AEDP Experiential Assistant Learning Community (EALC)

EALC Overall Benefits

Experiential Assistants repeatedly tell us being an EA is one of the most effective and meaningful ways to build their skills and confidence in the practice of AEDP. Experiential Assistants attend courses free of charge and with courses online it’s easier than ever to deepen and refine your AEDP skills. All accepted members receive free EA training and special EALC discussion email group.

EALC Additional Benefits Course by Course*

  • All EALC members receive:
    • free EA 101 training, plus
    • quarterly Experiential Assistant Practice and Community Building, plus
    • special EALC discussion email group
  • After assisting at Immersion, you will receive: all of the above + free 12 month AEDP membership
  • After assisting 1 – 4 Modules in any ES1: all of the above + 1 free OnDemand AEDP Seminar per module (upon request), listing on AEDP Institute webpage
  • After assisting in all 5 modules of the same ES1 course: all of the above + free participation in 1 Institute sponsored live online seminar (upon request)
  • After assisting in all course days 3+ Advanced Skills Modules (ASM): all of the above + 1 free ASM (upon request)
  • After assisting in 2 full ES1 courses (10 modules) or 1 full ES1 and 5 Advanced Skills Modules (ASM): all of the above + credit towards AEDP certification

*For courses June 2021 and later.

Prerequisites for Assisting

You must be practicing legally as a licensed Mental Health Professional in your state, province, or country with a commitment to the AEDP Institute community and AEDP as a therapeutic modality.

Immersion Assistant: You must have completed AEDP Immersion and Essential Skills (ES1) plus either some AEDP Supervision, some Core Training, and or some Advanced Skills or if you have a recommendation from a Supervisor, Faculty member or an Experiential Assistant in your ES1 experiential group, let us know, you can go straight to becoming an assistant.

Essential Skills (ES1): all of the above plus you must have assisted in AEDP Immersion.

Advanced Skills: All of the above plus you must have assisted at least twice in ES1 (10 modules) and be recommended by your supervisor.

EA’s who have assisted in the past please complete an application so that we have your most updated information.

Don’t meet the criteria above? Want to try it out before you commit? Shadow an assistant in an upcoming Immersion. Learn more by emailing admin@aedpinstitute.org.

Scholarships: Can’t afford the time off to be an EA? Apply for one of our limited number of diversity and financial aid scholarships by emailing admin@aedpinstitute.org.

Process to join the program

If you would like to participate in the EALC program you must complete an application (below).

  • Only those who have submitted a completed online application to the Institute can be considered for EA positions. Once received the Institute will notify applicants of acceptance / reasons for not being accepted
  • The Institute will let applicants know which courses: IMM and/or ES1 and/or ES2 for which they are currently eligible to Assist.
  • Each new EALC member will be added to a special EA only discussion group where members can discuss all things EA related and where the Institute can easily communicate with EAs as a group (under construction, stay tuned!)
  • Each EALC member will be added to the list of people to be invited to assist in upcoming courses.
  • EAs must accept at least 1 offer per year to assist: at least 1 Immersion or at least 1 Skills module every 12 months to be “in the program;” EAs who have assisted in 2020 and/or 2021 will automatically be included through the end of 2021.
  • Note, for course invitations, the Institute will prioritize a) diversity of all kinds – including AEDP level, and b) EAs who haven’t assisted recently.

EALC Member Responsibilities and Ethical Agreements:

  • Attend course specific EA meetings (usually scheduled just before, during, or after the training, during lunch, or both).
  • Follow the ethical guidelines / ethos of AEDP Institute during the training as well as during out of training contact with students.
  • Maintain appropriate professional boundaries and communication channels and support the curriculum and approach of the training.
  • Develop a safe, regulated, supportive environment that will facilitate students’ learning, track interpersonal and group interactions.
  • Abide by AEDP’s Institute’s Dual Relationship Policy

Full EALC Member Benefits: