Administrative Policies

Length of Training

You can complete Certification Training in 6 to 12 months in most cases. You must complete the training in 24 months unless you obtain a written extension from the Academy. If you do not complete the training in 24 months, you will forfeit your tuition. You may apply for an extension due to extenuating circumstances, but the decision to grant a six month extension will be made by the Academy on an individual basis.

Study Groups

We highly recommend you form or join a study group of participating professionals. Practicing with a group of like-minded colleagues is the surest way of developing your skills and fine tuning your mastery of the material. Your group or organization may want to consider having the Academy provide local on-site Preceptorships, which would save your group significantly on hotel and travel costs. Contact AGI at train@acadgi.com for details.

Cancellations and Refunds

Your enrollment in Professional Certification Training represents a serious commitment for both you and the Academy for Guided Imagery. In order to provide the personalized, high quality education we have designed, we must contract with conference sites, reserve the time of busy faculty members, produce and distribute educational materials, and support administrative staff based upon committed enrollments.

Therefore, once you enroll, no tuition refunds will be granted if you withdraw or fail to satisfactorily complete your Professional Certification Training within the time allowed (December 31st if you've taken advantage of the Special Discount Tuition or two years from the date of your enrollment otherwise).

AGI's Preceptorships are the heart of the Certification Training Program. The number of participants is limited because of the number of available faculty required to keep the student/faculty ratio low. Thus, Preceptorships are very costly to produce and require a great deal of planning and coordination on the part of AGI staff and faculty.

Due to the value of these limited spaces available, you must give one month's prior notice if you cancel attendance at a Preceptorship in which you have enrolled. There will be no additional charge to you if AGI is notified more than 30 days in advance. With less than 30 day's notice, AGI will charge you a $100 processing fee and attempt to fill your spot with another student. If AGI cannot fill your spot (which is quite possible due to the longer planning needs of most professionals), you will be charged $750 (one-half regular) additional tuition to re-register for a future Preceptorship.

AGI recognizes that "things happen" and when they do, AGI will do its best to reschedule you and help you meet your course requirements for Certification. However, AGI cannot be responsible for providing training programs or opportunities beyond those already scheduled and for which you have already registered.

Service Charges, Fees, and Late Payment Policies

There is an 18% Annual Percentage Rate (APR) service charge for extended payments plans, and a 10% late charge on any payments not received at the Academy office within 10 calendar days of the due date.

Payments must be current to be granted admission to Academy programs. Should any default be made in payment when due, the whole sum owed shall become immediately due at the option of the Academy or the holder of your Promissory Note. If any action is required to collect funds on this note, you must agree to pay all expenses incurred including reasonable attorney's fees and costs.

Scope of Practice

Certification by the Academy is not a license and does not entitle you to practice as a health professional unless you are already licensed as such. If you are a licensed health professional, you are expected to apply what you learn within the legal and ethical parameters of your licensure.

If you are not licensed as a health professional, please understand that Certification in Interactive Guided Imagery℠ attests only to your competency in using these skills. The applications in which you apply them need to be within the legal and ethical limits of your training, experience, licensure, and profession.

Informed Consent, Waivers, Releases, and Safety Considerations

AGI was created to provide training to health professionals in the clinical and educational uses of guided imagery. These trainings include not only didactic information, but large and small group experiential exercises, as well as the opportunity for participants to focus on their own personal issues, if they so choose, during the practice. Many participants find these opportunities extremely valuable in their own personal growth, development, and therapeutic work.

When working with guided imagery, either on your own issues, in "role plays," or as a guide facilitating the process of another participant, this experience may access, elicit, or evoke powerful emotional responses or memories in you. While this is often therapeutic and useful, it is possible to uncover issues and emotions which have been repressed, forgotten, or dissociated.

For this reason, AGI offers the following information, makes the following disclaimers, and advises the following safeguards:

(A) AGI is a California corporation created to train health professionals and educators to utilize a variety of guided imagery methods with their clients and/or patients. AGI and its staff does not offer psychotherapy or related therapy as part of its workshops or training.

AGI recognizes that the possibility exists during its trainings for exposure to powerful psychological contents including memories, fantasies, emotions, and physical reactions to all the above. AGI provides designated, skilled facilitators at each training that are available in case of psychological emergency during the training period. At the same time, AGI strongly encourages all participants going through Certification training to have an established relationship with a competent therapist, preferably one with knowledge of imagery and symbolic process, who can be called on in case there is any overwhelming, threatening, or difficult emergence of material and affect.

(B) In every experiential session, it is perfectly acceptable when acting as the "client," to not focus on your own issues. As an alternative, AGI suggests that you pick a client, present or past, that you'd like to understand better, and "role play" that client.

Alternatively, you can just "make up" a client and role-play that. However, not having a specific person to base your role play on may allow your own issues to come to the fore more easily than if you began your role play with someone else in mind.

Be advised that your own issues may intrude even if you role play, and, in fact, this may occur even if you choose to merely observe, rather than serve as a "client."

(C) While AGI recommends taking the opportunity to be a "client" in these settings, since there is much to be learned from this experience that can improve your ability to guide effectively, it is also permissible for you to choose not to be a "client," if you are feeling too vulnerable or do not feel safe doing so in this setting. AGI respects this, and any AGI staff member can help arrange an observing position for you if you prefer.

Please let a staff member know your choice before the beginning of any exercise so that this can be arranged.

As the "client," it is perfectly acceptable for you to stop the process at any time if you are feeling uncomfortable, or for any reason, prefer not to continue with the exercise. All you need to do is open your eyes and let the guide know that you prefer to stop the process where it is, or that you'd like to stop the process and be guided to a place where you feel safer and more centered, etc.

As the guide, however, it is your professional responsibility to stay with the "client" in their process until it reaches an acceptable place or conclusion.

(D) As a workshop, seminar, conference, Preceptorship, or Certification student involved in AGI training, you must understand the above cautions and precautions, and by signing your Student Contract, you agree to release and indemnify the Academy for Guided Imagery, Inc., its shareholders, directors, officers, employees, consultants, successors and assigns, for any physical or psychological symptoms, damages or other manifestations that may arise as a result of your voluntary participation in these professional training programs.

Live Workshop Policies

Video and Audio Recording Releases

Many of our live workshops are video and audio recorded so that they can later be converted into home study continuing education programs to inform and update members of the Academy community.

Workshop participants are asked to sign a Video and Audio Recording Release granting permission to the Academy to record, post-produce, market, and distribute recordings that may include their participation in the workshop activities.

Obviously, highly sensitive, personal, or inappropriate material would not be distributed and participants may withdraw consent at any time during the workshop.