Emotional Health Practitioner Certificate Program and
Micro-Credential
Study a science-backed practical approach.
Support personal & professional development.
Find the fit for you with 3 course versions + our pilot Hybrid version coming January 2025.
Course Streams
Personal Growth & Professional Development
Start today!
Start today!
Asynchronous
Finish course at your own pace, plus1 hour of conferencing with instructor
Synchronous Live Online
Join 22 weekly live online sessions with your cohort and instructors
Synchronous Live Online + Paid Practicum
Stack your skills with a paid practicum opportunity for eligible students
looking to develop a private practice?
think Hybrid program January 2025.
Limited spots available for our January 2025 Hybrid Emotional Health Practitioner Program. Learn to develop a private practice with supervision support in this 2nd semester live online program upgrade. $500 of your tuition is devoted to marketing your own practice. grow@canadianfamilyhealth.ca
Therapy needs an upgrade. Neural Network Therapy® is a science-based approach to evolve the field of emotional health care. If you're looking to develop a private practice, increase your skills in an existing career or for personal growth and development, this program offers something for everyone.
Program Background
The Emotional Health Practitioner Program began in 1997, teaching practical exercises about the brain and interpersonal skill-building. Our live online class version of the program was in such demand that we developed this self-directed version allowing students to access Neural Network Therapy® (NNT®) at their own pace.
NNT® was developed largely in response to advancements in neuroscience.
As science evolves, so do we.
Our program is designed for use in private practice, personal development group settings or in classrooms of all varieties. We simply know more about the brain than ever before and these lessons provide a structured way in which to deliver skilled services in emotional health care.
Hear From a Grad
Kristy Suckling is both a Registered Practical Nurse and an Emotional Health Practitioner who travels the world and is currently living in Australia.
Hear what Kristy has to say about how this Trent Micro-credential impacted her career.
Learn to engage clients in a "doing approach"
Upgrade your interpersonal skills including assertiveness training, conflict resolution and creative problem-solving
Address areas of treatment such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, anger management, couples counselling, grief, parenting and more
Provide skills that last long after the counselling experience has ended
Acquire practical resources to be used in your own teaching of this therapeutic model
In this program, you will:
Stream Overview and Tuition
.
Asynchronous
$1797.00
Emotional Health Practitioner with Trent University Micro-Credential
Open to everyone, no prerequisites
Start anytime, self-paced
Afforded 12 weeks to complete
Evergreen video lessons, assignments and quizzes
One-hour video conferencing with instructor
Ongoing email support
Optional extensions available (subject to fees)
Synchronous Live Online
$3997.00 + HST
Emotional Health Practitioner with Trent University Micro-Credential
Certification with a registration number with Canadian Family Health Counselling
22 one-hour live-online lessons with cohort and instructors
Video and written assignments, case conferencing, quizzes and more!
Teaching aids for sharing
Private practice development support with supervision
Synchronous Live Online +
Paid Practicum
$3997.00 + HST
Emotional Health Practitioner with Trent University Micro-Credential
Certification with a registration number with Canadian Family Health Counselling
22 one-hour live-online lessons with cohort and instructors
Video and written assignments, case conferencing, quizzes and more!
Teaching aids for sharing
Paid practicum with supervision
*Interviews for the 2025/2026 live online program begin in March 2025.
Detailed Stream Comparison
The need for emotional health support is growing by the minute and with it, the demand for services.
-Kim Sargent, Clinical Director of Canadian Family Health Counselling
Emotional Health
Practitioner Program
Build skills to enrich your mental health tool kit. Learn the science of well-being.
Synchronous Live Online Program - The Details
The Emotional Health Practitioner Program begins in September and ends in April each year. Classes are 1 hour long starting at 6pm and ending at 7pm Eastern Time. There are 22 classes in total.
Upon Successful Completion of the Program graduates will receive a Canadian Family Health Counselling Emotional Health Practitioner certification with registration number, as well as a Trent University Micro-credential.
Many students are looking to develop or enhance a private practice. We’ll explore some of the pitfalls to avoid in practice development and provide guidance around how to establish a reputable business. There are myriad ways in which to use the exercise and activities in group classes and programs. and you’ll learn more about how to monetize the material.
1st Semester begins the 2nd Wednesday after Labour Day. We break in October for reading week and leave room for one cancellation. We’ll complete 11 classes of the 22 in first semester, teaching each of the Neural Network Therapy® exercises by video and discussing their practical application in our live weekly classes with Program Instructors Aurrora DeMonte MSc Child and Youth Care Studies, Faculty Child and Youth Care Program at Sir Sanford Fleming College and currently pursuing her PhD in Social Work and Social Policy and Jackie Orsetto RSW, MSW, MA Sociology, Hons. BA Sociology who is also our Director of Learning and Curriculum Development.
You will be required to familiarize yourself with the Google ecosystem as we use this platform to submit 2 video assignments. We need to see that you have grasped the material in order to provide certification. Additionally, you will have one written assignment which is directed at growing your skills in record-keeping.
While the exercises are purposefully designed to be brief, easy to digest, and sometimes even silly, they pack a powerful punch. Multiple layers in these exercises are intended to engage clients, set them up for future sessions, and grow their emotional intelligence. It’s an ambitious aim, but it’s ours.
The program runs at a swift pace. We recognize that most students are working professionals, and maximize time accordingly.
We end the 1st Semester in early December, taking a long break over the holidays and into mid-January. Our dates and times are generally in keeping with the postsecondary academic school term.
Those accepted into the Paid Practicum stream must secure insurance and begin preparing their home office space for private sessions over this break. If your governing body does not provide insurance options, we can provide inexpensive alternatives.
2nd Semester begins early January and is also on Wednesdays. Both streams participate in the integration. Those in the Paid Practicum stream will earn $44.00 per session through until the end of April, taking on 1-2 clients. You must commit to working with these same clients under the Canadian Family Health Counselling umbrella one year beyond graduation as clients do not transfer well and are disrupted by changes which can be harmful to their progress. Upon successful completion of the program and as of May 1st, graduates are paid $70 per session for these same client sessions.
Paid Practicum applicants must complete a 30 minute video interview. Anyone applying for the Professional Development stream will have a 30 minute telephone interview.
We recognize that the Paid Practicum portion of the program is simply not practical for many working professionals. For this reason, we include the non-paid practicum stream and these spots are less competitive as we simply have more of them. Our objective is to fill the program with students who are eager to learn who share similar values. The program is intense and the learning environment is important.
Those not participating in the Paid Practicum are still encouraged to present cases to explore how we plug-and-play Neural Network Therapy® exercises in a more practical sense. There are many ways to monetize these teachings in classes and lectures, group facilitation and the like. This Second Semester is an ideal time to gain support while you develop your practice.
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Counsellors, Social Workers, Nurses, Psychotherapists, Teachers, and Health Care Professionals looking for professional development opportunities to learn new techniques. in emotional health care. We consider a broad range of education and experience in our Professional Development stream.
Anyone looking to start a private practice or hoping to adjunct an existing role with emotional health care resources and activities.
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Anyone with the appropriate governing body may participate in the paid practicum stream.
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If you wish to accept our offer and join the program, a non-refundable deposit of $1000 is required to secure your spot as we continue to fill the program and close registration. The remaining program fee is due on or before July 1st. Prices are all in CAD.
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Applications are processed in the order that they are received.
Meet Your Instructors
Aurrora De Monte
Aurrora resides in Nogojiwanong (Peterborough) with her family. She completed her BA is Child and Youth Care from the University of Victoria, MSc of Child and Youth Care Studies= (CYCS) from the University of Strathclyde and is pursuing a PhD in Social Work and Social Policy from the University of Strathclyde.
Aurrora has taught at Fleming College for over 10 years and also teaches part time within the MSc of CYCS at Strathclyde. Aurrora has practiced in a variety of settings supporting young people and families and continues to do so through private practice and consultation. Aurrora enjoys spending time with her children, being outdoors, gardening, hiking and reading.
Jackie Orsetto
Jackie has completed an Honours Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Sociology, as well as a Masters in Social Work.
Jackie is passionate about health and well-being. She is a certified yoga teacher, yoga nidra teacher, Reiki master and holistic nutritionist. She loves using a holistic lens to help people on their wellness journey.
Sarah Anich Mansfield
Sarah Anich Mansfield is an Emotional Health Practitioner and Ontario Certified Teacher. She holds a BA (Honours) from Laurentian University, a B.Ed from Nipissing University, and a Montessori teaching certification. Additionally, she has qualifications in special education, learning disabilities, and behaviour.
Sarah's diverse background spans from supporting toddlers to adults, including preschool, elementary, high school, and college settings. She is particularly passionate about helping young adults in post-secondary environments understand themselves and achieve their goals, as well as supporting parents in navigating the challenges of raising children, especially those with learning differences. Sarah has a particular interest in executive functions, neurodiversity, and ADHD.
In her free time, Sarah enjoys spending time with her dog and three cats, and attending live music and theatre performances.
Course Curriculum
Welcome to the course!
Welcome from Kim Sargent, Clinical Director
Core Lesson 1: Playdough Brain
Gain an understanding of neuroplasticity in the brain.
Core Lesson 2: Volcano
Discover the signs and symptoms of emotional overload.
Core Lesson 3: Rolodex
Explore the storage of our emotions, past and present.
Core Lesson 4: Energy of Emotion
Connect emotions to the very cells of our body.
Core Lesson 5: Crocodile
Learn about intensity and the reptilian brain.
Core Lesson 6: Telephone Poles
Understand brain development and why old habits die hard.
Core Lesson 7: Etch A Sketch
Set the stage for change by maximizing creativity.
Core Lesson 8: Double Vision
Understand emotional alignment as a currency for health and vitality.
Core Lesson 9: Assertiveness Training
Explore passive, aggressive, and assertive communication styles.
Core Lesson 10: Pre and Post Manifestation
Explore how emotion acts as a tuning fork in our reality.
Plus, Over 25 Additional Lessons
Footsteps and Frustrations
Ego Grid
The Grieving Shrine
Memory Moving Box
Porta Meta
Trauma Treatment
Family Faces
Relationships 101
Playful Parenting
Mother Duck Parenting
Love-In Parenting
Wild Cards
Great Do-Nothing Day
Ice Cream Sundae
Not Fit For Human Company
Pity Party
Sleep Hygiene
The Balance
Introduction
Portable Pharmacy
Climbing Expedition
Flooding Feel-Goods
The Pillow Family
Ghosts of Relationships Past
Introvert Extrovert
Your Mental Diet
Bubble Me
Plant It Forward
Program Testimonials
The EHP program provided me with valuable insight into how our brain works, especially in relation to our emotions, as well as exercises to use in session that bring these concepts home to clients. I regularly use the material I learned in the EHP program and find it applicable to a variety of client issues. I was also lucky enough to participate in practicum concurrent with my EHP studies. This was my first time counselling and I was provided with compassionate support while I grew my confidence in this field.
-Cathy Hooper, Emotional Health Practitioner graduate 2020,
Masters in Counselling Psychology (final practicum) CRPO
The concepts are presented in a simple and elegant way, but are underlied by complexity and key scientific principles - a perfect marriage.
-Kathryn Matheson, MA Canadian Studies and Indigenous Studies, Holistic Nutritionist
The Emotional Health Practitioner Program is an excellent way for new graduates to gain a better understanding of the brain and neuroplasticity. The program provides practical information and activities paired with peer learning and supervision to help gain an understanding of how change happens. This program has not only assisted me in making healthier habits in my personal life, but my clients too. I highly recommend this program!
-Heather Vance, Emotional Health Practitioner Graduate 2017,
BA Social Work (in progress) Addictions and Mental Health Worker
Personally, and professionally, I have greatly benefited from the EHP program. The focus on education and using one’s strengths, along with doable, motivating, and even fun activities, lightens many heavy, complex, and real-life struggles that we face. Aurrora has incredible energy, passion and humour that ignites the inner child to get curious and active. The content and instruction offer a reconnection with self, others, and a reminder to trust in one’s inner guide. The visuals, hands-on practical exercises, along with the use of common understandable language is a valuable investment for self.
This amazing experience has provided me with a tool kit for life and a reminder that I am enough as a human-“being” instead of a human-“doer”.
- Emotional Health Practitioner graduate 2022,
Masters in Counselling Psychology (in progress) CRPO (in progress)
The Emotional Heath Practitioner Program has been the perfect adjunct to my current education and work experience that propelled me into the field of counselling.
Not only have I been able to learn skills practical for my own emotional well-being, I now have transferable skills and knowledge to help others with their own emotional health journey.
The learning environment has been comfortable and supportive in helping me feel confident with the material. I highly recommend the EHP program to anyone looking into counselling as a career.
-Kristy Suckling, Emotional Health Practitioner graduate 2022, RPN
The Emotional Health Practitioner program is unique because it focuses on brain health and the impact that has on our emotional well-being. The content is delivered energetically, using humour and imagery and lots of hands-on exercises. Kim and her team display such passion for the topic! The techniques I learned through the EHP program have helped me to guide my clients to self-discovery and awareness, learning to make healthy choices based on understanding the connection between their brain, their physical health and their emotional health. It has been the most rewarding professional development education I have ever encountered.
-Krissie Vanderburg, Emotional Health Practitioner graduate 2004, RPN
Ready to choose?
Select your stream below.
Still unsure about which stream to do?
Start with the asynchronous stream and have the opportunity to upgrade to a portion of the practicum/case conference supported professional development stream later, while still earning the Trent micro-credential. Feel free to discuss upgrade options with CFHC by emailing grow@canadianfamilyhealth.ca or calling (705) 740-8360.