Marcus Sorensen
Marcus is a multimodal therapist, neuropsychologist and PhD researcher. He works to bring a biological basis of understanding to socio-psychological processes, while also maintaining a transpersonal perspective. In short, he enjoys working from cell to soul.
He has a busy private practice combining talking therapy, energy therapy and neuropsychological interventions. As an Interfaith minister, he also provides spiritual counselling services, ceremony and ritual for groups and individuals.

Marcus is an Associate Lecturer in Cognitive Psychology at the University of Kent, where his PhD research is on interoception: our ability to sense our inner environment in terms emotions and body sensations, which is profoundly influenced by the outer world.
His research aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of how we can develop and maintain this sensing ability throughout life, so we can feel more connected to ourselves and others.

Marcus holds an MSc in Cognitive Psychology, a BSc in Psychology with Medical Sciences, Diplomas in Trauma Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioural Hypnotherapy, Professional Energy Healing, Children & Adolescent Counselling, Education & Training, as well as an MA in Architecture, and a BA in Commercial Languages. When not working or teaching, Marcus enjoys spending time with his young daughter and in his garden, watching the wonder of life unfolding.

Bernd Leygraf
Bernd is Consultant Psychotherapist, the first and only in his field of expertise. He was a senior trainer accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) until the demise of this accreditation category. Currently he is Consultant Trainer with the Interfaith Seminary. He trains therapists, supervisors, organisational consultants and executive coaches in the UK and abroad. He has been course director of several MSc programmes run in conjunction with South Bank University and Middlesex University and is training director of a number of organisations in the UK and internationally. He is currently joint Course Director of the London Diploma in Psychosexual and Relationship Therapy, validated by COSRT and accredited by Middlesex University.

Bernd has senior accreditation status with the College for Psychosexual and Relationship Therapy (COSRT, a M.O. of UKCP). He has established a pathway for his own training into the accredited Register (Prof. Standards Board) via the National Counselling Society. He supervises in private practice and has practised and supervised within the NHS and other statutory and voluntary organisations. He is accredited as supervisor by COSRT.
He is Senior Accredited Member and Fellow of the National Council for Psychotherapy (NCP) and Fellow-Registrant of the National Counselling Society (NCS).

Bernd developed and taught training courses in leadership, therapy and related fields from beginners to Masters level, both in a private capacity and through various universities in the UK and abroad for nearly 4 decades. His training courses draw on students from over 40 countries. From 2019 onwards, he has also taken his work to the Middle East.

Total over 2 years: 47 days (420 contact hours)
Teaching hours: 9am–6pm

Next intake:
Applications are open for the 2022/2023 cohort, which will follow a bimonthly intensive format over 2 years, and will be based in the picturesque setting of St Margaret’s Bay near Dover. The 2023/2024 cohort will be meeting monthly at weekends in London again.

Year 1
Meeting 1: 14-17 Feb 2022
Meeting 2: 11-14 April 2022
Meeting 3: 20-23 June 2022
Meeting 4 (Retreat): 19-24 July 2022 (together with the Year 2 trainees)
Meeting 5: 12-16 Sep 2022
Meeting 6: 26-27 Nov 2022 (in Battersea, London with Year 2 trainees)

Year 2
Meeting 1: 13-16 Feb 2023
Meeting 2: 10-13 April 2023
Meeting 3: 19-22 June 2023
Meeting 4 (Retreat): 18-23 July 2023 (together with Year 1 trainees)
Meeting 5: 11-15 Sep 2023
Meeting 6: 25-26 Nov 2023 (in Battersea, London with Year 1 trainees)

Dates for already enrolled 2021/2022 training cohort:

Year 1
Weekend 1: 30-31 Jan 2021  (in London)
Weekend 2: 27-28 Feb 2021  (in London)
Weekend 3: 27-28 Mar 2021  (in London)
Weekend 4: 24-25 Apr 2021  (in London)
Weekend 5: 29-30 May 2021  (in London)
Weekend 6: 26-27 Jun 2021  (in London)
Retreat: 20-25 July 2021  (in St Margaret’s Bay)
Weekend 7: 25-26 Sep 2021  (in London)
Weekend 8: 23-24 Oct 2021  (in London)
Weekend 9: 27-28 Nov 2021  (in London)

Year 2
Weekend 1: 29-30 Jan 2022  (in London)
Weekend 2: 26-27 Feb 2022  (in London)
Weekend 3: 26-27 Mar 2022  (in London)
Weekend 4: 23-24 Apr 2022  (in London)
Weekend 5: 28-29 May 2022  (in London)
Weekend 6: 25-26 Jun 2022  (in London)
Retreat: 19-24 July 2022  (in St Margaret’s Bay with incoming Year 1 cohort)
Weekend 7: 24-25 Sep 2022  (in London)
Weekend 8: 29-30 Oct 2022  (in London)
Weekend 9: 26-27 Nov 2022  (in London)

£4,900 per year
(includes 20% VAT and 5½ day retreat each year with meals; excludes accommodation).

Payments can be made monthly by standing order over 12 months. Applicants who wish to pay for the year a one-off payment are offered a 2.5% reduction in fees.

Some bursaries will be available once the minimum enrolment of 14 students has been reached. Please speak with us to discuss your needs.

Student group size: 14 to 18

NAOS Institute
3 Montpelier Avenue
Ealing, London W5 2XP

The 5½ day retreat will be at:
Pines Calyx, St Margaret’s Bay,
Dover, Kent CT 15 6DZ

The first 9 weekends of the training will be based on the 8 + 1 stages of Psychosocial Development by Erik & Joan Erikson, providing the students with a framework to identify developmental challenges and associated opportunities for growth, in themselves and their future clients.

Year 1 outline
• An overview of therapeutic approaches (intrapsychic, relational, transpersonal, etc.)
• Critical reflection on developmental psychology basics: attachment theory in particular; psychosocial development more broadly
• Overview of most common client presentations and approaches to working with them: anxiety & depression, DSM V
• Neuroscience foundations of psychotherapy work (based on Cozolino and Siegel’s interpersonal neurobiology work)
• Neuroscience changes over the lifespan: teach alexithymia, interoception development, and neurotransmitter level assessment questionnaire & what this means
• Ethical principles for therapists and frameworks for professional practice (contracting with the client, formulation, discontinuation of therapy, etc.)
• Schon’s “reflective practitioner”, self-tracking exercises and mindfulness practice
• Extensive therapy skills practice in dyads, potentially triads with 3rd student observing & feeding back
• Introduction to Gestalt therapy approaches with external trainer Angelika Wienrich, in the context of exploring emerging adolescent personality
• Introduce the concept of clinical responsibility and duty of care through what Supervision is and does
• Teachings from students on their “specialist subjects”, e.g. living with addiction, dissociative identity disorder, surviving sex work, coming out in a close-minded group, gender confirmation journey, emergency service work, etc.
• Group supervision (20-25 hours)

Year 2 outline
• Deepen neuroscience: default mode network, memory formation and fragility
• Deepen ethics, self-tracking and extensive therapy practice from Year One
• Critical exploration of psychopathologies: borderline, bi-polar, schizophrenia, panic disorder, conduct disorder & psychopathy, etc.)
• Chemical and behaviour addictions / eating disorder / self-harm / OCD / social anxiety presentations with specialist speakers invited
• Introduction to cognitive-behavioural and hypnotherapy approaches
• Introduction to transpersonal and spiritual counselling, including bereavement counselling
• Specialist speakers to go more in-depth with specific approaches to therapy; for example:

• Giselle Genillard for trauma therapy, including acute, chronic and vicarious trauma
• Bernd Leygraf for Relationship & Psychosexual Therapy

• On the retreat, systemic constellation work and group process work will be demonstrated, and the use of ritual and ceremony in the therapeutic space
• Group supervision (20-25 hours)

Assessment
• Therapist skillset evaluated in class against a list of competencies
• Bi-monthly reflective assignments and bi-monthly client case studies
• Required participation in “fishbowls” (therapy session simulations observed by the group)
• Written reflections on Supervision
• Supervisor evaluation with audio recordings or transcribed excerpts

Learning outcomes
Unit 1: Working ethically, safely and professionally as a psychotherapist
1. Work within an ethical and legal framework
2. Work within a counselling / psychotherapy service organisation
3. Use supervision to work within own limits of proficiency

Unit 2: Working within a therapeutic relationship
1. Establish and sustain the boundaries of the therapeutic relationship
2. Establish and develop the therapeutic relationship

Unit 3: Working with client diversity in therapy work
1. Understand and work with diversity
2. Challenge own issues, fears and prejudices
3. Understand how diversity issues affect client access to talking therapy

Unit 4: Working within a user-centred approach to therapy
1. Work within a user-centred agreement for the therapy work
2. Maintain a user-centred focus throughout the therapy work

Unit 5: Working with self-awareness in the therapeutic process
1. Use psychotherapeutic and neurosomatic theory to understand own self
2. Work on personal issues that resonate with client work
3. Use self awareness to enhance therapeutic work

Unit 6: Working within a coherent framework of psychotherapeutic theory and skills
1. Use a coherent framework of theory and skills to inform and enhance therapy work
2. Understand and work with client problems at different service levels

Unit 7: Working self-reflectively as a psychotherapist
1. Manage own development as a psychotherapist
2. Reflect on and evaluate own counselling work within agency settings

Handbook
All course participants will be provided with an extensive course handbook, including handouts, code of ethics, assessment forms, learning outcome checklist, a reading list and more.

Course Format
The course is offered over 2 years, comprising a total of 18 weekends (9am – 5pm) on the monthly stream, or 12 meetings of 4 weekdays each on the bimonthly stream, plus two 5½ day retreats. Online group tutorials between classes are also offered.

Entry requirements
The key quality that applicants will need is an exposure to and meaning-making from the challenges of life in intensive or prolonged ways, such as a personal or professional history with trauma, addictions, bullying, destructive family patterns, or search for identity (manifested in sexual orientation, a process of gender confirmation, mixed heritage ethnicity, cultural belonging as a 1st or 2nd generation immigrant, etc.). This will likely have involved one or more courses of personal therapy.

This qualification is not suitable for those who are currently in a state of severe emotional difficulty and/or severe psychological confusion. The course involves experiential elements that will involve considerable personal disclosure and associated personal developmental activities.

Applicants must be intending (and actively seeking) to begin work with clients by the latest in Year Two. This can be as a volunteer in a charitable counselling service, or on a more formal clinical placement.

Student Support

Personal therapy requirement: Minimum 10 hours per year (ideally 20 hours per year, ideally every fortnight)

Supervision requirement: a minimum of 1 hour per 5 client sessions – this should amount to at least 1.5 hours per month once the student has started seeing clients

Peer support: small groups of students to meet in person / online between classes

Fees
£4,900 per year
(includes 20% VAT, and 5½ day retreat each year with meals; excludes accommodation). Payments can be made monthly by standing order over 12 months. Applicants who wish to pay for the year a one-off payment are offered a 2.5% reduction in fees.

Some bursaries will be available once the minimum enrolment of 14 students has been reached. Please contact us to discuss your needs.

Student group size: 14 to 18

Enquiries and Application
If you require more information or are ready to apply, please fill in an application form. We will respond to you as soon as possible.

All applicants are required to complete the application form and then go through the application process which comprises a written portfolio submission and, if the portfolio is deemed sufficient, an interview in person. If offered a place, a course contract will have to be completed and an initial non-refundable deposit of £250 to secure a place will be required.

If a portfolio or interview is not successful, constructive guidance will be provided for those who wish to re-submit or interview again later.

Application process

For the application form, click here.

Applicant background:
Applicants may have participated in different kinds of workshops in the complementary health therapy world, following their own philosophy; they may have certificates in various wellbeing approaches, or supported troubled people in a carer-oriented way, such as an addict or a trauma victim through one or more stages of recovery.

The key quality that applicants will need is an exposure to and meaning-making from the challenges of life in intensive or prolonged ways, such as a personal or professional history with trauma, addictions, bullying, destructive family patterns, or search for identity (manifested in sexual orientation, a process of gender confirmation, mixed heritage ethnicity, cultural belonging a 1st or 2nd generation immigrant, etc.). This will likely have involved one or more courses of personal therapy. All of this will be evidenced through accreditation of prior learning (APL) via the application process.

This qualification is not suitable for those who are currently in a state of severe emotional difficulty and/or severe psychological confusion. The course involves experiential elements that will involve considerable personal disclosure and associated personal developmental activities.

Applicants must be intending (and actively seeking) to begin work with clients during Year One of the programme in order to gain the necessary experience to continue into Year Two. This can be as a volunteer in a charitable counselling service, or in private practice from their home or external premises.

Application process:
Portfolio submission with structured sections that allow applicants to showcase what they have learnt —from official institutions and from the school of life — in a clear way:

1. Personal philosophy & how you derived it (up to 200 words)
2. Examples of your ability to work with difference and diversity, and to respond sensitively and empathically to others (emphasising essential listening and communications skills, and exposure to people from different backgrounds) (up to 500 words)
3. Examples of personal qualities of imagination, intuition, openness, and ability to benefit from self-development (emphasising how you allow space for creativity and continued learning) (up to 500 words)
4. Examples of ability to challenge and be challenged (emphasising how you handle difficult conversations) (up to 500 words)
5. Self-reflective essay on strengths and challenges in being with self and others, discussing your levels of current self-awareness, insight, honesty and the ability to make links (emphasising how you show up as your authentic self with others and when you choose not to or are unable to) (up to 1500 words)
6. Self-reflective essay on your encounters with therapists or counselling / mental health support agencies: what is fair to expect as a client, and what is not? (emphasising therapy contracts with clients, duty of care, confidentiality and when breaking of confidentiality is required) (up to 600 words)
7. Critical reflection on the three main counselling approaches (https://www.skillsyouneed.com/learn/counselling-approaches.html): what benefit(s) and disadvantage(s) can you discern in each of these? (400 to 600 words)
8. References from two referees who have known you in a personal or professional capacity for at least 2 years (must include duration of knowing you, their role in your regard, and their reflections on your potential as a therapist)

Applicants whose portfolios are accepted as evidence of sufficient prior learning will be invited to an interview to secure their place on the course. If a portfolio or interview is not successful, constructive guidance will be provided for those who wish to re-submit or interview again later.