Becoming an AEDP Certified Therapist

Part lI. Guidelines for Selection of Clinical Video Recordings

The submission of your clinical work is a vital part of the AEDP certification process, providing an opportunity to demonstrate how you integrate AEDP theory into your clinical practice, and showcase your proficiency in applying clinical skills using AEDP interventions. These should be your best videos demonstrating your ability to guide clients through all 4 AEDP states.

Select two audio-visually recorded clinical sessions from two different patients.

Length of each video: Each video should be between 25–40 minutes with a  maximum of two edits.  (If unable to edit, clearly mark transcript start/stop points so the total viewing time is still 25–40 minutes)

Video Content and Highlights: Both videos should illustrate your clinical skills using AEDP interventions. Together, your two videos must demonstrate your work with patients across all four AEDP states. Reviewers should be able to see clearly how you guide clients experientially and relationally and how you metaprocess and use metatherapeutic processing as well.

Video 1: Early treatment (Sessions 1–4) with a new patient

Video 2: Mid-to-late treatment with a different patient.

At least one video must show State 1 and  State 2 work. States 1 and 2: defense work, working with anxiety, and processing of core affective/relational experience through to completion. It may also include States 3 and 4, if present.

At least one video must also show States 3, and 4: States 3 and 4: metatherapeutic processing, and State 4 Core State. 

It’s perfectly fine if your sessions naturally move through all 4 states or 3 out of 4  — that’s to be expected. The primary focus is on your use of AEDP interventions and how you guide the process, rather than solely on the patient’s state transformations.The submission of your clinical work is a vital part of the AEDP certification process, providing an opportunity to demonstrate how you integrate AEDP theory into your clinical practice. Showcase your proficiency in applying clinical skills using AEDP interventions. These should be your best videos demonstrating your ability to guide clients through all four AEDP states!

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Helpful Resouces:

Hints for videotaping clients: It can be helpful for therapists to record sessions in a way that shows both themselves and the client throughout the tape. For Zoom sessions, using Gallery View (multi-speaker view) instead of Speaker View can make it easier for supervisors to observe the client’s somatic responses alongside the therapist’s interventions.

In in-person sessions, using a mirror may help capture both the therapist and client, allowing supervisors to track somatic responses from both parties.

Consent Reminder:
Please ensure that you have obtained written consent from your clients to share these recordings with AEDP supervisors as part of your certification process.

4-state/3- State Transformation Phenomenological model: Click here to view the lates diagram

AEDP’s 9+1 AFFECTIVE CHANGE PROCESSES Informing AEDP Therapeutic Interventions

Part III. Format for microanalysis

Include a microanalysis of the each clinical session video recordings you submit. Microanalysis serves two purposes: it helps reviewers understand the theoretical foundation of your interventions, and it offers you a valuable opportunity for self-reflection and deeper clinical insight. This process is meant to strengthen both your practice and your understanding of AEDP theory.

Use one of the Two Formats for the microanalysis :

Format 1 example ): Follow the guidelines for transcript in an article (for example, look at articles in Transformance journal). Therapist and patient verbal communications is in regular print. Non-verbal communication/ body language is in “italics and in parenthesis“. Therapist comments on the process, the theory, then interventions are in bold [in brackets.] Here is an example:

04:10 Th: If instead of doing the “so what” with a joke, or “that’s life,” [urging patient to relinquish defense]

Pt: Uh huh

04:21 Th: If you let yourself stay with this feeling (slowing down, sobering ), the sense of emptiness, this inner sense of (deep sigh, grave tone of voice )… having to work so hard to keep something away. [affective resonance]

Pt: Yeah… (also slowing down and sobering ) it’s tiring. [deepening experience]

04:33 Th: It’s very exhausting (amplified exhausted intonation )… Mmmmmm…. [amplifying affective experience] I mean right now it seems to me like we’re sort of approaching this from the outside because it’s a scary place to be [empathic identification of fear].

Pt: Yeah, it is…mmm… I don’t know… Sometimes I wonder, is this it? Is this what life is about? It feels empty… (pained tone ) [deepening of despair]

Or…….

Format 2 example): Use a grid in which you put the content on the left side and the commentary about the interventions, theory and process on the right side. See example below (you may want to look at the transcripts in the AEDP 2.0 examples):

Part IV. Review Process

The review process begins once your Certification Supervisor sends a recommendation letter to Carolyn Fitzgerald at Carolyn.f@aedpinstitute.org. This letter should confirm that your certification package is complete, meets AEDP guidelines, and that you are ready for submission, as well as provide insights into your clinical journey and your clients’ developmental progress. After receiving the recommendation, Carolyn will provide a link to a HIPAA-compliant AEDP Dropbox folder for uploading your materials. Two reviewers—typically one faculty member and one certified supervisor—will be assigned, and the review is expected to take up to 10 weeks. A $300 certification fee applies, and an invoice will be sent once reviewers are confirmed. For questions about scholarship availability, please contact Carolyn.ip availability, please contact Carolyn.