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Anthroposophic Psychotherapy Certification Program (APCP)

Pre-requisite:  Graduated from AAP's 3-Year Certificate Program in Anthroposophic Psychology or equivalent from an Anthroposophic Psychotherapy training recognized by IFAPA (International Federation of Anthroposophic Psychotherapy Associations).

How can an anthroposophic understanding of the human being enrich and transform the practice of psychotherapy?

The Association for Anthroposophic Psychology is now offering a certification program in Anthroposophic Psychotherapy beginning in 2023.  The program is designed for licensed clinicians1 who have already completed AAP's three-year foundation studies in anthroposophic psychology.  One of our goals is to build a community of clinicians working out of anthroposophic psychology.  Together, we can discover how to apply an anthroposophic understanding of the human being in the psychotherapeutic encounter.  

We will explore the phenomenology of human experience including psychological disturbances:  mood disorders, psychosis, addictions, trauma, spiritual crisis, grief, developmental issues and more.  We will enhance our ability to assess and diagnose according to anthroposophic principles. Therapeutic indications and insights will be shared.  We will deepen our understanding of psychotherapy in the age of the consciousness soul and how therapy adapts to the psychological and spiritual development of the client.

We will collaboratively explore the spiritual dimension of client and therapist by considering questions such as:  How can we help our clients better connect with the various levels of their “I”?  How can we as therapists maintain awareness of past, present and future while also recognizing the client’s biographical experience within the timespan of their current life?  How can we ethically explore questions of moon and sun karma? How can we support our clients in their intra-, inter- and transpersonal relationships?  How do attachment, intersubjectivity and subpersonalities inform our work?  How can we develop therapeutic intuition regarding the most helpful interventions for a particular client at a particular moment in time?

Through training in anthroposophic psychotherapy, we strive to develop our identity and confidence as anthroposophic psychotherapists as we bring this new impulse into the world.  We aim to contribute to a growing body of knowledge and lived experience regarding anthroposophic psychotherapy and to join an international movement of professionals. Our program seeks to work directly with relationality as a means of spiritual endeavor.  Collaboration is central.  The faculty of the training program in Anthroposophic Psychotherapy hopes that you will be eager to join us in this quest.

"Anthroposophic medicine is an extension of medicine."
"Psychiatry must be thoroughly transformed through spiritual science."
"Psychotherapy must be founded anew out of the consciousness soul, and must be a spiritual activity, the psychologist's 'anthroposophical task.'"

Rudolf Steiner

1While the Anthroposophic Psychotherapy program is designed particularly for licensed psychotherapists, we also welcome applications from medical professionals and others who work therapeutically with clients, with the understanding that in these cases full certification as an Anthroposophic Psychotherapist may not be possible.

AAP's Statement Regarding Health and Safety During this Time of Pandemic.  Please see our Policies & Procedures page HERE for the statement details.

Tuition and Costs

Tuition and Costs are yet to be determined.  They will not include travel costs, housing or meals.

APCP registration includes

    • 6 seminars
    • Additional online sessions throughout the three-year period
    • APCP Online Certification Track.

Program Dates and Location

The APCP dates are yet to be determined.

Program Curriculum

The curriculum of the Anthroposophic Psychotherapy Certificate Program is outlined below.  There are three seminars per year for two years, with online sessions occurring as well during each year.  In addition to the topics listed, the ongoing self-development and soul hygiene of the psychotherapist will receive regular attention.  Please note that the curriculum is subject to change.

Year One Online Sessions (Certification Track)

Online sessions will include topics such as: the process of certification in anthroposophic psychotherapy; basics of anthroposophical assessment, case formulation, and case study; Steiner text study; the pedagogical law and the therapeutic relationship; ethics; case consultation and case presentation.

APCP Seminar 1

Understanding the Life of Feeling and Mood Disorders

Mood disorders including anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder; exploration of the life of feeling; emotion regulation; soul and sleep hygiene; relationship to the streams of time; transference and countertransference; utilization of the 7-fold map in assessment and diagnosis; exploration of the organic correlates of psychological disturbance; artistic and expressive therapeutic techniques, working with inner feeling landscapes and after-images; working with image, metaphor, myth, and dream; therapy with clients experiencing mood disorders.

APCP Seminar 2

Development and Pathology, Treatment of Children, Teens, and Families

Psychological disorders as problems in incarnation; biographical phases in childhood and adulthood; sentient, intellectual, and consciousness soul development; differentiating therapy according to development of the client; crises in development and possible therapeutic responses; working with the senses in therapy; child therapy; working with teens; attachment-based couples therapy; parent consultation and family therapy.


APCP Seminar 3

Addictive Pathologies, Eating Disorders, Gender Issues, and Group Psychotherapy

Working with substance, alcohol, and behavioral addictions; readiness for change; comorbidity with addictions; phenomenology and treatment of eating disorders; gender identity and gender dysphoria; group therapy; planetary processes in group dynamics; exploration of psychodrama; the question of homework in psychotherapy; multicultural awareness in psychotherapy.


Year Two Online Sessions (Certification Track) 

Online sessions will include topics such as:  principles in art therapy; collaboration with other therapeutic approaches such as eurythmy therapy and anthroposophical nursing; biography work; deepening anthroposophic case conceptualization; practitioner research and spiritual research; Steiner text study; case consultation and case presentation.

APCP Seminar 4

Trauma, Dissociation, and Post-Traumatic Growth

The phenomenology of evil; sequalae of abuse and trauma; epigenetics, transgenerational and historical trauma; PTSD and hypervigilance; learning to calm the nervous system; forgiveness and self-compassion; working with significant dissociation; working with subpersonalities such as the inner critic and perfectionist;  work with the double/shadow; life challenges as a path of initiation; consideration of the involvement of spiritual beings in mental health issues; personal growth as a result of facing life challenges; national and generational group karma.

APCP Seminar 5

Psychosis, Shizophrenia, Spiritual Emergency, and Spiritual Bypassing

Phemenology of psychosis and its possible organic basis; psychosis as unprepared spiritual trespass; the process of induction; discernment in interpretation of spiritual experiences; working with psychotic episodes in clients; development of Imagination, Inspiration, and Intuition; the dark night of the soul; encountering the three beasts in the psychotherapeutic context; variations of spiritual emergency; awareness of and working with spiritual bypassing; further exploration of working with spiritual beings in therapeutic work; capstone projects and final case studies.

APCP Seminar 6

Special Populations, Capstone Presentations, and Program Graduation

Special needs populations and resources; exploration of ADHD, executive functioning issues, learning differences, autism, and intellectual difficulties; dementia and issues in aging populations; grief; life review; review of principles of anthroposophic psychotherapy; program review; capstone project presentations; final case studies; graduation.


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