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Becoming a Wellness Counselor

Individuals who have endured profound life experiences can be exceptional counselors, coaches and consultants. In fact, many people seeking counseling today do not require the therapeutic skills of psychologists or psychiatrists who are specifically trained to treat neurosis and psychosis. There is a growing population of people who simply need to stop, contemplate on their goals, and "hear themselves think." Wellness Counseling is a style of peer counseling designed to meet the needs of an increasing number of "healthy" individuals who want to get themselves motivated on a practical level.

Much like the medical profession which focuses on sickness rather than health, the academic training of a licensed psychologist focuses on mental imbalance rather than on mental wellness. Wellness counseling is based on the concept of peer counseling where ordinary people with ordinary problems are trained not to advise or counsel, but to ask questions that will empower a person to find their own solutions within themselves.

The Wellness Counselor Career Training
and Certification Program

This unique training is an eight week, 80.5-hour practicum in professional peer counseling. The course is taught over the course of 8 Sundays and 8 weekday nights in Honolulu and as a 3 weekend, 2 weeknight intensive when taught elsewhere. Graduates are certified as wellness counselors specializing in personal development and success coaching.

While the courses focus on practical peer coaching, consulting, and counseling proficiency, students may also learn the business and entrepreneurial skills necessary to build a successful sole proprietorship as a wellness counselor.

Unlike traditional therapeutic training, the Wellness Counselor Career Training and Certification Program first assists you in mastering your own personal development because we believe that the quality of your own life enhances your abilities as a peer counselor. Many students come simply to learn the technique for use in their personal and professional lives. Others, who are interested in pursuing a career as a peer counselor, take the optional business training to learn how to provide this holistic approach to a paying clientele. Regardless of your reason for learning the process, it is a life transforming experience that will empower you to solve problems efficiently and effectively.

How to Start and Market Your Own Business as a Wellness Practitioner: A Training for Unconventional Entrepreneurs

Marketing Your Own Business is for anyone in the wellness profession who is just starting a business, hasn't started it yet but needs to build some anticipation, or anyone who started a business but gave up and wants to give it another try. It is also designed for people who don't have a clue about how to venture out on their own and don ' t know whether their idea will result in full time or part time income.

This 21-hour course is a customized mentoring program designed to give you a boost in confidence by placing a foundation under your dreams as you turn them into a strategic plan that is grounded in reality but remains in alignment with your own values, passions, and creativity.

“So what do you actually do for a living?” "Does it really work?" Every sole proprietor gets asked such questions by those who work for someone else and receive a secure salary. People are intrigued and terrified by the idea of being in business for themselves. Those who entertain the idea often fantasize about the freedoms but also have anxiety about potentially failing. Such worries occur by putting "what if's" in front of their anxieties: "What if I open and nobody comes?" "What if I don't make enough money to survive?" Good questions, to be sure! Entrepreneurs are people who actually answer the questions, come up with ideas to resolve the concerns, and enjoy the creativity involved in keeping their business afloat.

This is an experiential learning environment in which each student searches their own soul to determine how much they want to earn, how many clients or students they would need to procure to meet their financial goals, and how to implement their own customized plan to insure ongoing success. This is not a typical "listen and take notes" business course. This is a "color by number" training modeled on the trials and errors of Sunny Massad's successful private practice, but designed to meet the specific needs of each student in each class. You will be mentored to gain a clear vision, turn that vision into a goal, and then create specific steps to inspire others to experience what you have to offer ... all on a shoestring budget. Although you will not be required to write a formal business or marketing plan, you will have all of the components of such plans written down, simply by answering the questions in the workbook.

The focus of this class is to answer essential questions like: "What specific kinds of people need or want what you offer?" "Why should they buy from you instead of from others?" and "What makes your services unique?" If you do not know the answers to these questions when you begin the course, we will brainstorm together until you are confident that you have a service that is not only needed, but one that will be appreciated enough to keep a steady stream of clients coming in the door. If you have an idea for a business or a business that needs to move to the next level, this class will give you the detailed strategies to move forward.

Sunny Massad, Ph.D.

Sunny has been in business for herself for over twenty years. She has not taken a full or part time job since she opened her private practice as a hypnotherapist in 1988, before she even finished her bachelor's degree. Although she has advanced degrees, she is not an advocate of academic education because it does not prepare people for the "real world." Sunny says: "Many people scare themselves about going into business because they don't have an MBA or other academic degree. They don't realize that traditional schools do not teach graduates how to use their skills to go into business for themselves. Many people with Ph.D.'s and Masters degrees work for others for that simple reason. I started the Hawaii Wellness Institute to bring practical skills into the hands of people whose life experience and self-study count!" Sunny has a book coming out this year and two relaxation CD's for sale on CD Baby.com and at Borders Books. She is a member of the American Counseling Association, has a thriving private practice, and an expanded community of supporters of the Hawaii Wellness Institute, a nonprofit educational organization that she founded in 2002.

Mission, Vision & Values

The Hawaii Wellness Institute was founded on the premise that human consciousness is a work in progress for which we are each responsible. As we proceed into the twenty-first century, new methods for helping others are required to fill the needs of a growing population who are seeking to create more fulfilling lives. Unlike most colleges, the Hawaii Wellness Institute does not believe that formal education is as relevant to counselor preparation as a student's own personal development. In fact, learning from one's own life experience provides an ideal preparation for becoming an exceptional and empathetic professional peer counselor.

This program is designed primarily, though not exclusively, for adult mid-career professionals seeking personal transformation and an opportunity to become a wellness counselor. The Wellness Counselor Training is a transformational process which promotes and facilitates the personal and professional development of the students yet is steeped in the humanistic and transpersonal traditions which place a high value on care for the soul.

Wellness counseling is the popular alternative for healthy populations seeking motivational and disciplinary skills unrelated to therapeutic counseling. Students are taught to distinguish between populations who need psychological services for treatment of diagnosable conditions and those who simply require a boost to keep them moving forward. Wellness Counseling does not focus on the "whys" of the past, but on the "how to's" of the future so the client can create a personally empowered life. Graduates of the Wellness Counselor Training are eligible to become members of the American Counseling Association.

Tuition

Tuition for the counselor training is $1,950 and the tuition for the business training is $1,099. The cost for both is $3,049, in addition to the $100 application fee. Students are advised that all tuition amounts and fees are subject to change in the future. Ask about our special rates for those who apply to the program during our book tour events and for kamaaina. Payment plans are available but will be subject to administrative fees as explained below. Students should expect to be enrolled continually during their studies at the Hawaii Wellness Institute. This is a non-residential program, so students are responsible for their own room and board costs.

Prepayment

Tuition for the counselor training is $1,950 and the tuition for the business training is $1,099. The cost for both is $3,049, in addition to the $100 application fee, if paid in full and received by the Institute ten days prior to the first day of school. Students who did not receive the application packet ten days prior to the first day of school may take advantage of the prepayment plan even though they missed the deadline as long as the payment is received by the first day of school. If a student had the application packet but delayed submitting their application on time, they may take advantage of the prepayment plan but the cost will be $50 more for each track ($2,000/$1,149 or $3,149), in addition to the $100 application fee.

2-Payment Plan

Tuition is $150 more if paid in two installments. 50% of the tuition is due by the first day of training and 50% is due at the midpoint between the first day of school and graduation.

4-Payment Plan

Tuition is $200 more if paid in four installments. Payments shall be received by the Institute every two weeks beginning 10 days prior to the first day of school unless prior arrangements are made.

Alumni Tuition

Certified Wellness Counselors who have previously completed the trainings may attend repeat sessions for the following tuition: Counselor Training, $375; Morning session of Counselor Training only, $299; Business Training, $175.

2010 Semesters

Counselor Training:
8 Sundays, October 3 - December 5, 2010

Business Training:
7 Wednesday nights, October 6 - November 17, 2010

Location: Hawaii Wellness Retreat House

Pre-registration by application required at least 10 days in advance.

Distance Learning Option

Both the Wellness Counselor Career Training and the Wellness Practitioner Professional Development Program are now offered as teleconferencing experiences. Students who apply for online training at a distance will be screened as this option requires motivation and self discipline.

It is mandatory that each week each distance learning student:

read assigned pages in the text and workbook;
return completed exercises;
take the quizzes;
provide one journal entry;
submit notes from two counseling sessions, along with completed "confidential consultation" and "session evaluation" forms;
attend the live webinar.

At a distance learners will receive personal email support and telephone consultations as needed. The tuition for this option is the same as the onsite program: $1,950 for the Wellness Counselor Training and $1,099 for the Professional Development Program. The same application fee and payment plan amounts as for onsite students also apply.

Bring the Counselor Training to Your Location:

For students living outside of Oahu, Sunny Massad will teach the counselor certification course and/or the business training to a minimum of 6 students in any given location over the course of several weeks. The cost of the training would be an additional $300 per person to cover the cost of travel, housing, etc. Call us at 808-848-5544 or 1-800-501-3179 for more details or to discuss dates.