FAQ for CI Courses

To log in to our platform, please follow this link https://online.compassionateinquiry.com/login and enter your email address and password, created when purchasing the course.

If you are receiving an incorrect password message, you might not have entered your login details correctly, please try again, making sure all the information is correct. If this issue persists, please change your password by following this link:

https://online.compassionateinquiry.com/password/new

The general link to login is online.compassionateinquiry.com/login

You may only see modules say “Coming Soon”. Often this is by design as you start a new course. If you think this is incorrect and the module should be open, please contact us at online@compassionateinquiry.com

Please visit this page to re-subscribe to our online course platform. In certain circumstances, this re-subscription may not be enough and further troubleshooting may be required. Please email support at online@compassionateinquiry.com to confirm your re-subscription.

All payment-related questions should be addressed to billing@compassionateinquiry.com.

In our online course platform, you will need to first log in to your account. The login link is online.compassionateinquiry.com/login .

After logging in, click on the Customer Avatar in the top right corner of the page.
Then, select Settings from the dropdown.
Click Billing Info in the top right corner of the page.
Click Update next to the currently listed credit card.
Complete the prompt to enter the updated card information.
Then, click Update Card to apply and keep the changes:

Further payment-related questions should be addressed to billing@compassionateinquiry.com.

Please refer to this page to see the qualifications needed for the Professional Training.

Your letter of recommendation and Resume should be in English.

Please include on your resume, any education and professional experience that is related to the field of counseling or working with people.

Your letter of recommendation must be from a professional who you have worked with or had close contact with for two years or more. The letter should include why you are a good fit to take this training, communicating your capacity in dealing with patients, your experience and accomplishments in the field, as well as personal characteristics that could support this journey.

Examples of professionals who can write your Letter of Recommendation:

Please note, these questions are also in the Downloads section of the Intro Module’s Orientation with Sat Dharam page.

1. I don’t know who my online facilitator is or when my bi-weekly meeting time is? 

A welcome email has been sent to you entitled “Welcome to the Compassionate Inquiry Professional Online Training”. Please check your spam and inbox. If you are unable to find the email, please contact sahiba@compassionateinquiry.com. 

2. When are we meeting for our first meeting? 

You will meet at the designated group time located in your Welcome Letter. Please note that the time is ET (Toronto time). 

3. How do we know what time we are meeting when so many of us are from different time zones? 

Emails and/or attachments that you receive from your Compassionate Inquiry Facilitator and the Compassionate Inquiry Team indicate ET (Toronto time). If you have a question about how that relates to your time zone simply type into Google “What time is it in Toronto?” You can calculate how many hours you are ahead or behind and plan accordingly. 

4. What are we doing for our first zoom meeting? 

The first zoom meeting is our first biweekly Facilitated Group Zoom Meeting. We’ll focus on getting to know each other, orienting you to the course with some important information, and establishing your Pods. There will also be some time for Q&A. 

5. Are we to have the Module 1 material completed before we meet at the first biweekly Facilitated Group Zoom Meeting? You do not need to have Module 1 completed by the first zoom meeting. After the first zoom meeting you will have two weeks to complete Module 1 and then we will review Module 1 in detail at the second biweekly Facilitated Group Zoom Meeting. You will have access to the Module 1 material for the whole year. 

6. I’m feeling nervous because there doesn’t seem to be anyone else available for practice sessions at the same times that I am. Feeling nervous is understandable as you look at the times that people are giving that don’t align with yours, but don’t be too concerned at this point. You have all been asked to indicate your availability in the Pod Discovery google doc, however, available time does not mean only time for some people. When you meet at your first zoom meeting you will discuss who is more or less flexible in their scheduling so that times that are do-able can be arranged for all. 

7. I had to change a time on the Pod Discovery. Hope that isn’t problem. Please do edit as you need to so that your information is current. Thanks! 

8. I tried to put in my available time into the Pod Discovery but didn’t know how to save it so other people could see. There is no need to “Save” as Google does it automatically. 

9. What do I do after I’ve put my time(s) into the Pod Scheduler? 

Thank you for filling out the Pod Scheduler! We will use the information you provide to create pods. When those have been established at your first zoom meeting you will be asked to contact your pod members and begin creating dyads/triads for your weekly practice sessions. Until then please familiarize yourself with the material, including PDFs, in the Orientation section if you haven’t already done so. The most important thing before proceeding is to become familiar with the learning platform and the material in the Orientation section. 

10. What are dyads/triads? 

Dyad = 2 people who will each have a turn to be client and therapist/helper (60min practice session). Triad = 3 people who will each have a turn to be client, therapist/helper, and observer (90min practice session). We’ll talk about this including your Dyad/Triad meeting structure at the first biweekly Facilitated Group Zoom Meeting, which day and time is indicated in your Welcome Letter. 

11. What is a pod? 

A pod is a group of about 6 people contained within the biweekly Facilitated Group. Each biweekly Facilitated Group will be made up of 2-3 pods. Triads and dyads are then formed within the pods. The pod members will become the primary people you will practice with weekly for the year. 

12. Can you tell me more about the biweekly and weekly meetings? 

Bi-weekly facilitated meetings are with your peers and your Compassionate Inquiry Facilitator. They occur every two weeks at the designated day and time located in your Welcome Letter. Please note the time is ET (Toronto time). 

Weekly meetings – these are the small practice groups (dyads/triads) where you will be meeting with your peers to do weekly practice sessions. 

13. How can I find the PDFs / downloads for Module 1 or other modules? 

To access the downloads for each module, first click on the module and look in the Introductory part of that module for the page entitled Orientation with Sat Dharam.

To access the content (PDFs) for each module you need to click onto Sat Dharam’s Orientation. To see the downloads you may need to scroll down on the page and look at the right-hand side of the page.

Note: If you are on a mobile device, the downloads will be at the very bottom of the page, under the complete transcript. 

14. Why can’t I complete the Quiz or Practice Guide at the end of the module when I’ve left and come back to it?

You need to complete all the questions in one sitting. 

15. How long do we have to review each module? 

Two weeks. Each module begins every second Monday, but you can come back to the module any time afterward during the year. We will be revisiting each module 3 times during the course of the year, approaching it with a different focus each time. 

16. How can I access the Facebook group and Online Forum?


Facebook Group

Professional Training participants have access to a private Facebook Group, upon completing registration you will get a link to join.

You will be asked to input your Facilitator’s name and cohort (e.g. May 2021) to join the group.

17. Do I have to use Facebook? 

It is not essential that you join the Facebook group, as we know some of you do not use Facebook. However, it is a useful forum to get to know more people in the program, comment on the modules, and to share insights and experience as we go along. We also recommend you engage in the Online Community Forum. You have access to this forum as part of the course platform, which you are encouraged to use in addition to or instead of Facebook, as you wish.

18. I’ve been having some problem watching the videos. They won’t play or they keep stopping. Is there a way that the teaching videos can be downloaded and watched offline? At the bottom right corner of each of the videos are 3 icons. The middle one, which looks like a little sun, is for settings. When you click that, you can also set “quality”. If you choose the lowest number for quality, it will have the fastest streaming time. Because of the personal nature of the interviews in the videos and to protect the privacy of those individuals, the videos are streaming only. 

19. Where do I go for technical support? 

First see if your question can be answered in this FAQ page.

For course-content or communication-related technical support, please email online@compassionateinquiry.com and allow a few days for us to get back to you.

For Zoom-related questions, the Zoom help center has lots of options to help! https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us 

 

20. I need to switch my group time to another day during the week. Who do I contact? 

This is only possible during the first 4 weeks of the program. If you need to move to another group please contact Sahiba at sahiba@compassionateinquiry.com 

21. I’m a bit nervous and panicking on getting started. 

A bit of stress is expected as this is a lot of material to sort through, especially at the beginning. Notice the stress and don’t make it wrong. It’s inevitable to feel some of it as you navigate your way in. All will become clear as we go along. Please don’t hesitate to ask questions. 

22. How should I organize the material? 

In each module, there are several pdfs to download and/or print. Store the files in folders on your computer, labeled Compassionate Inquiry Module 1, Compassionate Inquiry Module 2 etc. We recommend you also print the materials and keep them in a 3” binder, using 8 dividers to separate the 8 modules. 

23. What is the cancellation policy?

This is an experiential program with a limited number of spaces available. If you wish to withdraw from the program, you will be given a full refund minus a $250 cancellation fee if cancelling up to 4 weeks after the advertised start date of the course. No refunds are allowed starting 4 weeks after the start date of the course, no exceptions.

Before the course begins, we send you the link to access the online training platform. Please add this link to your web browser’s bookmarks, in order to have easy access.

The link to login to the online training is online.compassionateinquiry.com/login

Please bookmark the page entitled Course Orientation with Sat Dharam, which is in the Intro module. This page is handy to access or return to often, as it contains most of the downloads for your course. Please refer to the next question in order to find this page.

Here is how to find the PDFs and downloads for the Intro Module and subsequent modules:

You can also click this link for quick access to the Course Orientation with Sat Dharam page.

When you are on the first page of the learning platform you will see Compassionate Inquiry Professional Online Program. To access Intro content you must:

1. Click on Introduction: Welcome To The Course
2. You will see Gabor’s video but not the PDFs
3. Click on Course Orientation with Sat Dharam, which is just beneath Course Introduction with Gabor
4. You will see the PDFs located on the right hand side of your screen, down below the videos.

This process is the same to access downloads for each module. Downloads are always on the second page of the Intro Section of that module, entitled Orientation with Sat Dharam. Only when you have clicked onto each module’s Orientation video with her do you see the PDFs after scrolling down, on the right-hand side.

Note: If you are on a mobile device, the downloads will be at the very bottom of the page, under the complete transcript.

As you go through the program, it is recommended to download, view and/or print off course materials for reference.

The powerpoint slides for each module are located alongside the downloads/PDFs for that module. Please reference the above question for directions. They are called either “Gabor’s Teachings Slides” or “Practice Slides”.

Please refer to the Downloads Section of the Orientation Page in the Introductory Module (Click this link for quick access to the Course Orientation with Sat Dharam page). Specific files which contain some of this information include: 

• Compassionate Inquiry Program Structure
• Course Completion guidelines
• Compassionate Inquiry Course Outline

All of the above documents are located in the Introductory module pdfs. Further information and instructions will be given prior to your completion of the course, you can also view the image below for further requirements.

Compassionate Inquiry Requirements for Course Completion

See the chart below for an overview of the requirements for your course completion, and the different options you have:

Facebook Group

If you’d like to join our optional Facebook Group, use this link: www.facebook.com/groups/2137228633224894/

You will be asked to input your Facilitator’s name and cohort (e.g. May 2021) to join the group, and please don’t share this group link with participants outside of the training. If this link above is unavailable, please contact online@compassionateinquiry.com

Online Forum

It is not essential that you join the Facebook group, as we know some of you do not use Facebook. However, it is a useful forum to get to know more people in the program, comment on the modules, and to share insights and experience as we go along. We also recommend you engage in the online forum you have access to as part of the course platform, which you are encouraged to use in addition to or instead of Facebook, as you wish.

Please use the link online.compassionateinquiry.com/login to log in, and ensure you are not entering any spaces before or after your email address.If you don’t remember your password or are having trouble entering it, please send an email to online@compassionateinquiry.com and we will send you a link to reset your password. Please do so within a few days of when we send you the link, as this link will expire within a week.

You will be using Zoom for all meetings with your facilitator, with Gabor and your dyads/triads.

This article from Zoom highlights and gives instructions to enable many security features you can enable in Zoom, and we recommend applying the following, especially important for your Dyads and Triads, if you are the host:

• Disable screen sharing so that attendees cannot take over your screen without permission
• Lock your meeting after everyone has arrived to prevent unwanted disruptions
• Don’t publicly post your Zoom link anywhere. Anyone with this link can join your meeting
• Make sure the Waiting Room is enabled by default. Waiting Room is an existing feature that allows a host to keep participants in individual virtual waiting rooms before they are admitted to a meeting. 
• Meeting Registration (Optional) Registration for meetings will allow you to have your participants register with their email, name, and other details before the meeting begins. 

Please refer to the Downloads Section of the Introductory Module for the Compassionate Inquiry Pod Guidelines, Compassionate Inquiry Etiquette in Triads, and Compassionate Inquiry Triad Attendance Sheets. 

The dyad/triad practice guides for each module are located in that Module’s Downloads Section.


What are dyads/triads?

Dyad = 2 people who will each have a turn to be client and therapist/helper (60min practice session). Triad = 3 people who will each have a turn to be client, therapist/helper, and observer (90min practice session). We’ll talk about this including your Dyad/Triad meeting structure at the first biweekly Facilitated Group Zoom Meeting, which day and time is indicated in your Welcome Letter.

What is a pod?

A pod is a group of about 6 people contained within the biweekly Facilitated Group. Each biweekly Facilitated Group will be made up of 2-3 pods. Triads and dyads are then formed within the pods. The pod members will become the primary people you will practice with weekly for the year.

Please visit this page to re-subscribe to our online course platform. In certain circumstances, this re-subscription may not be enough and further troubleshooting may be required. Please email support at online@compassionateinquiry.com to confirm your re-subscription.

Here are the specifics on case studies for course completion:

Completion of at least 25 Case Study forms (beginning in Level 2 of the course), documenting individual Compassionate Inquiry sessions where you were acting as the practitioner and demonstrating competence.

At least 13 of these Case Study forms must be with actual clients, who are not part of the Compassionate Inquiry training.

The other 12 Case Studies may be from your dyads/triads with participants in the Compassionate Inquiry training.

No more than 5 case studies can be from any one client.

At least 5 of these will be submitted at the half way point in Level 2 so that you may receive feedback, while the other 20 will be submitted near the half way point of Level 3.

Case Studies should be submitted typed in a Word doc, saved as 1 file, with each case study starting at the top of a page. Use initials rather than full names to protect your client’s identity and maintain confidentiality.

Please refer to this page for comprehensive instructions to upload your case studies.

Starting with the Feb 2020 cohort, certification is no longer an initial option after completion of the course. We have migrated to the Mentorship Program.

Comparison of Requirements for Course Completion, CE Credits, Mentorship Program and Certification

Course Component	Course Completion	40 CE Credits	Mentorship/Certification	Non-Certification
Read pdfs of Gabor’s Teachings, Practice, and Conversations	Complete	Complete	Complete	Not necessary to complete
Watch all videos of Gabor’s Teachings, Practice, and Conversations	Complete	Complete	Complete	Not necessary to complete
Quiz – Gabor’s Teachings	Complete quiz for each module, pass with 80%	Complete quiz for each module, pass with 80%	Complete quiz for each module, pass with 80%	Not necessary to complete
Quiz – Conversations	Complete quiz for each module, pass with 80%	Complete quiz for each module, pass with 80%	Complete quiz for each module, pass with 80%	Not necessary to complete
Study and Practice Guide Answers	Complete written questions for each module	Complete written questions for each module	Complete written questions for each module	Not necessary to complete
Biweekly Group Attendance	Attend 22 out of 27	Attend 22 out of 27	Attend 22 out of 27	Attend at least 18
Triad/Dyad Sessions	Attend at least 50	Attend at least 50	Attend at least 50	Attend less than 50
Case Studies	Complete and submit 25	Complete and submit 25	Complete and submit 25	Not necessary to submit
Submit Videos	Optional, to receive feedback during biweekly meetings	Not necessary to submit	Submit 8 videos during the Mentorship Program. Submit 1 Video for Certification Review after Mentorship	Not necessary to submit
Zoom Calls with Gabor	Attend or watch recording of each call	Attend or watch recording of each call	Attend or watch recording of each call	Optional
Competency Forms	Fill out 1 for Self	Fill out 1 for Self	Fill out 1 for Self	Not necessary to complete
Documentation of Personal Therapy	12 sessions minimum	Not necessary to submit	12 sessions minimum	Not necessary to submit
Practicum in Level 3	Demonstrate Compassionate Inquiry proficiency in at least 1 practicum in L3	Demonstrate Compassionate Inquiry proficiency in at least 1 practicum in L3	Demonstrate Compassionate Inquiry proficiency in at least 1 practicum in L3	Not necessary to complete
Feedback Forms	Fill out form for each module at least once	Fill out form for each module at least once	Fill out form for each module at least once	Not necessary to complete
Long Course Feedback Form at end of Level 3	Complete at end of course	Complete at end of course	Complete at end of course	Not necessary to complete
Liability Insurance	Not required	Not required	Required	Not required
Extra Fee	Not required	$150 CDN	Must complete the 5-month Mentorship Program after year- long training.After completing the mentorship program, you can apply for certification and submit a video for review.	Not required
Certificate	Course Completion certificate	CE credit certificate	Compassionate Inquiry Practitioner Certificate once you pass the certification review.	No certificate

We started in 2019 with an application for Certification after the year-long training ended, however, we found that less than 30% of those who applied for certification in the first few cohorts were ready to certify, yet they paid $400 for a certification review. We did not feel comfortable continuing with a system that was not working and was costly for participants.

We determined that mentoring was necessary to ready people for certification, so established a mentorship program, during which mentees receive feedback on 8 videos. This prepares them for certification, and their Compassionate Inquiry skills improve dramatically. We are happy with this new system.

Our admin course completion review team (comprised of 1-2 members) looks to see that these questions have been answered but do not read them. The questions are for you to reflect upon for your own growth so that you can share your insights in your biweekly meetings and monthly discussion groups.

We invite you to write only what you are comfortable sharing and to keep the rest private.

The information, files, and videos you submit are strictly confidential and will only be seen by the certification team (comprised of the Compassionate Inquiry Facilitators, sometimes Gabor, and if necessary, the Compassionate Inquiry Admin Team). Your submission will be reviewed and deleted 60 days after all certification requirements have been received, or within 8 months after the final week of your training. 

Video Upload Options:

In some cases you may have issued uploading your video(s) directly through the online form, however this is the default option. Here are some other options.

• Upload directly through the form (most secure)
• Upload to an online service such as Dropbox, Youtube, Vimeo, and copy/paste the links to videos into the form

We recommend you upload videos through the form directly, but if you are having problems there is another option, where you can upload to an online service and share the links in the certification form. If you do this, please be aware of the privacy of your videos, and that you are responsible for ensuring this privacy. There are many online services you can use, however here are three:

• Youtube – Unlisted video setting. It offers private video uploads (but not password-protected), however for our purposes Unlisted is the best option. Youtube offers free unlimited video uploading. For information on how to make private Youtube videos, see here.
• Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive etc. If you have one of these services and enough storage space, you can upload videos to a folder in your account and create links to share in the certification form.

Vimeo – Password-protected private video uploads. The free plan only offers 500mb of uploads per week, so in order to upload all five videos you will likely need to upgrade to Vimeo Plus – $9/month. You can delete your subscription after two months or so, after the videos have been reviewed and when you remove the videos from the platform. For information on Vimeo video Privacy, see here.

We suggest all course participants join the Annual Membership after the course ends, for a host of benefits.

If you feel you are qualified, we invite you to apply for the 5-month Mentorship Program.

See the below image for options after course completion:

You need to be licensed in a modality that allows you to do counselling with clients, and that you have insurance for, before you are accepted into the mentorship program.

Example modalities that you can be licensed to practice include a life coach certification, addiction counsellor, psychotherapist, psychologist, MD, ND etc. You also need to belong to a professional regulatory body associated with that certification.

Candidates for the Mentorship Program must:

• have completed the course requirements for the professional online training
• be registered with a professional regulatory body
• be legally able to practice Compassionate Inquiry within their professional scope of practice and in their jurisdiction
• have liability insurance that covers Compassionate Inquiry, unless it is unavailable in your country
• have an active clinical practice, currently seeing clients (minimum 3 per week)

You can’t begin the mentorship until after course completion, but if a Mentorship program is coming up while you are simultaneously applying for course completion, and you are confident you will be able to submit all of your required documents for course completion, you may also simultaneously apply for the Mentorship Program. Alternatively, you can seek out private mentorship now if you want.

See the Mentorship page: https://compassionateinquiry.com/mentorship/

Insurance in Canada

Holman Insurance (covers life coach under their Therapy Professionals policy.)

http://www.therapistinsurance.ca/

Westminster

https://westminster.global/ca/

McFarlane-Rowlands
https://mcfarlanrowlands.com

Lackner McLennan
https://lmicanada.com

Insurance in the US

Hands On Trade Association covers Compassionate Inquiry as a stand-alone therapy https://www.handsontrade.com/professions-covered?fbclid=IwAR24OyEUfYmrKzruK-WtBCBnSpC2FDIhsREJ3Ue8KfE4r3P-9VSKr9Gjrsw

Insurance in the UK

In the UK,  ‘coaching and mentoring’ insurance is available with a company called Hiscox via PolicyBee https://www.policybee.co.uk/professional-indemnity-insurance

or via Oxygen  http://www.oxygeninsurance.com/

You are welcome to apply for certification once you have completed the mentorship program and submitted all the requirements for mentorship completion, as well as the requirements for certification. In addition you must receive the approval of your personal mentor to pursue certification.

Once you have completed all the requirements for the mentorship program and have received the approval from your personal mentor to proceed with a certification submission, you will receive a letter from our certification coordinator granting your certification review. This letter will outline the next steps in the process which includes a link to enter your submissions for certification (i.e. insurance, video for review) and a link to pay your certification fee).

Over the course of the mentorship program, you are reviewed a total of 8 times by your personal and group mentors. Your personal mentor acts as your first reviewer, who guides and assesses your competency in Compassionate Inquiry. Once your personal mentor approves you to enter the next stage of certification review, your certification reviewer acts as your second reviewer who assesses your skills and competency as a Compassionate Inquiry Practitioner. Your certification reviewer is NOT one of your personal or group mentors.

The Certification Review Team determine if someone is ready to certify when they demonstrate proficiency in the Compassionate Inquiry competencies found in the Compassionate Inquiry Competency Form and Compassionate Inquiry Map as well as determining if the applicant is:

1. Competent
2. Attuned
3. Confident
4. Present
5. Spontaneous, rather than adhering to rigid guidelines or a formula?
6. Proficient in embodying and applying the Compassionate Inquiry Qualities, Skills and Stepping Stones?

There is also criteria used to exclude certification which includes:

1. Did the participant have an agenda during the session, so was not attuned to the client in the present moment.
2. Did the participant repeatedly miss important cues?
3. Did the participant miss picking up on the client’s discomfort?
4. Was the participant unable to process their own triggers internally, preventing them from being fully present with the client?
5. You would not recommend this participant to someone you know to receive therapy.

If the certification team agrees that the candidate is certifiable and skilled in the Compassionate Inquiry competencies, they will be certified as a Compassionate Inquiry Practitioner and added to the Compassionate Inquiry website.

In the event that the second reviewer is inconclusive of your competency, a third reviewer is invited in to review your submission. We have found our review process to be very robust and demonstrates consistency among reviewers.

Once you have submitted the required forms and final video for review, the certification coordinator will assign a reviewer to your submission. The reviewer will take up to 30 days to complete your review. Once the review is complete, you will receive a notice regarding your results.

Your submission may have been rejected if one of the certification requirements listed above was missing or incomplete. 

You can find more details here.

In the event that your submission is not approved for certification, the reviewer will make recommendations to you for areas of improvement and may require you to have a certain number of additional personal mentoring sessions with a mentor of your choice. You will have 1 year from the date of graduation from the mentorship program to submit another video. 

Recertification is required every 2 years. Please find more details on recertification here.