Welcome to the Polarity Therapy Professional Training!

A message from the Program Director:

Congratulations on taking this next step in your development.   You have an exciting journey ahead that will transform you personally and professionally and provide skills that will last a lifetime. Thank-you for saying “yes” to training in this special form of healing; there are so many people out there who desperately need the kind of help we can provide, and I am grateful there are people like you who are called to be an aid in this way to others. I am looking forward to being with you on this journey and supporting your development. Please know I and other members of the teaching team (TA’s and Guest Instructors) are here to support you. Please don’t hesitate anytime to reach out if you’re having challenges or questions.

-Brian Jansen, RPE, BCPP, RCST

Course Logistics

STUDENT POLICY HANDBOOK

This Orientation Page is a summary of some key concepts contained in the Student Policy Handbook.  The handbook forms a contract that you agreed to when you applied to join the program and is a thorough description of the Institute’s policies; it is recommended you look through it again to familiarize yourself with it.  If you have any questions about its contents, please contact us. 

THE FALL PROGRAM

We begin this fall with “Beginner 3” module, which will help integrate the concepts and skills gained in Beginner 1 & 2 (the “APP Program”). Our focus will be on solidifying your understanding of the 3 principles and 5 elements, while also adding new reflexology and energy tracing pathways. This is a chance for persons from different cohorts and different training programs to come together and get on the same page to really solidify what we have learned so far, before we move forward into the Intermediate and Advanced Levels of training. With the business course we will also lay the groundwork for creating a private practice.

ONLINE CLASS SCHEDULE 

All class dates are noted on the Course Schedule.

Please mark your calendars for the following five online classes this fall:

1. Sept 9 - 9am-4pm- Theory / Online Immersion (lunch scheduled for 12:45-1:45pm; no client is required)

2. Sept 23 - 9am-12pm - Business

3. Oct 7 - 9am-1pm - Communication

4. Oct 28 - 9am - 1pm - Communication

5. Dec 2 - 9am-12pm - Business

PRACTICUM DATES / LOCATION

We have Practicums on the following dates this fall (you should already be assigned to one of these; please contact us if you have not yet committed to one of the practicums):

1. The Berkshires (Western Massachusetts) - 10 Ramsey Ave, Great Barrington, MA - Oct 11-15; Wed 12-8pm; Thurs-Sat 9am-5pm; Sun 9am-1pm (lodging is available on a limited basis at the site of the practicum for an additional fee).

OR

2. San Francisco - St. Matthews Lutheran Church - 3281 16th St., San Francisco, CA - Nov 8-12; Wed-Sat 9am-5pm; Sun 9am-1pm; Sunday class will be held at Brian’s house, 50 Seward St. 

SIGN UP FOR GOOGLE CLASSROOM

We store all hand-outs, video links, and other administrative materials on the Google Classroom; it is also how we send out reminders and group messages to participants. Please sign up here for the Professional Training (RPP) Classroom:

https://classroom.google.com/c/NjIyMDUwODg4NDgx?cjc=44piyrk

(The class code is 44piyrk)

There is a separate classroom for School-wide Administration, as well as Electives. If you have not already signed up as part of your APP training, please also sign up for this classroom with this link:

https://classroom.google.com/c/MjIxMzE0MjU3MDAx?cjc=xtbbata

(The class code is xtbbata)

Please do not share these codes with anyone; the classrooms contain a lot of copyrighted documents, proprietary information and learning materials.

YOUR GOOGLE DRIVE STUDENT FOLDER

Each student has a personal folder on Google Drive that is shared with the school. This is where you can store your class notes, and assignments, and where you will find your attendance and payment records. A link to your personal folder will be provided by email from our administrator before classes begin, along with instructions for accessing it. If you have any questions, please contact us.

MISSING CLASSES/ MAKING UP CLASSES

Please make every effort to attend online class. If you have emergencies or other conflicts, you may miss up to 2 online classes and make them up by video. The online classes will involve many group and partner exercises. You need to make up these exercisers if you miss the live zoom class. This will require finding another student who also missed the class or one who is willing to repeat the exercises, or hiring a TA to do the exercises with you. TA’s may charge for their time. If you miss more than 2 zoom classes, we need to have a discussion if you are really able to commit to the program and explore other avenues for you to gain the material such as private tutorials which may come at an additional cost.

The Practicum is required. If you have not already made travel arrangements, please do so immediately. There is no make-up for the Practicum if you miss it. You need to wait until the next time this particular Practicum is offered again (likely in 2026) in order to graduate.

SUMMARY OF REQUIREMENTS

Here is a summary of what’s required for the Fall Program (Beginner 3):

  • Pre-requisite: Finish any remaining coursework from Beginner 1 & 2 (APP program). If you have any remaining requirements, please make an effort to complete those as soon as possible. Contact us if you have questions or need assistance.

  • 5 Online Saturday Classes (Online Immersion, 2 communication classes, 2 business classes)

  • 1 Practicum (4.5 days in Western Mass or San Francisco)

  • 3 Electives - 3 elective classes are required (in addition to those completed for APP) - you can either watch pre-recorded electives, or attend new elective classes live as they are offered. They are 90 minutes-2 hours in length. Check out the electives video store and register for the classes you want. You can use the discount code “ENROLLED” for three videos, to bypass paying for them—they are included in tuition. Note: Amadea Morningstar’s Electives will be part of future nutrition classes and should not be selected).

  • Partner Trades: built into the curriculum are 3 online trades with fellow students (about 1 per month). This is an opportunity to gain practice working in an online format with clients in case you want to develop a remote healing practice. Allow about 1.5 - 2 hours per trade (45-60 min per person). You can always do additional trades if you and your partners are interested. You are expected to trade via a video conferencing platform such as Zoom, Google Meet, or FaceTime. Free accounts are available from Zoom or Google. At the end of the term, please email the administrator to verify you have completed all three trades, and the date and name of your trade partner(s). Optionally, you may hire one of the TA’s to supervise your trade and gain feedback. They are available for this service at $150 per session; the cost of this can be split between the two participants.

  • Give/Receive Sessions: There are no requirements this module for giving or receiving sessions with clients, assuming you have already completed the 30 sessions given and 5 sessions received for APP. However it is strongly recommended you continue to practice and document your sessions, and receive sessions from practitioners which can count toward future levels of training. Each level (intermediate / advanced) requires 30 sessions given and 5 sessions received. Students who are most successful in this regard get into a schedule of seeing 1-2 clients per week at a steady pace throughout the entire training, and documenting immediately after the session.

Class Policies: Creating a Cooperative Learning Environment

CLASS ETIQUETTE

Please contribute to a cooperative learning environment. We ask all students to adhere to the following:

  • If you are late for class, please text Brian 617-970-0049; please make every effort to arrive on time and stay for the duration of class.

  • Keep your camera on throughout class (other than during scheduled breaks).

  • Do not move around with your camera, eat on camera, multi-task, or do other distracting activities. Your camera may be turned off by the host if you are doing activities that distract the group process.

  • We will have frequent breaks, about every 90 minutes. Please try to hold til then if you need a break.

  • When asking questions please insure they are pertinent to the group learning as a whole, rather than your individual needs. Save individual concerns for a private discussion outside class or during break.

  • Avoid putting yourself in a teacher or coach position with classmates. When giving feedback to fellow students share with “I” Statements.

  • Leave out discussion of other practices (including yoga, massage, psychotherapy, craniosacral, pilates, shamanism, psychic healing, color and sound healing, Ayurveda, acupuncture, Chinese medicine, etc) that other students may not be familiar with. Please keep the focus on the Polarity terminology and skills we are learning. We all may be excited about the ways Polarity Therapy intersects with other practices we know but for the duration of the training, including during class trades and client sessions, please do not mix modalities. Let’s learn “pure polarity” and later you can explore how to mix it with other practices.

  • Giving polarity sessions under the influence of alcohol or recreational drugs (including marijuana) is not permitted according to APTA’s standards, and may lead to expulsion from the training program. If you are incapable of attending classes or giving sessions without being under the influence of alcohol or drugs it may be indicative of a substance abuse problem that needs outside attention.

CONCERNING PARTNER TRADES & DEMO’S

It is critical we are all on the same page about the nature of what we are doing in class trades and during demos so we have accurate expectations of the training and of each other.

Both in class and outside of class you will be required to trade sessions with classmates. Please remember the training is intended to support practitioner development, not the personal healing process of the person in “client” role. The person in the client-role is essentially “loaning themselves” to the practitioner for their learning; and the person in client role can also learn something about the work from the experience, in order to become a better practitioner. This is very different from a normal session scenario where the practitioner is in service of the client’s needs.

Therefore in class trades, the “client’s” process may be truncated, interrupted for teaching points, and one’s personal needs may not be attended to as they would in normal session work. Each participant is encouraged to receive their own private sessions and draw upon their resources for self-care should any challenges arise during the training.

Please be patient with your fellow students as they work through insecurities, awkwardness and self-doubt while applying new concepts and skills in the “practitioner” role. Try to allow the practitioner space rather than interrupting their process, micromanaging or directing their work. It may take time for them to find their way into a comfortable place with the techniques or skills. Give them the benefit of the doubt.

When should you speak up as a client? If:

  • you experience pain

  • You experience persistent discomfort (some discomfort may be normal at the start of the process while you settle in together; if after some time there is still discomfort speak up)

  • You feel the client is not doing the assignment given or is drastically off course in the exercise

  • there is any inappropriate touch in terms of location or intent (you may withdraw consent to be touched at any time).

    When intervening with your fellow student, please stick to “I” statements when sharing feedback or concerns. Do not step into a teaching or coaching role with your peer. Please involve a TA or the teacher to help navigate questions or conflicts, particularly if any “charge” comes into the field. It will be a learning opportunity for both parties.

If you have a history of trauma and feel incapable of receiving the sessions assigned because they are causing you excessive emotional or nervous system distress or dysregulation, you should consider if this is the right program for you. Although we introduce some concepts about trauma in this training, and seek to be sensitive to trauma dynamics, this is not a trauma therapy training and Polarity Therapy is not inherently designed to work with trauma. During partner trades, your trade partner must be able to practice the exercises assigned. If your personal issues are interrupting your trade partner’s learning, it is a sign you may need to seek outside help.

SELF-CARE

If you enroll in the training or classes, you are acknowledging that this therapy can involve personal development and that you are responsible for assuring that you have the resources for appropriate self-care.  The Polarity Therapy Institute Instructors and Assistants are available to assist if difficult emotional themes emerge, but participants are responsible for managing their own personal well-being.  It is important to remember that this is a practitioner training program and not group therapy or a self-help workshop.

It is essential to gain support for your own personal development while in a training of this kind because it will challenge you to grow in new ways. 5 private sessions are required per Level — this should be the bare minimum of sessions you’re receiving from a Polarity Practitioner or similar support professional.

All sessions that you receive from the Polarity Faculty and Teaching Team while in training are provided under the framework of supporting your learning; they are not a replacement for more extended therapeutic care from a Board Certified Polarity Practitioner or other provider outside class. If you require medical, psychological or physical support it is your responsibility to seek those resources. 

Tuition Payment

If you have not paid in full, you are on a payment plan. A credit card is required to be kept securely on file in order to be on a payment plan. Installments are due on Sept 1, Oct 1 and Nov 1 unless other arrangements have been made. Please pay your installment via Zelle, Venmo, or credit card. If your installment payment is not made by 5pm Pacific time on the 1st, your credit card will be run. All credit card payments include a 4% processing fee. Please see the Student Policy Handbook for our complete payment and withdrawal policy.

Future Classes

BEYOND THIS FALL: INTERMEDIATE & ADVANCED LEVELS

The Intermediate program will start in 2024 and is organized around the sacred geometry of the 5-pointed star and 6-pointed star patterns. We will delve in depth into the nervous system, musculoskeletal system, organ systems, and the intersection of energy, psychology, physiology and psychology.

The Advanced program will start in 2025. The focus is on craniosacral dynamics, trauma healing, and applying your work in a clinical setting. It is an opportunity to integrate the Beginner and Intermediate training, and to find your special niche and unique strengths as a Polarity Practitioner.

CREDENTIALS

Upon completion of the Advanced Level you are eligible for APTA’s RPP credential or IPEA’s PTP credential. You may also take the final Certification Module if you wish to sit for the Board Exam and become a BCPP (Board Certified Polarity Practitioner). The Professional training is designed for you to gradually build a professional practice while you complete your training so ideally you will already have a roster of paying clients by the time you graduate.