Health Sciences and Psychotherapy. She is working towards an Advanced Diploma in Neurosomatic Psychotherapy.
Shaura lectures for The Minded Institute on their Yoga Therapy and Integrated Yoga Psychotherapy courses, is Course Director of their Professional Supervision training, and has been a lead supervisor for a number of years. She is the Course Director of pioneering courses such as Yoga Therapy for Addictions, the Transpersonal Yoga Program, and Meditation and Facilitation for Mental Health. In her private work, Shaura supports individuals and groups in the process of healing and individuation through a rich plethora of methods that form Integration Psychotherapy.

Website: https:// https://shaurahall.com

Jennifer Smallwood
Jennifer Smallwood is a BACP Senior Accredited Gestalt Psychotherapist, Integrative Therapist and Clinical Supervisor. Jennifer is also an EMDR UK & Europe registered and accredited EMDR Consultant with a successful private practice based in Sheffield. She holds a BA Honours Degree in Pure Philosophy, a master’s degree in Gestalt Psychotherapy and is currently undertaking a vocational training in Meditation as Facilitation for Mental Health which she hopes to use alongside her EMDR and Gestalt practices to further her trauma work in private practice.
Jennifer has worked in private practice for the past 19 years as well as volunteering for The Samaritans, working for the NHS in Derby City Centre PCT, and eight years working for FREED BEECHES Eating Disorder charity in Nottinghamshire as Senior Psychotherapist and Deputy Clinical Manager. Before her retraining in Psychotherapy, Jennifer worked as a Business Consultant helping businesses improve the efficacy of their Systems and Processes. She is a guest speaker at SPACE Academy and also delivers workshops locally in Trauma.

Website: https://www.jmstherapy.co.uk/

Colleen Shraddha Steiner Westling
Colleen Shraddha Steiner Westling works in private practice as an MA Art & Environmental Psychotherapist/Supervisor. She is also a 800+hrs IAYT Yoga & Meditation Therapist/Supervisor specialising in physical & mental wellbeing. By combining her multiple modalities of study, Colleen addresses the bespoke needs of clients with such conditions as; Physical injury, pain and dis-ease, Grief, Anxiety, Depression, Personality Disorders, Learning Differences, PTSD & Developmental Trauma.
Art and Yoga Nature combines the embodied practice of movement with art material manipulation to creatively express unprocessed feelings in a nonverbal way. The creative experience and the art works created can be felt as connecting to a sense of inner witness with projections of negative, positive and/or mixed emotions validated to strengthen the inner resources of self — awareness, compassion, and esteem.

Website: http://csteinerwestling.co.uk/

Bernd Leygraf
Bernd Leygraf co-founded a number of organisations (London Men’s Forum, UK Standing Conference on Sexual Abuse of Men, the Centre for Personal and Professional Development, the Whittington Hospital Psychotherapy Clinic, the Hungarian Gestalt Association, NAOS Institute). He co-authored with Judi Keshet-Orr the first MSc in Humanistic Psychotherapy and the first MSc programme in Psychosexual & Relationship Therapy in the UK. He also authored or co-authored, as well as led, several masters programmes in the UK, primarily at South Bank University, Middlesex University, Westminster and the University of Surrey. He was external examiner to various universities in the UK.
A former Chair of the Professional Standards and Accreditation Board at the European Association for Counselling, and Ethics Committee of COSRT, Bernd works currently with trainees, from over 40 countries. he is familiar with and interested in working with issues of cultural difference. He is fascinated by the work of Mindell and more recent developments in constellation theory.

Website: http://www.gettingbetter.org.uk/

Jaap Westerbos
Jaap specializes in group dynamics and collective wisdom as expressed in his book World Wide We (2004). He trains supervisors, executive coaches and leaders both in the UK and abroad. He also counsels individuals and couples in the UK. He is a COSRT accredited psychosexual and relationship therapist, a NCP accredited therapist and an experienced executive coach.
Jaap lived for many years in Amsterdam and there he received his primary training through an internship with Thale Bout, one of the first successful personal development trainers in the Netherlands. He also published a cookbook to ‘awaken’ the stomach (The Tao of Mashed Potatoes, 1999).
 He has a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology and in Religious Studies and is also an accredited Interfaith Minister. In an earlier incarnation he was part of the artist duo Tempi & Wolf, with many international exhibitions and installations to their name.

Website: https://tra-noi.org/

Valeria Ricotti
Valeria Ricotti, born in Abruzzo, Italy, now lives in London. She is co-founder of a gene therapy company and conducts research in the health applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning in collaboration with Imperial College London.
She graduated in Medicine in Ireland and specialised in Paediatrics. She holds a Clinical PhD from University College London on neuromuscular disorders. She has always been interested in eastern philosophies and exploring consciousness with scientific tools. She is passionate about the use of psychedelics in the context of mental health and spirituality. Valeria is a Reiki Master and a fiction writer.

Website: https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/28443

Location: London

2024
20-22nd December

2025
24-26th Jan
7-9th March (online)
2-4rd May
6-8th June
29-31st August (online)
24-26th October
5-7th December (online)

2026
23-25th Jan (online)
13-15th March
8-10th May
9-21st June
7-9th August (online)
25-27th September (online)
16-18th October
17-19th December

Course Fees
The full investment for this training is a total course fee of £8,600 (£4,300 per year), which includes the holding deposit of £500. The holding deposit will only be taken once the applicant has been accepted onto the course, and a signed student contract has been submitted, at which point the student will receive a receipt of deposit and become liable for the course fees.

Payment plans may be arranged to cover any remaining balance, provided eligibility criteria have been met, and a contractual agreement between the student and the Pilamaya Centre has been made. Where a payment plan is agreed upon by both parties, the student must confirm that they understand they are liable for the full course fees before signing and returning the contract outlining the details of their payment plan.

We have made every effort to ensure this course is financially accessible both in our pricing and payment structure. We operate with fairness and 100% transparency, meaning that all payment plans are supported by legal contracts signed by the Pilamaya Centre and students, who remain liable for their full course fees.

Year 1

Module One

Personal Development
Journey from the unborn to infant using Yoga Nidra, shamanic journeying, somatic movement, Embodied Kundalini, spontaneous movement, and working with sound.

Integrative Knowledge & Skills
Biological
• Basics of Embryology, Cell Biology & The Nervous System
• The Role of Fascia in Movement, Somatics & Trauma
• Complex Movement in Early Years

Psychological
• History of Psychotherapy
• Principles of Humanistic Therapies
• Attunement & The Role of Therapist
• Transference & Counter-Transference
• The Five Stages of Listening
• The Theory of The Dynamic Ground
• Introduction to Attachment Theory
• Introduction to The Nine Dimensions of Self

Therapeutic Skills
• The Therapeutic Relationship
• Approaching Mental Health Distress in Integration Psychotherapy
• Basics of Family Constellation Therapy
• The Jungian Mind & Archetypes
• Shadow Work & Integration of Self
• Embracing Difference: Gender, Sexuality, & Culture

Module Two

Personal Development
Journey to explore the toddler to adolescent stages of life through Hatha Yoga, Yoga Nidra, Meditation, deep relaxation by hypnotherapy, drumming and sound. Trauma informed movement practice.

Integrative Knowledge & Skills
Biological
• Homeostasis & The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)
• The Neurobiology of Stress & The Stress Response
• Role of Movement in Neuroplastic Change & Psychological Holding
• The Neurobiology of Rewards & Happiness
• Fostering Coherence between Systems

Psychological
• Transpersonal Theory
• The Dissociative Spectrum & The Transpersonal Realm
• Applying Transpersonal Practices to Promote Integration
• The Role of The Body in Trauma & Autobiographical Memory
• Impact of Chronic Stress & Stress Sensitivity
• Neural Regulation in The Therapeutic Relationship
• The Trauma-Informed Approach
• The Nine Dimensions of Self: The Body & Environment

Therapeutic Skills
• Breath & Movement to Support the Parasympathetic System & Improve Vagal Tone
• Interrupting Habitual Movement Patterns Affecting Soma & Psyche
• Principles of Art Therapy
• Motivational Techniques for Goal-Setting & Vision Building
• Scope of Practice, Personal Care, Supervision & Malpractice
• Application of Altered States of Consciousness for Therapy
• Use of Yoga Nidra

Module Three

Personal Development
Journey to explore the young adult stage of life through Embodied Kundalini Yoga, Hatha Yoga, transformative movement, candle meditations, breathwork, use of voice, ritual, and self-care.

Integrative Knowledge & Skills
Biological
• Introduction to The Cardiovascular System
• Basics of the Pulmonary System
• The Science of Breath

Psychological
• Introduction to Holotropic Breathwork
• Introduction to ProcessWork
• The Use of Ritual in Therapy and Group Work
• Working with Trauma & Change Through Initiatic Processes
• The Nine Dimensions of Self: The Conscious & Unconscious

Therapeutic Skills
• Creating Ritual with Clients
• Working with Sound for Individuals & Groups
• Introduction to Working with Dreams
• The Role Breath in Nervous System Regulation & Resilience
• Use of Reorientation Methods for Psychological Flooding

Module Four

Personal Development
Journey to explore the adult to middle age stage of life through Hatha Yoga, movement, meditation, visualisation, breathwork and storytelling in movement.

Integrative Knowledge & Skills
Biological
• The Neurobiology of Interoception & Exteroception
• The Pain Matrix & Pain Perception
• Introduction to Mirror Neurons

Psychological
• Principles of Gestalt Therapy
• Contact Boundaries in The Therapeutic Relationship
• Use of Gestalt’s Chair Work in Therapy
• Transference and Counter-Transference from the Gestalt Perspective
• Field Theory & Basics of Atomic Entanglement
• Mirror Neuron Theory
• The Nine Dimensions of Self: Subconscious & Energy

Therapeutic Skills
• Use of Mirrored Movement in Therapy
• Neuroplasticity for Interoception through Meditation & Movement
• The Gestalt Cycle of Experience
• Working with the contact boundary

Module Five

Personal Development
Exploring meditation and mindfulness for continuing the process of self-enquiry. Using poetry art and spirituality to deepen the experience of self.

Integrative Knowledge & Skills
Biological
• Introduction to Neurodiversity
• The Limbic System & Attunement
• The Neurological Effects of Mindfulness & Meditation

Psychological
• Kaufmann’s Drama Triangle
• Winnicott’s Theory of Play & Imagination
• Understanding Generational Trauma
• Anxiety & Depressive Disorders (DSM)
• Impact of Mindfulness & Meditation in Vulnerable Populations
• The Nine Dimensions of Self: Body & Environment

Therapeutic Skills
• Meditation & Movement For Anxiety & Depression
• Holding Space for Neurodiversity
• Harm Reduction & Managing High Risk Situations
• Preparing for Therapy Placements
• The Basics of Clinical Supervision
• Managing High-Risk Situations
• Initiating Peer Supervision Groups

Year 2

Module Six

Personal Development
Journey to explore elderdom and end of life preparation through Yin Yoga, Yoga Nidra, journeying, end of life listening, movement, meditation, visualisation, and ceremony.

Integrative Knowledge & Skills
Biological
• The Lymphatic System
• Brain Changes in Later Life

Psychological
• Introduction to Spiritual Counselling
• Working with Loss and Grief for Individuals & Families
• The Nine Dimensions of Self: Innate Wisdom & Beingness

Therapeutic Skills
• Working with Clients Approaching End of Life
• Working with Storytelling in Therapy
• The Use of Journeying in Therapy

Module Seven

Personal Development
Further exploring meditation, mindfulness, sound, and processes that support the module material.

Integrative Knowledge & Skills
Psychological
• Integration Psychotherapy’s FieldWork
• Field Work & The Nine Dimensions of Self
• The Emotional Freedom Technique

Therapeutic Skills
• Using Active Imagination Techniques & Completing Processes
• The Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) Sequence for Stress Reduction
• Practicing ProcessWork

Module Eight

Personal Development
Further exploring embodied ritual, meditation, and mindfulness practices that support the module material.

Integrative Knowledge & Skills
Biological
• The Neurobiology of Psychedelics
• The Molecular Science of Psychedelics

Psychological
• Introduction to Psychedelic Assisted Integration Psychotherapy (PAIP)
• Personality Disorders & Contextualising Fragmentation
• Principles of Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy
• The Nine Dimensions of Self for Psychedelic Integration

Therapeutic Skills
• Working with Fragmented Personalities
• Understanding Configurations of Self through The Nine Dimensions
• Effects of Psychedelics for Treatment-Resistant Conditions
• Differences in Pacing for Psychotherapy and PAIP
• The Role of Set-and-Setting in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies
• Ceremony & Integration in PAIP & Clinical Protocols

Module Nine

Personal Development
Preparing for endings with meditations, movement, dreamwork, group ceremony and process.

Integrative Knowledge & Skills
• Artistry & The Dream Body
• The Therapeutic relationship: Preparing for Endings
• Co-Creative Ending Ceremony
• The Nine Dimension of Self: Unity

Suitability & Entry Requirements

The Integration Psychotherapy diploma course is suitable for applicants who have firsthand experience with the therapeutic relationship and are actively pursuing training to become psychotherapists.

We do not require previous training in mental health, psychology, counselling, or mind or somatic therapies, provided applicants have the professional training or accredited prior learning (APL) experience necessary to undertake Level 5 training. We can offer a pathway through our Level 4 certificate in Transpersonal Yoga (TY), either through on-demand or group study.

We expect those who join our courses to demonstrate self-competency as learners in further education, as well as self-reflective skills, self-responsibility, and capacity for self-awareness. Additionally, students should come to this course prepared to learn in a group environment, where they will be expected to work with what arises and further the therapeutic processes. Students must also be prepared to increase therapy hours if they encounter emotional difficulties along the way.

Applicants will need to reflect on their prior learning and be willing to ask previous Course Directors or tutors for references in the application process.

Application
We recommend arranging a pre-application telephone consultation with the Course Director (Shaura Hall) before commencing the application process.
The intake for this course requires students to reflect on a set of questions that mark the beginning of their journey with us. Generally, the (non-graded) essay should be in a written format of no more than 3000 words. We will accept a recorded version of the essay if it is deemed to be in the best interest of the applicant and adheres to our reasonable adjustment policy.

Portfolio
1. We gain an understanding of whether this training journey is suitable by asking you to respond to six questions.
2. We require two references from individuals who have known you for at least 2 years in either a professional or academic capacity. We prefer that one of the references comes from a previous tutor if the applicant has undergone any recent training.

Our online form ensures a secure process.

Applications and portfolios must be submitted online with a £30 (non-refundable) application fee. If an application is not successful, constructive guidance will be provided for those who wish to re-apply for the next intake year.

If you are offered a place on the course, the £30 admin fee is deducted from an initial (non-refundable) holding deposit of £500, which is due within 15 working days from the date your Letter of Acceptance is issued.

Application Deadline 2024-26
The official deadline for applications is 31st October 2024. Please contact us before applying after this date.

Diploma Course Approach & Requirements

Learning Environment
The Pilamaya container unfolds into a multidimensional learning arena that welcomes students who truly wish to understand themselves through the process. Challenges, therefore, are opportunities to delve deeper into the patterns that stand between us and the field of unity.

The process of honing self-awareness and observational skills is, in part, developed through group integrations and dynamics. By embarking on a training journey with us, students acknowledge that the programme evolves with each unique cohort and over time. There is an acceptance that consciousness evolves, new techniques emerge, and past concepts become obsolete. Students must be aware that we are concerned with what is most useful for these changing times. Therefore, participants are invited to commence this course with an active willingness to engage in and learn from their immediate learning community and faculty as they prepare to assume the role of therapist.

Through their unique experience of exploring the course material, journeying through somatic practices, meditations, and dynamics within the group, students will become proficient in the philosophy of Integration Psychotherapy.

Course Design
The multi-tiered journey is designed to elucidate the knowledge and experience that has contributed to the formation of IP, however, the process of becoming takes precedence over lecture style learning. Therefore, we expect students to self-study any subjects that are not explicitly taught in the nine modules.

Personal Development either shares mind and body practices or asks students to explore the subjects by finding specific yoga classes or experiences within their local community.
Integrative Knowledge & Skills is further divided in

• Biological Sciences
• Psychological learning
• Therapeutic Skills

Course Standards
In our view, the therapeutic relationship exemplifies the co-creative dance that can occur between individuals when there is relational contact across the layers of Self. Pilamaya emphasises the journey to self-awareness and aims to train diligent therapists committed to honourable practice, upholding scrupulous values that align with an unwavering dedication to truth as an evolving constant. Such therapists are equipped to facilitate therapeutic spaces that traverse the many dimensions of Self without harming vulnerable people or themselves. Students must demonstrate promise in this area to graduate from the course.

The faculty are here to support each cohort in discovering themselves anew time and time again through their exploration of the course material, in student groups, and through their therapeutic journey and personal processes. We guide students on a path of awareness leading to the growth of Self, which ultimately builds the skills and presence needed for developing therapeutic relationships and walking with clients on the life path of their choice.

Course Outcomes
The IP is offered as a Level 5 Professional Diploma (undergraduate equivalent), signifying that successful graduates possess practical, theoretical, technical, and experiential knowledge of Integration Psychotherapy. Furthermore, graduates are equipped with the skills required to safely and ethically carry out the work of an Integration Psychotherapist. They are capable of assessing, adapting, and applying appropriate therapeutic methods, practices, and techniques to access the healing potential in the present moment. Graduates understand the nature and scope of psychotherapeutic work and can analyse, interpret, and evaluate concepts and ideas relevant to Integration Psychotherapy in their clinical practice. As an Integration Psychotherapist, you will embody the highest standards for practice and be able to contextualise different therapeutic perspectives, approaches, and the theoretical orientations underpinning relevant schools of thought.

The Level 5 training qualifies candidates to join the NCIP and refer to themselves as student or graduate Integration Psychotherapists.

Therapy Requirements
Students are required to participate in at least 24 hours of individual therapy per year while they are training with us. Through our Integration Psychotherapy Services (IPS) initiative, we are able to provide Integration Psychotherapy to students at a subsidised cost, making it affordable and bringing the therapy to life for the students.
The minimum requirement of 24 therapy hours is self-certified and completed with IPS or another accredited psychotherapist. This minimum of fortnightly sessions helps students gain accredited membership to other professional bodies in the field of psychotherapy, such as AHPP and UKCP.

Please note that personal therapy is not included in this course, and course tutors are not able to offer therapeutic space to students.

Attendance Requirements
The attendance requirement is set at a minimum of 85% to receive the diploma award. Those who fall below this threshold can undertake extra tutorials, reading, or written assignments to reach the required level to attain the diploma at the discretion of the Course Director. Any adjustments or graduation pathways offered will incur extra costs, which the student must also pay to graduate.
The effectiveness of the course environment depends on the commitment of all members; therefore, students are expected to treat the time boundaries of the course as a practical exercise in reliability and commitment to the therapeutic relationship and overall profession.