Professional Training Programmes In Imago Relationship Therapy
New Zealand and Australia

The Imago Institute for Relationships offers Professional Training Programmes in Imago Relationship Therapy in New Zealand and Australia. The Basic Clinical Training is twelve days and is offered in two and four day modules scheduled approximately three months apart. The first two days, Module 1A, can be attended independently without proceeding further with the training.

Imago Relationship Therapy is a coherent, comprehensive and dynamic theory and practice, offering a cutting edge and effective method for working with couples.  The training focuses on Imago clinical procedures, clinical demonstrations and review of participants’ cases.  It is open to Counsellors, Psychotherapists, Psychologists and Counselling Social Workers who wish to extend their skills or specialise in working with couples.

We want to enable you to transform your work with couples, and help you build your practice.

As an Imago relationship therapist you will:

• Help couples to understand the relationship journey from romantic love through to potential disconnection, frustration and conflict, and enable them to restore connection, passion and hope
• Gain in-depth understanding of relationship dynamics from both an attachment and developmental perspective
• Incorporate developments in clinical research and neuroscience into your work with couples
• Learn affective, cognitive and behavioural  interventions which will allow you to hold couples safely in processes which offer them the opportunity and capacity to make sense of their negative interactional cycles
• Learn clear steps for relationship repair
• Coach attuned and connecting experiences for couples through the use of Imago Dialogue and    other dialogical and relational processes
• Join a growing group of committed couples therapists in New Zealand and an alive, energised and creative international community dedicated to transforming relationships.

The clinical training is a 12 day programme;  two 2 day modules and two 4 day modules.

Module 1A  is a two day introduction to this work and can be taken independently without proceeding further with the training.

Pre-requisites for entry into Professional Training Programme:

To become a Certified Imago Relationship Therapist and be eligible for Clinical Membership of Imago Relationships International (IRI) a trainee will need to:

• Attend a “Getting the Love You Want - Couples Workshop”
  A Couples Workshop must be completed with your partner at a Couples Workshop presented by a Certified Imago Workshop Presenter.  If you do not have a partner, then a friend, relative or colleague will qualify.  This requirement must be completed prior to Module 2 of the Training Programme; however it is beneficial to attend the workshop as early as possible in the programme.  Please contact us if you have any queries regarding this requirement.
• Be a Member of a recognized Professional Association in New Zealand or Australia.
• Have, be developing or have the intention of developing a professional practice with couples.

Requirements for Certification as an Imago Relationship Therapist

• Full attendance at all twelve days of training.
• During Modules 2 & 3, present DVD samples of your work with couples for supervision.
• Execute an “Understandings and Agreements” contract.
• Complete six post-training supervision sessions; either individual or group.
• Complete two reports following the training, as outlined by Clinical Instructors.
• Serve as clinical support staff in a “Getting the Love You Want – Couples Workshop" within one year of completion of course requirements.
• Submit one DVD of your work with couples, for assessment, after completion of the six supervision sessions.

Graduates of the Clinical Training Programme are eligible for Clinical Membership of Imago Relationships International.  This distinction qualifies them, among other things, to call themselves Certified Imago Therapists and allows them to be listed on the Imago Relationships International Directory and on the website of Imago New Zealand or the Association of Imago Relationship Therapists Australia (AIRTA).

For more information about Imago Training in New Zealand click here.

For more information about Imago Training in Australia click here.

Contact us for information about Training in Imago Relationship Therapy.

For more information about Imago Therapy, see Imago’s Roots in Psychology, by Tim Atkinson, Past Director of Imago Relationships International.  Click here to read this article.