2 Year Intensive: September 25th 2024 - May 2026
Inner Relationship Focusing Certification
Become a Certified Focusing Oriented Therapist
with Maureen Gallagher, PhD and Helene Brenner, PhD
You’ve trained in Focusing for yourself.
That’s huge. That’s beautiful.
And now you want to share this transformational approach with others.
Bring greater meaning to your work in private practice.
If you want to guide others in a process that will support and define them for the rest of their lives, you’re in the right place.
I sometimes say, this work feels like magic, but it’s so real and grounded.
As a long time student and practitioner of attachment based forms of therapy, I understand how our outer relationships are informed my the quality of our inner attachments.
In IRF, I found a practice that changed the shape of my relationship to myself, and as a result, helped me immensely in changing the way I relate to those in my world, including my clients.
IRF has become a foundational practice for how how I invite others to get to know their states, and begin to form supportive, ever-deepening relationships with all aspects of themselves.
It is my pleasure and sincere responsibility to pass this practice on to all those interested in integrating this into their work with their clients.
This advanced certification program equips therapists, coaches, and wellness professionals.
Whether your clients are coming to you with complex trauma, developmental attachment issues, action blocks, work with inner critics, or behavioral issues…
Through a unique combination of somatically based parts work, mentorship, individual and group consultations, and monthly lectures and teaching demonstrations, you'll learn to tactically navigate the intricacies of relationship to self in all of these scenarios— and enhance your therapeutic impact in remarkable ways.
This Program is
Designed for YOU if…
You have a one-to-one practice…working inside the world of psychotherapy, coaching, somatic therapy, or similar fields.
You have completed at least 18 sessions of IRF training through IRF Parts 1 and 2 with any IRF trainer (previously 1,2,3 and 4), or equivalent programs such as the SAT program with Maureen Gallagher, PhD or the EP Mind-Body Certificate (when taught by Maureen Gallagher, PhD), or have completed Focusing training with any trainer
You’re interested in diversified intervention strategies for navigating a client's complex history and present to support unparalleled opportunities for healing and self development.
You want strong supportive relationships that emphasize your clients ability to build a trusting relationship with their inner states.
At the end of the program – having met the requirements – you will receive Certification as a Focusing Oriented Therapist from The International Focusing Institute (TIFI), the international nonprofit organization. Helene Brenner, Phd, IFI Coordinator is authorized to offer this certification, along with myself, Maureen Gallagher PhD, as an IFI Coordinator in Training.
‘‘
I find her to be an incredible teacher.
— Larry Iannotti, Ph.D., LCSW
Psychotherapist
What sets this program apart is the…
Hands-On Engagement
You will be immersed in practical, real-time demonstrations with feedback from peers and instructors, allowing for immediate application and improvement of skills.Comprehensive Support for 2 Years
Benefit from a blend of individual and group consultations, ensuring a thorough and personalized learning experience, alongside long term relationships with others in the course.Enhanced Therapeutic Techniques
Develop advanced skills in deepening relationship with states like dissociation, freeze, shutdown, and overwhelm, broadening your therapeutic repertoire.
How we hold the big picture of the role of IRF in things like supporting a relationship to the felt sense, attachment related issues, meeting personal goals, presenting problems, and making change last will be part of your learning experience.
You will walk away with a full understanding of how to introduce any client to IRF, and support them in progressively engaging the therapuetic process using the skillset of inner relationship focusing.
More About Your Guides
Your primary teacher, IFI coordinator in training:
Maureen Gallagher, Phd
Licensed Psychologist
What Inner Relationship Focusing has meant to me:
I knew I was looking—even searching for something. And I knew that I didn’t know exactly what I was looking for. Even with such vague parameters, I found it in Inner Relationship Focusing.
It was like coming home. After getting to know and trying many psychological theories and practices, spiritual and meditative practices, I quickly and deeply understood that this was my practice.
Why did this practice stand out from all the others? Inner Relationship Focusing truly, dramatically and quickly changed my relationship to myself, and I’ve watched my clients achieve the similar results over and over again over the course of my decades long career.
Helene Brenner, Phd
Licensed Psychologist
Dr. Helene Brenner, Phd is a psychologist in private practice and author of I Know I’m in There Somewhere: A Woman’s Guide to Finding Her Inner Voice and Living a Life of Authenticity (Penguin, 2003).
She is a Certifying Coordinator for Focusing-oriented therapists, having been a Focusing-oriented therapist trained in Inner Relationship Focusing for more than 30 years. She is also certified in EMDR as well as Level 2 AEDP (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy), modalities that she integrates into her multimodal therapeutic approach. In 2017, she was the co-chair of the 3rd Annual Internat’l Conference of Focusing-Oriented Therapists. She has given presentations and workshops both nationally and internationally including at Kripalu and Omega, and has taught and trained mental health professionals in FOT and IRF, both as a faculty member of Focusing Resources and in a two-year therapist-training program which she co-led with her husband and fellow therapist Larry Letich.
With special guest…
Ann Weiser Cornell, PhD
Ann Weiser Cornell, PhD, is an author, educator, and worldwide authority on Focusing, the emotional self-healing method developed by her close colleague, Eugene Gendlin. She has taught Focusing in more than 20 countries over the past 30 years.
With her colleague Barbara McGavin, Ann developed a system and technique called Inner Relationship Focusing. She has given presentations and trainings in Inner Relationship Focusing at the Esalen Institute, the Psychotherapy Networker Conference, the National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine, the American Psychological Association, the Association for Person-Centered Experiential Psychotherapy, the Cape Cod Institute, and Embody Lab, as well as offering privately organized workshops and online seminars.
Ann is the President and CEO of Focusing Resources, Inc., whose mission is to meaningfully contribute to personal, community, and global emotional health. Her books include the bestselling The Power of Focusing: A Practical Guide to Emotional Self-Healing, her book for therapists: Focusing in Clinical Practice: The Essence of Change, and with Barbara McGavin, Untangling: How You Can Transform What's impossibly Stuck.
Course modules
Class runs on Wednesdays from 1-3pm EDT
Semester 1:
Supporting a Felt Sense
September 25th - December 4th 2024
In this first semester, we will work with ways to support a felt sense in clients, and to deepen and broaden this experience.
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September 2024
9/25/24 Welcome class!
October 2024
10/2/24 Topic Introduction to Focusing Oriented and Supporting a Felt Sense Maureen Gallagher, PhD and Helene Brenner, PhD
10/9 Demo and Discussion
10/16/24 Topic Presenting Problems, Regulation and Resource, Maureen Gallagher
10/23/2024 Exercise: Supporting a Felt Sense Focusing Practice
10/30/24 Meet with Project Partners
November 2024
11/6/2024 Topic: Assessment and Intervention Helene Brenner, PhD
11/13/2024 Demo and Discussion with Ann Weiser Cornell, PhD Supporting a Felt Sense
11/20/2024 Focusing Exercise: Supporting a Felt Sense
11/27/2024 No Class
December 2024
12/4/2024 Topic: Working at the Unclear Edge—Larry Letich, LCSW
12/11/2024 Demo and Discussion
12/18/2024 Focusing Exercise: Working at the Unclear Edge
Semester 2:
Process Styles
Jan 19th 2025 - May 7th 2025
In this semester we will look at Memory Reconsolidation and how to use this process in Focusing Oriented Therapy.
We’ll work with different client presentations and ways to support clients when they become overwhelmed, flood with emotion, struggle with presence as they experience strong emotion. As well as clients that struggle to stay in touch with their experience, tend toward fleeting or ephemeral experiences, and ways to support clients to both stay with and deepen their experience.
We deepen into parts work by working with Ann Weiser Cornell, PhD and Barbara McGavin’s Untangling Process. You’ll complete your year one project with another student, exploring what has changed in your and their process. You’ll continue to track your progress in using focusing oriented therapy with several clients.
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January 2025
1/14/2025 Untangling Ann Weiser Cornell, PhD
February 2025
2/5/2025 Topic Working with Memory Reconsolidation
2/12/2025 Demo and Discussion
2/26/2025 Focusing Practice Partnership with Untangling
March 2025
3/5/2025 Topic: Working with Dissociation Helene Brenner, PhD
3/12/2025 Demo and Discussion
3/19/2025 Focusing Exercise: Working with Dissociation
3/26/2025 Focusing Practice Partnership in Untangling
April 2025
4/2/2025 Topic Working with Overwhelm and Flooding
4/9/2025 Demo and Discussion
4/16/2025 Focusing Exercise: Close Process
4/23/2025 Focusing Practice Partnership
May 2025
5/7/2025 Topic: Working with Freeze, Shutdown, Confusion and Sleepiness
5/14/2025 Demo and Discussion
5/21/2025 Focuisng Exercise: Working with Distant Process
5/28/2025 Focusing Practice Partnership: Untangling
Semester 3:
Attachment Strategies and Stances
September 10th 2025 - December 3rd 2025
In this semester, we will spend time with different attachment strategies and stances, getting to know how this affects perception of self and others.
We will be working with how to support clients to explore their inner experience of their attachments, along with partial self states involved in maintaining and perpetuating secure and insecure attachment strategies.
You’ll start your year 2 project of using a focusing process with a client, tracking their process. You’ll continue to track your progress in using focusing oriented therapy with several clients.
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September 2025
9/10/2025 Topic Attachment Stance and Strategy, Parts and Focusing
9/17/2025 Demo and Discussion
9/24/2025 Focusing Practice Partnership Reading: Untangling 4
October 2025
10/1/2025 GCC
10/8/2025 Topic: Attachment Trauma and Trust
10/15/2025 Demo and Discussion
10/22/2025 Focusing Practice Partnership Reading: Untangling 5
10/29/2025 GCC
November 2025
11/5/2025 Topic: Internal Working Models of Self and Other and the ANS: Hyperactivation strategies
11/12/2025 Demo and Discussion
11/19/2025 GCC
11/26/2025 Focusing Practice Partnership: Untangling
December 2025
12/3/2025 Internal Working Models of Self and Other and the ANS: Hypoactivating strategies
12/10/2025 GCC
12/17/2025 Focusing Practice Partnership
Semester 4:
Inner Critics and Procrastination
February 4th 2026 - May 6th 2026
Working with Inner Critics and Procrastination. We will address challenges in moving toward actions wanted and not wanted by partial self states.
We’ll dive deeper with getting to know partial self states involved in difficulties taking actions, and how to support clients to explore their Inner Critics, ciriticized parts and difficulties taking action.
You’ll complete your year 2 project of tracking a process and changes in a client using a focusing process. You’ll continue to track your progress in using focusing oriented therapy with several clients.
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February 2026
2/4/2026 Topic: Inner Critics, Shame and Developmental Trauma
2/11/2026 Demo and Discussion
2/18/2026 Focusing Practice Partnership
2/25/2026 GCC
March 2026
3/4/2026 Topic: Blocks to Action Helene Brenner, PhD
3/11/2026 Demo and Discussion
3/18/2026 Focusing Practice Partnership
3/25/2026 GCC
April 2026
4/1/2026 Procrastination, Blocks to Action and Habit Change
4/8/2026 Demo and Discussion
4/15/2026 Focusing Practice Partnership
4/22/2026 GCC
4/29/2026 No Meeting
May 2026
5/6/2026 Topic: Endings
5/13/2026 GCC
5/20/2026 Focusing Practice Partnership
5/26/2026 Final Meeting and Goodbyes
Get Started With
Your Application
1
Complete Your Application!
2
Once your application
is accepted:
You will be invited to schedule a 30 to 45 minute conversation with Maureen.
3
After that, you’re ready to Register for the Program!
You will receive the payment link once you’ve been accepted and interviewed!
Inside the course, you will receive:
2 years of comprehensive training and professional peer support consisting of…
Live Group Sessions:
30 weekly meetings in Year One & 32 weekly meetings in Year Two
13 Demonstrations with Discussion by Maureen Gallagher, PhD, Helene Brenner, PhD and Ann Weiser Cornell, PhD
12 Focusing and Untangling Sessions
15 Sessions of Experiential Exercises and Group Case Consultation
Individual Mentorship:
8 Individual Consultations for review and feedback on your recorded sessions
4 sessions with Maureen Gallagher, PhD
4 sessions with Helene Brenner, PhD
And you receive a discounted rate if you want more than the 8 included consultation sessions.
A Study Package of Course Materials:
Manuals, and additional resources in pdf format
Anne Weiser Cornell and Barbara McGavin’s book on the Untangling process, an advanced IRF skill (will be delivered to your inbox in pdf format)
The Focusing Manual by Ann Weiser Cornell, PhD (PDF files), Focusing in Clinical Practice by Ann Weiser Cornell, PhD and Untangling by Ann Weiser Cornell, PhD and Barbara McGavin sun
Guest Experts Throughout the Program:
One class per semester taught by Helene Brenner
One Live Demonstration Session with Anne Weiser Cornell
One Live Class to kick off Focusing Practice with the study of her latest book, Untangling.
Communal Learning & Connection Opportunities:
A consistent group of students to share and support you in your learning process.
Book club study of Anne Weiser Cornell’s most recent book, Untangling
Support in forming partnerships with other program participants – for Focusing, for consultative support, for other kinds of peer support
Year 1 and Year 2 Projects:
Deepening Your Practice
2 years of comprehensive training and professional peer support consisting of…
Year 1 Project
Peer Collaboration and Self-Reflection
In the first year, you will collaborate with a fellow student to trade focusing sessions and track presenting problems. This involves:
Personal Tracking:
Identify and track one of your own presenting problems, noting changes in perception and experience over the year.Peer Tracking:
Companion your peer, observing shifts in their presenting problem and perception.Monthly Summaries:
Submit monthly notes summarizing changes in both your and your peer’s problems.Final Paper:
Write a short paper at the end of Year 1, detailing the evolution of your peer’s presenting problem and your observations.
This project enhances your understanding of focusing and tracking therapeutic progress.
Year 2 Project
Applying Inner Relationship Focusing with Clients
In the second year, you will apply Inner Relationship Focusing (IRF) with a client from your practice. Key elements include:
Client Tracking:
Work with a client, using IRF to address a specific issue and observe its evolution.Monthly Notes:
Submit brief monthly notes (a paragraph per session) summarizing the client’s progress.Final Paper:
Write a concise paper (6 to 10 pages) at the end of Year 2, discussing the use of Focusing-Oriented Therapy (FOT) in the client's change process.
By the end of the program, you'll have a solid grasp of integrating IRF into your practice, supported by detailed documentation of its effectiveness.
FAQs:
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You can assist one of my classes or that of another Certified Trainer of Inner Relationship Focusing, and assist a part 1 and a part 2 class, with at least 80% attendance (7 classes for each part). You can complete this requirement in Year 1, 2 or after the completion of your formal program (but prior to your certification). I hold a class on Tuesdays 12 to 2pm eastern and Thursdays 2 to 4pm Eastern each year at this time.
Your client sessions can be completed throughout the year, and do not need to be completed during the academic year.
You will be meeting with 2 consultants one time each semester (8 over 2 years), where you can review videotape of sessions. You are not required to videotape all sessions but do need to show videotape several times over 2 years.
You can write up a paragraph on other sessions, with 3 different clients each semester (6 sessions per semester, 24 sessions total. It can be more clients if you didn't have 2 sessions with a client, just make sure to hand in 24 paragraphs before you complete your certification requirements.
While it is recommended that you complete the written paragraphs each semester, it is required that you complete them before your certification).
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You should have an active practice that allows you to use Inner Relationship Focusing with several clients.
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There is not a formal cap on the cohort size, but a small number of students have been invited (those that have completed 18 sessions of IRF training with me).
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Licensure is not a requirement, but an active practice in the helping and healing professions where you see clients one on one and have clients with whom you can use IRF in your work is a requirement.
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No, Certification does not change your licensure to practice, but rather adds skill to practice.
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Any student may withdraw from the Training within one week (7 days) after the first training class meeting (request much be made by Wednesday October 2nd, 2024 at 12:00pm.) and receive an ninety (90) percent refund of the tuition. This refers to the total tuition payable including by installment plan. No refunds will be granted after the first week of training.
Students will be held to this agreement, regardless of future attendance and/or completion of the training. In extraordinary circumstances,we will consider requests for release from the payment contract or rolling admission to the following cohort. However, the final decision in such matters will rest with Maureen Gallagher, Phd.
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If you can complete the project with another student that is preferable, but it is possible as an alternative to complete the Year 1 project with a focusing partner.
Your partner will need to submit paragraph descriptions of the change in your presenting problem as well as their own.
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No, you will not need to assist IRF 1 and 2 again if you have already assisted at these two trainings.