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Teacher Certification class

CBCT® Teacher Certification

Each year, the Compassion Center accepts a new cohort of experienced practitioners to enroll in the rigorous CBCT® Teacher Certification program which is designed to cultivate the skills necessary to both share CBCT® skills and content with a general audience and to teach CBCT with high fidelity for research purposes. 

The program is designed to accommodate those residing outside of Atlanta, GA and has led to more than 200 Certified CBCT Instructors sharing compassion education across the world including the US, Brazil, Chile, France, Germany, Israel, Mexico, Peru, Spain, India, Mongolia, Taiwan, Korea, England, and Colombia. 

INTRODUCING COMPASSION U™
In 2025, CBCT Teachers will start offering CBCT courses for the first time through an online learning platform, Compassion U™, that is designed to support Certified CBCT Teachers to share CBCT more easily and effectively through ready access to content, journaling, recorded meditation guidance, an online compassion community, and other resources.  Compassion U includes ten (10) self-guided interactive modules: an Overview module, CBCT Modules 1–8, and a brief concluding module.
Alongside the self-guided modules, participants in a CBCT class will meet as a group weekly with a Certified CBCT Teacher for a one-hour session to debrief the week’s module, deepen their understanding of the key concepts and practice, and experience live guided meditation practice and reflective exercises. These live sessions may be offered through Compassion U’s integrated videoconferencing or in –person, at the teacher’s discretion. Participants in the 2025 CBCT Teacher Certification program will be prepared to share CBCT utilizing Compassion U, the online learning platform, and facilitate the accompanying live group sessions.

 

TEACHER CERTIFICATION COMPONENTS

 

Part 1: Retreat.  May 1 – 4, 2025 

This is a 4-day learning and meditation retreat led by Lobsang Tenzin Negi, PhD, developer of CBCT and Executive Director of the Compassion Center. It is held in person for those traveling to or based in Atlanta with an online livestream option.

Please note: The cost of the retreat is included in tuition fees. If accepted into the Teacher Certification program, please do not register for the retreat separately. 

 

Part 2: Practicum. May 14 – July 23, 2025 

This is an 11 consecutive week commitment with an expected attendance of 3-4 hours per week of live meetings and an additional 3-4 hours per week of other assignments. The additional assignments are outlined in the Overview document. 

Part 3: Supervised Teaching. Beginning August 2025 
 Supervised Teaching is scheduled individually upon completion of the Practicum. Plan for an eight (8) - nine (9) week commitment for this element of the CBCT Teacher Certification process. 

 

APPLICATIONS ARE CLOSED

APPLICATION DUE DATE:

 

Priority Deadline: Feb 1, 2025.  

Applications submitted by this date will be given priority. 

 

Extended Deadline: March 1, 2025.  

Applications submitted by this date will be given full consideration for admittance if space allows. 

 

TRAINING LOCATION: The Retreat will be held in person in Atlanta. While we encourage in-person attendance for the retreat, online attendance via livestream is available. All subsequent elements of the Practicum portion of the Teacher Certification program are held online. 

 

TEACHER CERTIFICATION COST

The total cost for the teacher certification is $5,500. This cost covers the retreat, practicum, workshops, and personalized facilitation and supervision for all three stages of the certification process including the supervised teaching phase. The cost also includes access to the Canvas for Teacher page; access to the Compassion U e-learning platform; most reading materials (including the new CBCT Teacher Guide); and daily meals and snacks for in-person retreat participants.  

Please allot an additional 30 USD for the purchase of other required texts for the practicum. Details will be provided upon acceptance into the teacher certification program. 

 

PREREQUISITES

To apply for the CBCT Teacher Certification program, interested participants must meet the following prerequisites: 

(Required) Have attended or are currently enrolled in a full CBCT Course (8-Week or Multi-Day Intensive Course), including a Foundation Course.

(Preferred, but optional) Have attended a multi-day teacher-led meditation retreat other than a CBCT retreat.

(Preferred, but optional) Have been practicing meditation regularly for at least 6 months. 

 

If you have not yet taken a Foundation Course, you can enroll in the Spring Foundation Course before the Teacher Certification Program starts. Click here. 

 

SEEDS OF COMPASSION SCHOLARSHIP FUND

We are very pleased to have a scholarship fund to support new CBCT Teacher trainees. Each year, a limited number of partial scholarships are available through the generosity of a donor fund. If you are interested in applying for scholarship support, please include a statement of this request with a brief description of your level of need and submit this with your CBCT Teacher Certification application. Award recipients will be notified via email. 

 

APPLY NOW!

 

For any inquiries regarding the program, please contact mhardon@emory.edu. Thank you! 

 

Certified Teacher Directory

To find a certified teacher of CBCT®, please see our directory listings:

To access any Resources for Certified CBCT® Teachers please visit here. 

Get Involved/Contact

The CBCT® program includes a growing number of certified instructors and is regularly expanding its programming and research areas. We welcome offers of support and ideas for new applications or populations who may benefit from learning the core CBCT® concepts and skills. Please contact the CBCT team for all inquiries.