IMISA Training: Mindfulness and Therapy

Mindfulness and Therapy

Overview

Psychologists, psychotherapists, counsellors, and others involved in therapeutic or counselling roles are continually invited to meet complexity, vulnerability, and human suffering. Alongside clinical skill and theoretical knowledge, the quality of presence we bring to these encounters profoundly shapes the therapeutic process.

This course offers an integration of mindfulness and psychotherapy, supporting practitioners to cultivate awareness, emotional regulation, and embodied attunement in their work. Grounded in both psychological and contemplative perspectives, mindfulness is explored not only as a set of practices, but as a way of being that allows us to respond with greater clarity, compassion, and discernment.

Participants are guided through a developmental journey—from cultivating presence, to turning toward suffering, to deepening compassion and attunement, and finally to sustaining practice over time.

Who is the course for?

Psychologists, psychotherapists, counsellors, and others involved in therapeutic or counselling roles who wish to deepen their personal mindfulness practice, enhance therapeutic presence, and integrate mindfulness into their work in an ethical and context-sensitive way.

Additional information

Structure
This course consists of four core modules:

Module 1 – Cultivating Presence
Foundations of mindfulness, including intention, attention, and attitude.
Module 2 – Turning Toward Suffering
Developing the capacity to meet difficulty with embodiment and spacious awareness.
Module 3 – Compassion & Attunement
Exploring compassion, empathy, and attachment.
Module 4 – The Ongoing Journey
Sustaining practice over time, including the Four Immeasurables, and ethics.
Live Online Integration Journey
A four-week live, online integration series can accompany the course. Each 60-minute session includes guided practice, reflection, and inquiry, supporting participants to embody and apply their learning in both personal and professional contexts. These sessions offer a space for shared learning, connection, and ongoing support.
Further information to follow: please contact us to be placed on the waiting list.

Study format
Self-directed online learning combined with optional live sessions.

Duration
16 hours total, 4 modules at approximately 4 hours of self-study each.

Course outcomes

What participants will learn

The course integrates theory, practice, and reflection. By the end of the training, participants will be able to:

Understand core principles of mindfulness from psychological and contemplative perspectives
Cultivate a personal mindfulness practice as the foundation for therapeutic presence
Recognise how mindfulness supports attunement, empathy, and non-reactive listening
Apply mindfulness-based micro-skills to remain regulated and present during sessions
Understand ethical and trauma-sensitive considerations in integrating mindfulness into psychotherapy

CPD points
12 HPCSA CPD Points (10 Clinical + 2 Ethics points).