Certification Program – the Sequence of Courses
Learning acupressure and the energetic healing arts for animals is a wonderful and exciting adventure! Not only is it fun and interesting, you’ll be learning how to help the animals in your life THRIVE – all with the power of your touch and insight.
The pathway through the Elemental Acupressure Certification Program is a series of online courses. These courses take you step by step through our comprehensive education in Classical Chinese Medicine for animals. You’ll work their way through the courses at your own pace or follow along with the schedule of frequent online meeting. Let’s see the steps in that journey to certification and beyond.
Certification Program flow chart: Download the flow chart pictured at the bottom of this page so you can follow through the Steps in a visual format (letter/US or A4 size for easy printout). Get it here
Steps to Becoming Certified
You’ll start your acupressure adventure with our Foundations courses – in courses from either the Acupressure Foundations Bundle or the EnergyWork™ Foundations Bundle depending on your interests. By the end of your journey through these first classes you’ll already be practicing these techniques with your animals and watching them get healthier and happier.
By this point many of our students even have some exciting success stories to share!
Courses include: Introduction to Acupressure , Introduction to the Five Elements , Introduction to Shiatsu
Payment Options: Purchase these courses separately or buy the Acupressure Foundations Bundle and save.
These 3 courses are open to all animal lovers and provide a comprehensive introduction to acupressure, shiatsu massage, and East Asian Classical Medicine for animals. For animal caretakers they are excellent stand-alone courses. For Certificate Program students they are the launching pad for the rest of your acupressure adventure
Courses include: EnergyWork™ –Grounding , EnergyWork™ –Energy Clearing
These first two EnergyWork™ courses introduce you to the basic concepts of the Energetic Healing Arts including: intuitive healing, grounding your energy, and managing the energy exchanged in your sessions. These two courses are REQUIRED for graduation.
Courses also include:
EnergyWork – EnergyReading™ , EnergyWork – EnergyReading™ 2
These second two EnergyWork™ courses expand upon your skills from the first two courses. They allow you to do EnergyWork™ readings to assess the animal (in person or at a distance) and then proceed to a complete energetic healing session.
Payment Options: Purchase these courses separately or buy all four in the EnergyWork™ Foundations Bundle and save.
Absolutely! In the second step of your journey you will return to those courses so you won’t miss a thing! These are just your starting points – all graduates take all of the courses by the end of their studies.
Ready for more? After Step One, you’ll be hungry for more adventures! Proceed to Step Two for more fun.
Once you’ve learned the essentials in the Foundations courses above, you’ll be ready for MORE. It’s hard to stop when you are seeing results and transformation in your animals (and yourself!)
You’ll use the remainder of your first year to lay down additional foundations for your understanding and practice.
You’ll continue through the remaining Foundations coursesd then add on other essentials like anatomy and how to perform a complete session.
You’ll finish year one feeling like you have a comprehensive overview of the material. You’ll feel confident about starting to put it all together AND you’ll be eager to start the next leg of your journey in year two.
Step Two includes the Foundations classes you missed in Step One. Those who started with the Acupressure Foundation will take the EnergyWork™ Grounding and EnergyWork™ Cleanout classes. Those who started with the EnergyWork™ classes will take the Introductory courses in acupressure, shiatsu, and the Five Elements.
Step Two students also take the following courses: Anatomy, 5 Element Session Work, 5 Element Case Practice, and the Wood Element. more info on these courses is below. Read more in the section below.
Payment Options: You can purchase any Step Two course separately or buy the Step 2 Bundle and save.
Beyond the Foundations courses described in Step One, you’ll have new courses in your foundation in Step Two. Students also take the following courses: Anatomy, 5 Element Session Work, 5 Element Case Practice, and the Wood Element.
ANATOMY CLASSES
Courses Include: Basic Anatomy for Horses , Basic Anatomy for Dogs
Our anatomy classes make the rest of your studies easier and help you be a better body worker. These courses cover skeletal and muscular anatomy only.
Note: If you have a background in biomechanical anatomy, you may not be required to take the anatomy classes. Contact us for more details.
SESSION WORK CLASSES
Courses Include: Five Element Session Work , Five Element Case Practice
After all of that skill building, it’s time to start putting all of your Year One studies together into a beautiful and effective workflow. This is when it all starts to gel and you can look back over the past year with pride in what you’ve learned. It’s like reaching that first mountain peak on your journey – there’s lots more to come but you can see JUST how far you’ve come.
ELEMENT CLASS
Course: Wood Element
The last class on your Year One calendar gives you a tantalizing taste of what is to come in Year Two. You’ll dive back into the Elements, this time on a much deeper level. Read up on the Element classes including the Wood Element class in the Step Three description below.
SPECIALIZED COURSES
Described and listed in Step Four below
You’ll finish out your First Year with two Specialized Courses. See Step Four for more info.
That’s it for Year One. Now you are ready for the REALLY juicy stuff in Year Two. Proceed to Steps Three and Four for more fun.
After a full year of laying down a rock solid foundation, you are ready to go DEEP. In your second year you’ll dive into the depths of Classical Chinese Medicine theory and see how to help animals on a far more profound level.
All year long you’ll be expanding your skills, cultivating your experience with the theory and practice, and seeing how this amazing work can be used professionally if you choose – all in the tremendously supportive environment of your teachers and sister students. The animals in your life will be loving your ever improving skills and you’ll find yourself looking at them – and at yourself – with a new level of insight and understanding that was not possible a year ago!
Payment Options: Once again you’re welcome to purchase your Step Three courses separately or purchase the full year as a single bundle of courses in the Year Two Bundle. Note that the Year Two Bundle also includes the required 2 Specialized courses described in Step Four below.
ELEMENT CLASSES
Classes Include: Wood Element (from Step Two) , Fire Element A and B , Earth Element , Metal Element , Water Element
Each Element class covers an individual Element and its corresponding organ systems, acupoints, energetic healing techniques, training approaches, managing different temperaments, and living conditions. This is the juiciest part of our entire program – each course will offer you mind-blowing information and insight that you can apply in your sessions.
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT COURSE
Your Five Element Business
As you head toward the exam your thoughts may be turning toward your new animal acupressure business. We will use the Five Elements to dive deep into your personal 5E Matrix so that you can design your business in a manner that is the perfect expression of your own vision for your practice with animals.
EXAM and EVALUATION
Certification Exam
After two years of hard work and dedication it’s time to evaluate your progress. We’ll help you assess if you are ready to go or if you need more support from review to lock in your learning.
That covers MOST of your Year Two studies but don’t miss the final fun in Step Four below.
In addition to the steps above, we require students to also take FOUR Specialized courses on a variety of themes. We will be adding further options over time.
When should I take the Specialized courses? You are welcome to work on these DIY courses at any time.
If you purchase your program at one time all four will be included in your price. If you purchase your program in Bundles, two Specialized courses will be added to each of the Step Two and the Year Two Bundles. Otherwise you can simply purchase them whenever you are ready.
Students must purchase FOUR Specialized courses to earn their Certificate.
SPECIALIZED ACUPRESSURE CLASSES
Courses Include: Acupressure for the Back and Hindquarters , Nurturing Vitality for Animals of All Ages , Acupressure for the Immune System , Acupressure for Colic and other Digestive Issues
Each Specialized Acupressure course considers one important topic in animal health and gives you point solutions and life style considerations that draw from ALL the Elements. These courses allow you to see how the Elements interact and how to be strategic with your point selection in your sessions.
ENERGYWORK™ COURSES
Courses include: EnergyWork: EnergyReading™ , EnergyWork: EnergyReading™2
Lots of our students fall in love with the energetic healing techniques they encountered in the Grounding and Clean Out classes and want MORE. So if you didn’t start your journey with the EnergyWork™ Foundations Bundle, you can catch up on those courses while completing your Specialized requirement.
Certification Program FAQ
Yes, that list is here. But be sure to go through this page here carefully too. This page that you are on now really does answer the majority of questions that most potential students ask us. The course list page is really just an outline.
CONGRATULATIONS! You’ve finished the program – NOW WHAT?
Once you complete Certification Program studies you may still be hungry for more. Many students find that this is a lifelong passion and that the learning never stops.
If you fall into this category, we have options for continuing education including our Expanded Program and other upcoming offerings. If you want to keep going, we’ve got you covered.
We are currently releasing our Expanded Program made up of 12 courses starting in 2022 at the pace of one course per quarter. As those courses become available you will see them listed in our online shop.
Courses include: The Extraordinary Vessel Series (Governing Vessel , The Conception Vessel , The Girdle Vessel and more) Your Elemental Matrix , The Meridian Series: (The Metal/Earth Channels, The Fire/Water Channels , The Fire 2/Wood Channels), Introduction to Channel Theory , The Art of Touch , The Element Points and many more in development
Pre-Requisite: While any student is welcome in these courses, many of these courses cover more advanced theoretical concepts. A background in the relevant theory is recommended. Feel free to contact us to see which courses might be right for you.
The Courses described below in each Step of your acupressure journey toward Certification can be purchased as single courses, as a Course Bundles, or as part of a one time full Program purchase. Compare payment options here
Questions? Even teeny tiny ones? Don’t hesitate to reach out! We’re happy to help so you can get started!
