What is the IMC Qualification?
Teaching mindfulness alone has many benefits, including bringing our awareness to our stress-related patterns and behaviours. However, teaching compassion alongside mindfulness is so powerful. It enables clients to soften around their experiences, be kind to themselves, learn new and sustainable ways to look after themselves and improve relationships and well-being.
This teacher training course is for anyone who wants to teach mindfulness and compassion to others, in any sector. Accredited by the CPCAB (accredited qualification specification) this unique qualification is taught online via zoom.
The IMC Qualification has 8 Learning Outcomes
How the course is taught
Why Enrol?
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Become a qualified teacher of mindfulness and compassion.
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Gain a unique, versatile, and tailor-made qualification, accredited by the Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body (CPCAB).
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A practical and ground-breaking qualification, the only one of its kind.
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Use these skills to teach individual and/or groups in a flexible and bespoke way, within any sector.
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Small classes with only 12 spaces per cohort
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Join our Extensive List as a Trained Mindfulness and Compassion Teacher and Community Member
What is the IMC Qualification?
Teaching mindfulness alone has many benefits, including bringing our awareness to our stress-related patterns and behaviours. However, teaching compassion alongside mindfulness is so powerful. It enables clients to soften around their experiences, be kind to themselves, learn new and sustainable ways to look after themselves and improve relationships and well-being.
This teacher training course is for anyone who wants to teach mindfulness and compassion to others, in any sector. Accredited by the CPCAB (accredited qualification specification) this unique qualification is taught online via zoom.
This Training Programme Includes
How the course is taught
Why Enrol?
Become a qualified teacher of mindfulness and compassion.
Gain a unique, versatile, and tailor-made qualification, accredited by the Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body (CPCAB).
A practical and ground-breaking qualification, the only one of its kind.
Use these skills to teach individual and/or groups in a flexible and bespoke way, within any sector.
Small classes with only 12 spaces per cohort
Join our Extensive List as a Trained Mindfulness and Compassion Teacher and Community Member
Meet Your Tutors
Our experienced tutors are dedicated to guiding you through your mindfulness journey, offering unparalleled expertise and support.
Karen Atkinson
CEO
Angie Ward
CXO
Angie Ward
CXO
Karen Atkinson
CEO
The impact speaks volumes—listen to their stories.
Next Course Date
Common Queries About Our Course
To help you decide whether this is the right course for you take a look at our frequently asked questions for more information.
Who is this course for, what can I do when I complete it and what are the required prerequisites?
This course is a level 4 Certificate accredited by the CPCAB and is for people who wish to develop and deliver their own Mindfulness and Compassion Programmes for individuals or groups.
If you have experienced the transformative effects of mindfulness, practice mindful meditation regularly and wish to help and support others through teaching mindfulness and compassion, then this qualification is for you.
There are 3 prerequisites – please apply if you have the following:
→ An understanding of what mindfulness is through their own learning journey.
This can either be from your own learning and experience and /or completion of an introductory programme either in person on as e-learning (For example: 8 week MBSR or the MindfulnessUK Compassionate Mindful Resilience (CMR) Programme)
→ You practice mindful meditation regularly and have been for 6 months or longer
→ You have studied at Level 3 or above previously (any subject)
If you haven’t or you are not sure just call us and let us know about yourself, it may be that you have Recognised Prior Learning (RPL) that can be a prerequisite.
Contact angie@mindfulnessuk.com 01823 697890
How is the course structured and what study materials are provided?
This is a 200-hour qualification.
MindfulnessUK provides a student handbook and meditations electronically as well comprehensive course notes in hard copy that we post to your home (if you reside within the UK and provide in a PDF to download if outside the UK.
There are a total 36 Guided Learning Hours (GLH’s) delivered face to face either in person or via Zoom, live with a Tutor and learners. These include all teaching and In-Class Assessments (ICA’s)working in pairs or small groups for all 8 Learning Outcomes.
There is pre-reading and preparation for GLH’s. All learners are expected to come to teaching sessions fully prepared.
There are 164 hours of Self-Directed Study (SDS) This includes the pre-reading, preparation, meditation practice and refection logs, reading course books, watching YouTube etc…as well as writing SDS assignments to meet set Assessment Criteria (AC’s) for 7 of the 8 Learning Outcomes. This SDS assignments submission dates are provided by the tutor at the beginning of each course.
All learners must complete the assignments sequentially and cannot move on to the next until all ACs are met.
Every learner utilises their time differently in line with their other commitments and this makes the SSD hours completely flexible.
How will I be assessed and what do I need to do to meet Level 4?
The IMC Student handbook issued to all learners has further detail on assessment – here is a summary:
In Class Assessment (ICA)
You will be given specific instructions on how to prepare for all 5 ICA’s after your tutor has covered the related teaching material.
You will be observed teaching in pairs or small groups demonstrating the four aspects of mindfulness and embodiment of mindfulness and compassion.
Self-directed Study (SDS) written assignments
All SDS assignments are completed after your tutor has delivered the course material within the teaching session.
You are given clear assignment briefs and supportive video resources for SDS assignments are provided for learners to refer to at any time.
At level 4, assignments are required to be authentic, well-structured and presented, relevant to subject matter, meet Assessment Criteria and, where appropriate, demonstrate knowledge of both practical application and theory with wider reading and research with references.
What if I have a question about my Self-Directed Study Assignments and/or preparation in between teaching sessions?
Each cohort is encouraged to have a WhatsApp group so learners often ask each other and if in doubt contact the admin team or phone the office and an IMC tutor will respond asap, we are a friendly bunch at MindfulnessUK ?
Do I need to have existing clients and/or a clinical, counselling, or therapeutic background?
No, you don’t need to have any particular background. You may or may not have a specific group that you have expertise already in with and wish to teach them Mindfulness and Compassion or you may have never taught anything before and are looking for a new career path. There are no placements or clinical hours for this qualification.
Is this accredited and what is the difference between this and the Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction Teacher Training (MBSR TT) and will I become listed on BAMBA (British Association of Mindfulness-based Approaches)?
This is a level 4, 200 hour, qualification accredited by the Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body (CPCAB). Learners learn how to develop and deliver Mindfulness, Self-Compassion and Compassion for Others practices that are bespoke to their existing clients and/or new clients in a robust and sustainable way. Learners write assignments that meet Level 4 pre-set Assessment Criteria in order to gain the qualification and learn how to develop and deliver your own bespoke programmes, rather than be given a prescriptive programme to teach.
Completion of the IMC does not lead to a listing on the British Association of Mindfulness-based Approaches (BAMBA).
In comparison our comprehensive 12-month MBSRTT training pathway will equip you with all the knowledge, material and experience you need to deliver the MBSR to groups or individuals and become listed on BAMBA. The 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course is well-known, having been taught and researched since the 70’s.
Are there any other qualifications like this?
No, the IMC is unique to MindfulnessUK.
Graduates go on to develop and teach their own bespoke programmes, having learnt how to do this in a safe, robust and sustainable way.
What do I need to know about costs and payments?
The course costs cover all teaching session (GLHs) course notes, meditations, handbook, assessments, Internal Moderation, Verification and certification (on completion of all Assessment Criteria).
For online IMC courses:
The Cost as a one-off payment is £1855 plus £140 for a one-off registration with the awarding body, total cost £1995. Payment is due on application in full or in instalment.
Payment is due on application in full, refer to the webpage to see the range of ways to make payment.
All Cancellation, Terms and Conditions on the website apply.
Additional costs for all IMC courses
There are 3 reading books we recommend, these are listed in your welcome letter and joining instructions.
Please also see FAQ 10 to see additional costs for deferrals.
How long is the course and when do I receive my certificate?
The duration is usually between 9 and 14 months from start to finish.
Your final assignment submission date will be approximately 6 weeks after the final teaching session date. The cohort’s work is then Internally Moderated and Externally Verified by the Awarding body and learners receive certification within 3 months of their final submission.
After Certification is received from the CPCAB, learners become graduates of the qualification, ready to develop and deliver Mindfulness and Compassion tailored to the needs of clients, both individuals and/or groups. Graduates receive a Trained Teacher Logo and are added to the Trained Teacher list on the MindfulnessUK website.
What happens if I miss any Guided Learning Hours sessions or need to stop the course for any reason and need to defer or leave?
Missing a teaching session:
Learners must attend 80% of the GLHs. However, if a learner misses any In Class Assessment (ICA) they are required to attend a Tutorial session with their tutor or attend an *alternative session with another cohort (*subject to availability) before they can attend their next GLH’s teaching session.
There are additional costs of £70 per hour if a learner requires catch up sessions with the tutor before re-joining their studies.
There is guidance for Absenteeism in the Student Handbook for learners to refer to and a schedule for teaching days, any ICA’s and written assignments submission dates for each cohort.
Deferrals:
If, due to unforeseen circumstances, learners need to pause their study they have an option to request a deferral. This needs to be requested within one week of missing a teaching session by emailing the admin team with a clear reason for your request. After which learners must meet with a tutor within 4 weeks to identify and agree an individual plan for continuing with a clear timeline, usually within one year of their original course end date.
There are additional costs of £70 per hour if a learner requires catch up sessions with the tutor before re-joining their studies.
Deferrals to other courses are dependent on availability, a deferral fee and any additional registration fee applies as per the terms and conditions on the website.
Leaving the course:
If, due to unforeseen circumstances, learners decide to leave their studies, they must inform the admin team by email who will amend all records accordingly. All Cancellation Terms and Conditions on the website will apply.
What is the Community Membership and why is it important for all students and graduates to have this community?
We encourage all our mindfulness students and graduates to join our Community Membership and continue to connect with like-minded people and gain in-sight and knowledge from the MindfulnessUK team. The community is owned by us all and is an opportunity to attend mindfulness-based business development training, take part in sitting groups, get access to updated course information, insightful research and collaborate with other trained teachers, as well as 10% off masterclasses and retreats. To book please visit our Community Membership page on the website.
What are the BAMBA Good Practice Guidelines (GPG’s) and what do I need to do?
These are covered in Learning Outcome (LO) 8 with detail and links given in our comprehensive course notes. We strongly recommend that IMC Graduates follow the BAMBA Good Practice Guidelines for Mindfulness teachers, GPGs include things like, these include having appropriate insurance to teach, supervision, regular retreats, commitment to professional development. These GPGs can be found at www.bamba.org
What other professional development opportunities are there, including retreats?
You can go on to complete a Conversion to MBSR Teacher Training and as an IMC Graduate you this would be half the teaching sessions and much less in cost.
You can become a Compassion Mindful Resilience (CMR) 4 session course Trainer by attending the CMR Train the Trainer Programme.
Other Continuous Professional Development opportunities are all listed on the website and include, Masterclasses, E-learning, 8 week MBSR and Retreats.
The GPGs include attending 5 days of Retreat per annum, these can be completed as single days, 2 & 3 days or 5 days. MindfunessUK offer a range, both online or in person. Full details on the website.