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Every now and then, I come across something that really upsets me.

CERTIFIEDSuch was the case when I was researching certification programs in Sound Healing.  I came across a program on tuning forks that offers a “Tuning Fork Certification” program. On their website they say “Just purchase class, watch and learn! Don’t want to order forks now? No problem!” How is it possible to be a certified practitioner when you haven’t even held the tools in your hands?

And programs like this abound – all offering certification. Without qualification. And that frightens me.

The world of certification in Sound Healing is completely unregulated. Sound Wellness is taking a giant step forward to change that!

We know that sound and music are very powerful healers. As they have been since ancient times. But like all powerful tools, it’s important that they be used appropriately, by those who understand both the healing side of them that supports health and well being, and the negative side that doesn’t.

So we have created the Sound Wellness Institute. The role of the Institute is two-fold. First to ensure that programs that we offer stand up to verifications –  not only of content, but of competencies of those people who are using Sound Healing, whether alone, or combined with other modalities. And second, to act as liaison with governing bodies to have Sound Healing accepted as a recognized, regulated modality.

We are updating all of our programs to offer a verified competency certification as a Sound Healer.

And what does that mean?

There are 3 different definitions of certification – 1) completion, 2) achievement, and 3) competency.

For years, we have offered “Certificates of Completion” for our programs. It means just what it says – the participant attended the program, and has been engaged in the exercises. Engagement has never been a problem for us. Our participants are fully enthralled in our programs. Captivated by the power of Sound and Music. For many other course providers though, this is merely a Certificate of Participation. Simply attend for the 2 hours, or 3 days, or whatever the course length is, and you receive a certificate. It may look great on the wall, but for the most part, they are simply an acknowledgement of having completed the program.

The next level of certification is for Achievement. Those of us who went through the Scouting or Girl Guides programs as kids are very familiar with this – we received badges for just about everything from building a campfire to community service. In most cases, there is no differentiation as to how well the task was performed, only that it was.

The highest level is a Certificate of Competency. Every practitioner of a recognized modality, such as Reiki, Healing Touch, Massage Therapy, and so on, is familiar with this. Specific training is required. Followed by practical application of the methods learned. Followed by an independent verification of the skills and knowledge. Even the programs themselves, and the instructors, are verified by an independent auditor (or in our case a team of auditors) to ensure the content is appropriate, complete, and of the highest standard and that the instructors are fully competent to teach the material.. This is the only certification that guarantees the practitioner is fully capable of delivering an effective session by skilfully applying the tools in a manner that supports the health and wellbeing of their client.

We are well underway in identifying the competencies necessary, and are adding vast amounts of resource material to support the learning. We thought we had a lot already, but as we delve into the minutiae of the material, we’ve uncovered a need for much more to further support our participants. As so we are creating them as well.

These are very exciting times for us. Aside from the mountains of work to make it a reality, it is deeply needed. And deeply rewarding for us. There are many who are practicing Sound Healing with incomplete backgrounds, or an incomplete understanding of the tools and principles, who can potentially do harm. To us, that is unacceptable. That’s why the Sound Wellness Institute was created.

As we go forward, we are looking for volunteers who can review, guide, suggest, and otherwise support this very important work. And we will be looking for program auditors (a background in auditing is not necessary – we will train you). We will be looking for verifiers as part of our participant certifications. This will be a paid position. And again, no prior experience is necessary – we will train you. If you would like to be considered for any of these vital roles, please contact us by clicking the button below.

Please watch for updates on our soundwellness.com site. And on our new soundwellnessinstitute.com site (coming soon)