Requirements for Becoming a Certified Aware Parenting Instructor
If you wish to teach Aware Parenting as an official representative of the Aware Parenting approach, please follow the application procedure on this page. Most of the training consists of independent study and experience, as described below.
The certified Aware Parenting instructors may use the term "Aware Parenting" in the title of their classes, workshops, and other offerings, and they may call themselves Aware Parenting instructors, facilitators, or consultants. However, they work independently and are neither employees nor subcontractors of the Aware Parenting Institute.
If you are not a certified Aware Parenting instructor, you are free to teach people about the theory and practical applications of the Aware Parenting approach without becoming certified. We request that you give credit to Aletha Solter as the source of your information, and referrals to this website and to Aletha Solter's books are always appreciated. However, we request that you not use the term "Aware Parenting" in the title of your classes, workshops, or other offerings (or in your personal title or credentials) unless you are officially certified to teach this approach. Thank you.
How to become certified
The basic requirements for certification are listed below.
If you live in a country with a regional coordinator (see below), there may be additional requirements. Please follow the certification instructions for your country and send your application to your regional coordinator.
If you live in a country without a regional coordinator, please follow the instructions below and send your application to Aletha Solter.
The following people are regional coordinators. They are all experienced Level 2 instructors. You will find their contact information here.
Marion Rose (Australia, New Zealand, and Indonesia)
Certification requirements for Australia, New Zealand, and Indonesia
Rebecca Sheikh (UK, Ireland, South Africa, and other Sub-Saharan African countries)
Certification requirements for the UK, Ireland, and Sub-Saharan African countries
Laura Díaz de Entresotos (Spain)
Certification requirements for Spain
Chris Muller (Netherlands and Flemish-speaking Belgium)
Certification requirements for the Netherlands and Flemish-speaking Belgium
Janie Spencer (France and French-speaking Switzerland)
Certification requirements for France and French-speaking Switzerland
Françoise Somers (French-speaking Belgium and all of Luxembourg)
Certification requirements for French-speaking Belgium and all of Luxembourg
Anke Eyrich (Germany, Austria, and German-speaking Switzerland)
Certification requirements for Germany, Austria, and German-speaking Switzerland
Venia Delikaterini (Greece)
Certification requirements for Greece
List of basic requirements
These are the basic requirements for certification for all applicants, including those in countries with a regional coordinator.
1. Read the most recent editions of Aletha Solter's six books: The Aware Baby, Cooperative and Connected, Tears and Tantrums, Raising Drug-Free Kids, Attachment Play, and Healing Your Traumatized Child (even if they haven't been translated into the language of your country). You must understand and agree with all the information in them. You must also complete study guides for three of these books: The Aware Baby, Cooperative and Connected, and Healing Your Traumatized Child, and fill out the Answer Sheet for each:
Aware Baby study guide
Aware Baby answer sheet
Cooperative and Connected study guide
Cooperative and Connected answer sheet
Healing Your Traumatized Child study guide
Healing Your Traumatized Child answer sheet
2. Attend an introductory Aware Parenting workshop of at least 6 hours within the past five years. It must be a workshop led either by Aletha Solter or by a Level 2 Aware Parenting instructor, as explained below.
- If you live in a country with a regional coordinator (see the list above), it must be a workshop led either by Aletha Solter, by your regional coordinator, or by another Level 2 instructor in your region. Note that some regions include more than one country.
- If you live in a country without a regional coordinator, it must be a workshop led either by Aletha Solter or by a Level 2 instructor in your country.
- If you live in a country without a regional coordinator or a Level 2 instructor, it must be a workshop led by Aletha Solter or by any Level 2 instructor in any country (including any of the regional coordinators).
An in-person workshop is preferable, but an online workshop can also qualify for certification. Formal lectures, individual sessions, and pre-recorded seminars do not qualify. The goal of this requirement is to learn how to present the material in an interactive group workshop setting. Click here for a list of all the Level 2 instructors (including the regional coordinators). There are no prerequisites for attending a workshop. You can attend a workshop either before or after you have read the books.
Note: This is the minimum workshop requirement, but applicants for certification are strongly encouraged to participate in workshops or training programs with more than one Level 2 instructor, including those in other countries.
3. Have at least one year of personal experience implementing the three aspects of the Aware Parenting approach with one or more children (as a parent, grandparent, nanny, early childhood educator, etc.). This year of experience must be AFTER you first learned about Aware Parenting. You do not need to be a parent to qualify for certification. (The three aspects of Aware Parenting)
4. Have personal experience in your own life with the benefits of emotional healing through laughter and crying (either on your own or through some kind of therapy). Be committed to eliminating your own control patterns and addictions. If you smoke, you will need to quit smoking before becoming certified.
5. Have practical experience working with groups of adults in a live, in-person setting (not virtual). Experiences that qualify include giving presentations, teaching classes, conducting training sessions, or leading groups (such as support groups or therapy groups). This experience does not need to be related to the topic of parenting.
6. Be able to read and understand English. Correspondence from the Institute is in English (including our quarterly newsletter for the instructors).
7. Agree that you will:
- Provide not only information, but also emotional support and encouragement to parents.
- Encourage people of all races, religions, and backgrounds to attend the Aware Parenting classes that you teach.
- Mention Aletha Solter's books in the classes that you teach so the participants will know the source of the material.
- Not combine Aware Parenting with any religious or spiritual belief system, or with other theories, concepts, practices, terms, or techniques. If you are certified to teach another parenting approach, please consult with Aletha Solter or your regional coordinator before applying for certification.
- Be committed to ending all forms of oppression of children (including all forms of punishment).
If you live in a country with a regional coordinator, please contact your regional coordinator to find out about additional requirements for your country.
Your written application:
After you have met the requirements above, send a written application (not hand written), divided into five numbered and labeled sections in the order described below. Applications that do not follow this format will not be accepted.
1. Pertinent background information about yourself (including education and work history). For this section, you may include a short resume or curriculum vitae in addition to summarizing your background and your current work in a few paragraphs. Include a list of all the degrees and certifications that you have.
2. Reasons for wanting to be an Aware Parenting instructor. What inspires you about Aware Parenting? Why do you want to teach this approach? Why are you seeking certification?
3. Why you feel that you are qualified to teach this philosophy. Explain how you have met each of the requirements listed above. Please include details and specific examples for requirements 3, 4, and 5. (For requirement number 3, describe your experience implementing the three aspects of Aware Parenting, and include at least one specific example of using Attachment Play and at least one specific example of accepting a child's crying).
4. Proposed teaching plans. Detailed lesson plans are not necessary, but please answer the following questions: Which aspects of Aware Parenting do you plan to focus on? What format will you use (short lectures, full-day workshops, support groups, online courses, blogs, individual consultations, etc.)? Who do you plan to teach (mothers only, fathers only, parents of babies, parents of teenagers, daycare providers, etc.)? Do you plan to organize your own events, or will you be working with a sponsoring organization, or within the context of work that you already do?
5. Your completed study guide answer sheets for The Aware Baby, Cooperative and Connected, and Healing Your Traumatized Child (see requirement number 1).
Letter of Recommendation:
Send a letter of recommendation from somebody in your country who knows you well, either personally or professionally (for example an employer, a co-worker, a client, or a student whom you have taught). It must be someone who knows you in a real life setting (not an online acquaintance). The person should not be related to you, employed by you, or paid by you for any services (such as therapy or training). Be sure the person dates and signs the letter and includes his or her contact information (street address, country, email address, and telephone number). Unsigned letters and letters sent by email will not be accepted.
Payment and application procedure:
After you have met all of the requirements listed above, you may apply to become certified.
If you live in a country with a regional coordinator, please follow your regional coordinator's instructions about the payment and application procedure.
If you live in a country without a regional coordinator, please send your payment and application materials to Aletha Solter. The fee for becoming certified is U.S. $200. Payment can be made by PayPal (our PayPal account address is info@awareparenting.com), by U.S. check, or by international money order. We cannot accept wire transfers to a bank. Send your written application, letter of recommendation, and the completed application form by mail to Aletha Solter, Aware Parenting Institute, P.O. Box 206, Goleta, CA 93116, U.S.A. Do NOT use registered or certified mail, as this method requires us to wait in long lines at the post office. Aletha Solter does not accept applications or letters of recommendation by email.
Interview:
After receiving your application materials, payment, and letter(s) of recommendation, Aletha Solter (or your regional coordinator) will contact you to arrange an interview if they feel that you have met all the reqirements. They will also send you a few short articles and information sheets to read before your interview.
After you become certified, your name will be added to your regional coordinator's list of Aware Parenting Instructors in your country. If you live in a country without a regional coordinator, your name will be added to our web page for your country. You will receive a certificate and some digital teaching materials (charts and workshop outlines). You will also receive a quarterly newsletter with reports from other Aware Parenting instructors around the world and discussions about various aspects of the Aware Parenting approach. Certification is valid for two years with possibility of renewal after that time.
As an Aware Parenting instructor you will work independently. You will not be associated with the Aware Parenting Institute as either an employee or a subcontractor. There are no expectations regarding the way you teach Aware Parenting. You will be free to offer both in-person and online classes, workshops, support groups, or individual consultations. The only requirement is that the information you give to parents must be based exclusively on the content of Aletha Solter's books.