Integrating Mindfulness and Compassion Qualification (IMC)
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.
N.B. There are only 12 spaces available on this highly rated course - enrol now to avoid disappointment.
If you would like to know more about the IMC qualification, please join the next 'Meet The Tutor' session, with Angie Ward, where she'll talk you through everything you need to know to make an informed choice about this training and answer any questions you have.
Reasons to Enrol
This comprehensive mindfulness and compassion teacher training qualification includes the following 8 learning outcomes:
If you would like to know more about the IMC qualification, please join the next 'Meet The Tutor' session, with Angie Ward, where she'll talk you through everything you need to know to make an informed choice about this training and answer any questions you have.
One payment of £1,995 or pay instalments (instalments incur an additional £100 admin fee)
If you are having difficulty budgeting, we don't want you to let go of your dreams and aspirations to become a mindfulness and compassion teacher so we have the option to spread your payments over 3 instalments during the booking process.
How the course is taught:

If you would like to know more about the IMC qualification, please join the next 'Meet The Tutor' session, with Angie Ward, where she'll talk you through everything you need to know to make an informed choice about this training and answer any questions you have.
Our Integrating Mindfulness & Compassion Teachers

Karen Atkinson
Karen has been teaching mindfulness and compassion for over 30-years and is the Co-founder and CEO of MindfulnessUK, an author of Compassionate Mindful Inquiry in Therapeutic Practice, a previous Chair of BAMBA, an international trainer and supervisor.

Angie Ward
With a strong background in health and social care, Angie is the CXO of MindfulnessUK, supporting students and graduates through their training and forming partnerships with large organisations to develop programmes and deliver a high quality training experience.
Don't just take our word for it...
I would highly recommend this course – thank you so so much for supporting me on this incredible journey – I’ve grown so much and met some brilliant and inspiring teachers I will continue to follow.
Amanda Powell
I have had a chance to enhance, embed and now apply the learning from this course into my own process and previous experience, which is now the new beginning from the end of the course. On a personal note this course has transformed my mental well-being and confidence. Thank you for a truly meaningful and transformational course. I feel I have gained a lovely tribe of mindfully aware and compassionate practitioners and friends.
Dawn Burnham
Although I’ve not really changed the format of my sessions, I noticed with so much clarity how different I felt following the MindfulnessUK Course. I felt so much better placed to hold space for my clients, more confident and grounded in how I lead meditations, and most notably how different the inquiry process felt. I know there is always more to learn and more to understand, but as a first venture out after lockdown and the course, I immediately sensed that I was drawing upon what I had learnt.
Ruth Mortimer
In addition to the teaching of the mindfulness and compassion practices that I found so useful about this course, learning how to maintain appropriate boundaries as a mindfulness and compassion teacher has been an important part of the course for me, with regards to my career transition. I have learnt about the language to use as a mindfulness and compassion teacher, compared to a therapist, and about the appropriate use of inquiry so that it is helpful for the client, but not too deep that it would risk turning into therapy. Hence, this course has given me the foundation for my new career, enabling me to draw on my previous skills and experience, but provide services as a coach and teacher, which include teaching mindfulness and compassion practices, to a non-clinical population.
Catherine – Psychologist
To help you decide whether this is the right course for you take a look at our frequently asked questions for more information.
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
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.
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.
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 ?
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.
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.
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.
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.
Instalments are £915 on application, followed by a second and third instalment of £590 debited automatically at later date. When you book (by clicking the instalment option when applying) you will be taken to a page that shows exact instalment amounts with dates)
Please be aware that paying by instalments incurs an additional charge of £100 overall due to additional administration and bank charge fees.
For the Sharpham Residential IMC course: Costs as specified per the website and all payments and registration are via Sharpham House.
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.
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.
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.
This depends on your skill set and previous experience, for example this is not a course specifically to teach children and young people. However, many graduates who already have a background and expertise in this area use this qualification to do just this.
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.
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
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.
Online Courses Start Spring 2024
**ONLY 12 SPACES AVAILABLE IN TOTAL!**
If you would like to know more about the IMC qualification, please join the next 'Meet The Tutor' session, with Angie Ward, where she'll talk you through everything you need to know to make an informed choice about this training and answer any questions you have.
If you are having difficulty budgeting, we don't want you to let go of your dreams and aspirations to become a mindfulness and compassion teacher, and have the option to spread your payments over time. Please call us on 01823 697890 to arrange a helpful and manageable payment plan.
NOTE: Bookings close at 10am the day before the start date