Enrolling in the certification program
Individuals interested in the certification program must apply and be accepted to be enrolled in the program.
Application Process
The first step for individuals interested in the program is to complete the program application questionnaire, which is followed by a 90 minute to 2 hour telephone interview with program founder Teresa Wagner. The purpose of this conversation is to discuss the issues in the application, the applicant’s questions and concerns about the program, how their goals and current and or planned work can be supported by the program, and to assess whether the applicant is an appropriate fit for the program. A $25 application fee is due before the telephone meeting.
Steps in the Application Process:
1. Complete the application and send to assistance@animalsinourhearts.com.
2. Pay the $25 application fee
3. When these are received, the applicant will be contacted to schedule the phone meeting
4. After the phone meeting, applicants will be notified regarding their acceptance status. Because the application and the issues discussed in the telephone discussion may be reviewed by the Board of Advisors, this may take one to two weeks.
Because of its thoroughness, this program demands quite a commitment, so we invest a lot of time in getting to know you up front to insure as much as possible that, if you are accepted, this program will be a very good match for your interests and needs.
When Accepted into the Program:
After receiving your acceptance notice and making your payment, you will receive a New Student Welcome Packet with a warm welcome, suggestions and some requirements about which courses to take when and why; deadlines for submitting Written Class Reviews; documents with detailed instructions for the required Case Studies and Recorded Practice Sessions; the program’s Required Reading List; the current list of Practitioner Circle Talks; links to other important program information for students; and you will be introduced and welcomed into the program’s private Facebook Group.
Registering for Classes:
The flow from registration, taking classes, submitting Written Class Reviews, participating in Coaching/Mentoring Sessions:
• For those who are accepted into the program, the next step is to take one of the first three required core classes:
Ethics and Boundaries, Grief Support Skills or Legacies of Love.
• The Essential Counseling Skills class is the fourth core class, but cannot be taken until the first three core classes are completed.
• The first three core classes should be taken before other required or elective classes.
• To view all classes, view the Class Listings page. To read the full details of any class, click on the title of the class on that page, and you will be taken to a new, full page with the details of that class.
For enrolled certification students who are paying as they go:
• To view all classes, view the Class Listings page.
• Click on the title of the class for which you are ready to register for full class information.
• On the individual class page, click on the button to Register, which will take you to the payment page.
• As soon as your payment is received you will automatically receive a PDF via email with all relevant class links for class handouts, all digital audio recordings of the class, and information on any additional required reading.
For enrolled certification students who have already paid for the program in full:
• To view all classes, view the Class Listings page.
• Click on the title of the class for which you are ready to register for full class information.
• When you are ready to take this class of your choice (following the order described above), simply email us with the class title and you will immediately be sent a PDF via email with all relevant links for class handouts, all digital audio recordings of the class, and information on any additional required reading.
For scheduled live classes:
Email us your intention to take the class and we will reserve a spot for you and send you a link for payment. You will be sent all needed information to participate in the live teleclass, including call in numbers and handouts. After the class, you will receive digital audio files from the live class.
After completing a live or on demand class, for all enrolled certification students:
• Students required to complete a Written Class Review of that class, which is followed by a private coaching/mentoring session by phone with the class instructor for the class. This sequence—completing a class, writing and submitting the Written Class Review, then having the Coaching/Mentoring call—is repeated for each of the 10 required classes and the 5 elective classes.
Taking Classes Without Being Enrolled in the Certification Program
If you are not yet ready to enroll in the certification program, but want to “test out” what the classes are like, you are welcome to take any class(es) to do so. If you have any doubts at all about being ready to commit to the full certification program, we actually prefer that you take a class or two before applying for enrollment. This can help you know more clearly whether this program is for you.
You need not enroll in the certification program to take individual classes. You can take any classes at any time without ever enrolling in the program. Later, if you decide to apply to enroll, any classes taken before acceptance into the program can be applied toward credit for certification. However, once accepted, Written Class Reviews and Coaching/Mentoring sessions must be completed for these classes.