IMT certification

How to Become a Certified IMT Practitioner
This page details the entire IMT Certification training process, including all costs and prerequisites.
In order to be certified in Integrated Movement Therapy (IMT), one must take all of the trainings and complete all of the mentorship and related hours as outlined on this page.
There is no specified timeline for taking the trainings, nor any deadline for completion. Interested students may work at their own pace and according to location and scheduling of trainings. Students must pay the fees and follow requirements at the time they enroll in each component. Rates and requirements may be subject to change.
Students who have taken IMT Basics are allowed to repeat the course at any time at no additional cost. Students who have completed IMT Level 2 training may repeat any level 1 workshop at any time, at no additional cost.
In terms of order, please refer to the prerequisites detailed in the Training Continuum tab and summarized below:
- IMT Basics must precede any IMT Level 1 training.
- Level 1 trainings can be taken in any order following Basics. The student does not have to complete the associated mentorship hours with one Level 1 workshop to register for another.
- In order to be eligible for the Level 2 training, students must have completed all three Level 1 trainings, plus all 12 associated mentorship hours.
- In order to apply for the Advanced retreat, students must have completed Level 2 training, plus all individual therapy and mentorship hours, and must have completed the two-week residential training.
- Level 2 and Advanced trainings occur just once each year.
The table below summarizes all training requirements for IMT Certification. You may also wish to download the IMT Certification Work Plan (PDF) to plan and track your progress toward certification. However, please note that requirements may change over time. The most current information will always be available on this website.
Click here for our Schedule of Trainings.
Training | Hours | Description | Prerequisites | Tuition | Scholarship Opportunity |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
IMT Basics | 8 | Overview of philosophy and principles | none | 90/125 | Workshop scholarship only |
IMT and Children Level 1 | 24 | Detailed practical application | IMT Basics | 475/525 | Workshop scholarship only |
Four hours of individual mentorship related to Child 1 training | 4 | One on one mentorship with a certified IMT therapist. Available to, but not required of, anyone who has taken Child 1 training. Required of students wishing to attend Level 2 retreat. | IMT and Children Level 1 | $85 per hour = $340 | no |
IMT and Teens Level 1 | 24 | Detailed practical application | IMT Basics | 475/525 | Workshop scholarship only |
Four hours of individual mentorship related to Teen 1 training | 4 | One on one mentorship with a certified IMT therapist. Available to, but not required of, anyone who has taken Teen 1 training. Required of students wishing to attend Level 2 retreat. | IMT and Teens Level 1 | $85 per hour = $340 | no |
IMT and Adults Level 1 | 24 | Detailed practical application | IMT Basics | 475/525 | Workshop scholarship only |
Four hours of individual mentorship related to Adult 1 training | 4 | One on one mentorship with a certified IMT therapist. Available to, but not required of, anyone who has taken Adult 1 training. Required of students wishing to attend Level 2 retreat. | IMT and Adults Level 1 | $85 per hour = $340 | no |
IMT Level 2 training | 60 | Reading intakes, planning sessions, practice sessions | Basics, All three Level 1 trainings and all 12 associated mentorship hours. | $1200 | Workshop scholarship only |
Four private sessions with a certified IMT therapist | 5 | Be a client to a certified therapist to experience IMT personally | Completion of Level 2 | $85 – $135 per 75 minute session = = $340 – 540 | no |
Four sessions with private client 1 | 8 | Opportunity to practice the philosophies and techniques you have learned so far. May use Student Clinic. | Completion of Level 2 | N/A | N/A |
Four sessions with private client 2 | 8 | Opportunity to practice the philosophies and techniques you have learned so far. May use Student Clinic. | Completion of Level 2 | N/A | N/A |
Four hours of individual mentorship | 4 | One on one mentorship with a certified IMT therapist | Completion of Level 2 | $85 per hour = $340 | no |
IMT Advanced Training | 60 | Level 2 and all 25 associated mentorship hours, plus Samarya Yoga Residential training. Admission by application only. Application is due a full two months prior to training. | $1400 | no | |
Four sessions with private client 1 | 8 | Opportunity to practice the philosophies and techniques you have learned so far. May use Student Clinic. | Completion of Advanced | N/A | N/A |
Four sessions with private client 2 | 8 | Opportunity to practice the philosophies and techniques you have learned so far. May use Student Clinic. | Completion of Advanced | N/A | N/A |
Eight hours of individual mentorship | 8 | One on one mentorship with a certified IMT therapist | Completion of Advanced | $85 per hour = $680 | no |
IMT internship | 250 | Completion of Advanced and all 24 hours of associated mentorship hours. Admission by application only. Application is due a full two months prior to desired internship start date. | $2300 | no | |
Samarya Yoga Residential Teacher Training | 138 | Immersion into Samarya philosophy, how to integrate philosophy into sessions, deep self study | none | $2000, plus $1065- 2050 room and board | Diversity scholarship Work-trade opportunity at Guild |
Yoga and Social Change | 15 | Using our yoga practice as a foundation for real action to create change | none | 190/240 | Workshop scholarship only |
Total | 664 | $10,985 (using all lowest numbers), plus $1065-2050 room and board |
The definitions and descriptions below address common questions about IMT Certification requirements. See also the descriptions of trainings on the IMT Training page.
IMT Mentorship Hours
In order to advance in the IMT training continuum, there are associated mentorship hours following each training, with the exception of Basics and Internship. These hours are required for anyone wishing to pursue the next level of IMT training.
Post-level 1 training hours are available to anyone, even if they are not intending to move to the next level at this time, as a means to better understand the method and the program and to have individualized support from a certified IMT therapist.
Each Level 1 training packet has included within its manual a complete description of the required mentorship hours associated with that training. In order to complete mentorship hours, the student must contact one of the designated IMT supervisors (listed here) to set a time and date for mentorship. Most of these hours can be completed by skype, phone or another web-video platform. The only ones that cannot be done remotely are hours that require hands-on or interactive study, including Thai yoga practice, body scan and individual IMT sessions. Mentorship session rates are set at a standard rate of $85 per hour, payable directly to the mentor, prior to the session. Session times are recorded and are expected to last exactly 60 minutes, in order for the student and supervisor to practice and model session timeliness. This 60 minutes must include taking payment and scheduling subsequent sessions.
Mentorship is a wonderfully rich opportunity for the student to have their individual questions answered and their journey supported by an experienced IMT therapist. Many of our students have reported that these individual mentorship hours have been one of the highlights of the training program and one of the things that have created the greatest learning opportunities. In order to register for Level 2 retreat, students must have completed all three of the Level 1’s as well as their accompanying mentorship hours.
Current IMT mentors:
EB Ferdig, Portland email EB.
Molly Lannon Kenny, Mexico email Molly.
Jaime Bedard, New York City email Jaime.
Andrea Flores, Portland email Andrea.
Rachel Plies, Portland. email Rachel.
RW Alves. Seattle. email RW.
Danelle Cartun. email Danelle.
Bess Abrahams. email Bess.
Karen Oberg. email Karen
Kathleen Dowd email Kathleen
Independent Clients
Following the Level 2 and Advanced trainings, students wishing to continue must see two “independent” clients. These are clients that the student finds themselves, through avenues including social media, word of mouth or other means of promotion, or through the Student Clinic. Once the student has found the potential clients, they are required to arrange and carry out between four and seven sessions, depending on specifics requirements and guidelines. These sessions are mainly unsupervised, however the student has worksheets and guidelines and is required to discuss the client, session, goals, objectives, concerns and successes in mentorship sessions. The student may not charge for these sessions.
Student Clinic: Students living in the Portland or Seattle areas may take advantage of Student Clinic opportunities. This is a program, run by unfold studios in Portland, or by RW Alves private practice in Seattle, where qualified Integrated Movement Therapy practitioners-in-training have the opportunity to practice their skills, gain insight into the IMT process, and learn to work in a semi-clinical environment.
In this program, the Student Clinic finds the clients, schedules the intake, takes payment from client, allows student to use office space, and provides materials and forms. Following the intake, the mentor gives feedback and recommendations to the student relative to on-going therapy based on the client’s stated goals. After this initial consult, the student and client schedule six additional sessions – five therapy sessions and one exit interview. Session duration is based on client needs.
The student is loosely supervised in the sessions, supervision may be limited to the mentor asking questions or providing feedback on a session plan, or the mentor may ask to sit in on a partial or full session. The student IMT therapist is practicing independent critical thinking, processing and planning, and evaluation skills.
After six consecutive sessions (one intake and five follow-up sessions – must be completed within eight weeks) the student and client will participate in an exit interview process with the mentor, in which the client gives feedback to the student and the student does a self-evaluation which may be discussed with the client as appropriate.
These sessions may be counted towards Level 2 or Advanced mentorship hours, or may be used for additional experience and some documentation towards internship.
Individual IMT Sessions
In order to maximize a student’s understanding of the IMT therapy process, every student wishing to apply for IMT Advanced training must receive a minimum of four individual sessions with a certified IMT therapist. These sessions are arranged directly by the student with the IMT therapist. Payment is made directly to therapist and is dependent on therapist’s rates. These sessions must occur in person and cannot be carried out remotely.
Scholarships
We offer two scholarship programs and work-trade opportunities are also available at some of our trainings and retreats. Learn more here.
The International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) offers a grandparenting program through which IMT students and practitioners may be eligible for IAYT certification.
Grandparenting refers to a process in which someone with the specified experience and expertise in a particular profession is granted certification along different pathways than others entering the profession. The grandparenting process usually begins just after a profession starts to certify practitioners and is limited to a prescribed period of time.
As a field develops standards, grandparenting is typically addressed in a generous way, respecting original training, continuing education, and experience.
The IAYT grandparenting process being developed is similar to that of other emerging complementary and alternative medicine professions.
Learn more on the IAYT website.
Get in Touch!
Are you interested in pursuing IMT Certification? Do you have questions?
Fill out the form below to schedule a free 30-minute phone call with IMT founder Molly Lannon Kenny.
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