You want to deepen your psychology & counselling knowledge
You care about helping others and want a structured framework for client work.
Certification path
The path to ICI certification
Six steps from programme purchase to certificate – no hidden levels. Open entry with no formal prerequisites – for learners at different stages of education and professional practice.
Who is it for
Who is this programme for?
The ICI Certification Programme is open to adults and requires no prior degree in the field or professional experience. ICI certification is a competence title confirming knowledge and competence within the ICI Standard, not a state licence.
No prior qualifications required
We do not require a degree in psychology, pedagogy or medicine. Willingness to learn is enough.
You work in an NGO, foundation, education or HR
You work with people in support, education, relationships, personal development or crisis settings and need interview, goal-setting and evaluation tools.
You are a psychology/pedagogy/social work student
You will complement your academic knowledge with a practical client-work framework.
You already have education or experience working with people?
You will complement your practice with the practical ICI Standard, a structured work framework and progress-monitoring tools.
Do you have experience working with people?
You want to systematise your knowledge, learn the ICI Standard and confirm your competencies by completing the certification programme.
Welcome: experience with people, empathy and readiness for self-reflection. Lacking any of them is not a barrier.
Six steps to certification
Each step has clear requirements and leads automatically to the next.
- Browse courses1
Purchase the ICI Certification Programme
Create a free account, pay for the programme and receive Adept status automatically — no recruitment or intermediate stages.
- 2
Complete all lessons and materials
Audio lectures, PDF materials and quizzes guide you step by step. At this stage your profile is not public — the registry lists only certified specialists, keeping it unambiguous. The program spans 6 months — modules unlock every 14 days from the start of the previous module.
- Terms of service3
Complete the certification assessment
The certification assessment is the final element of the programme and documents how you have engaged with the material. Rules, attempts and presentation of results are defined in the terms of service.
- 4
Receive the ICI Certificate and the title of ICI Certified Specialist
After completing the certification process, you receive the official, non-expiring ICI Certificate and the title of ICI Certified Specialist. This educational achievement stays with you forever, regardless of membership or identity verification.
- More about membership5
Verify your identity (optional)
Identity verification is optional. However, it is required if you want to publish your profile in the ICI Specialist Registry. Verification is linked to your account, not to a certificate – after verification (Stripe Identity) the “✓ Identity Verified” badge will appear on all your certificates – present and future. One-time fee: 49 CAD.
Identity verification49 CAD one-time - View the registry6
Receive your certificate
After completing the certification process, you receive the official, non-expiring ICI Certificate. You may then optionally activate ICI Membership. Membership allows you to: - join the public ICI Specialist Registry, - use discounts and bonus codes in the Academy, - gain unlimited access to screening tools.
A private professional credential, not a government licence
The ICI Certified Specialist title confirms knowledge and competence within the ICI Standard. The title is awarded after completion of the ICI Certification Programme and fulfilment of the defined certification requirements. It is a private professional credential and does not replace any qualifications, registrations or authorisations required by law in a particular jurisdiction.
You do not need to be a psychologist to learn with ICI, and you do not need a field-specific degree to begin the Certification Programme. What ICI confirms is something concrete: your knowledge and competence within our clearly defined Standard.
What ICI certification is not
- A government-issued professional licence or registration
- A state-recognised qualification or protected professional title
- An entitlement to perform activities reserved by law for regulated professions
Regional information
Regulation of counselling and psychotherapy in Canada varies by province and territory. Some jurisdictions regulate professional titles and/or the practice of psychotherapy, while requirements differ across the country. ICI Certification is a private professional credential confirming competence against the ICI Standard. It does not replace any provincial or territorial registration, licence, protected-title requirements or other legal requirements applicable to the services you provide.
Legal ref: Provincial and territorial professional regulation
How is completion assessed?
There is no single overall grade for the programme. Each task is assessed separately and its result documents the level of understanding of a specific programme element. Individual task results are presented in the certification documentation in accordance with ICI rules.
- Each task may be attempted twice. Tasks take various forms – from multiple-choice questions through case analysis to tasks requiring preparation of a work process
- The final certification assessment summarises the entire programme and includes diverse tasks verifying the application of knowledge and the ICI Standard in practice
- To complete the ICI Certification Programme, you must complete all lessons, submit all required tasks and complete the certification assessment. The system retains the best result and individual task results are presented in the certificate supplement
- A third or subsequent attempt is not available. A maximum of two attempts is allowed for each task. There is no single overall grade – results document performance and progress across programme areas
Teaching method
How we teach: The Metanarration Method
ICI courses are delivered in first person by Dawid Karol Kołodziej – author of the Metanarration Method (2026). The narrative itself becomes a learning space: the facilitator shows their thought process, doubts and self-correction.
Self-reflective narrativeDialogue with the learnerImmersive narrativeBreaking the fourth wall
Protocol: Statement → Pause → CorrectionLesson architecture: Immersion → Theory → Somatic pause → Example → Trap → Self-correction → Summary → Bridge to reflection
Why first person? In helping professions authenticity and acknowledging limits are core competences. The direct tone is a deliberate pedagogical device — the narrative shows not only knowledge but also reasoning, reflection and self-correction by the author. Each lesson is signed by the author.
Inspired by Brookfield, Brené Brown, Molloy & Bearman (intellectual candour), narrative candour.
What do you gain?
What do you gain?
The ICI Standard structures your practice, strengthens transparency and helps define the limits of competence.
Lifetime Certificate
You receive your ICI certificate once and it remains your confirmation of programme completion and fulfilment of the certification requirements at the time of certification. Active ICI Specialist status is subject to membership and CPD requirements.
Open CPD Ecosystem
We recognize points and training from anywhere on the market. Complete freedom in your learning journey.
Trust Registry, Not an Advertising Catalogue
The public registry includes certified specialists with verified identity and active membership. Identity verification is an independent service and may be linked to your account before certification.
Authentic Work Philosophy
Human to Human approach – authenticity, flexibility, and practical ethics instead of rigid frameworks.
Practical programme — skills for client work
Our programme develops practical competencies needed for working with people, rather than merely preparing you to pass the material. You learn specific skills and ways of working that you can apply in practice.
Conducting the intake interview
How to listen actively, ask questions that open the conversation, and identify the client's real needs — not just the stated problems.
Setting goals and the work plan
How to jointly set with the client a specific goal, number of sessions (e.g. 12) and an action plan — so that the work has direction and measurable outcomes.
Evaluating progress
How to use screening tools to check whether the work is producing results — and adjust direction when needed.
Scope of competence
How to recognize situations that require referral to an appropriate mental health professional or crisis services — and do it responsibly.
The ICI Standard for Client Work
The ICI Standard is a defined way of structuring client work — from intake and goal setting through planning and progress monitoring to evaluation and recognising the limits of your own competence. Most schools teach a specific modality: CBT, psychodynamic, systemic. ICI teaches the structure of work — a method you apply regardless of your therapeutic modality.
The person at the center. The specialist adapts to the client, not the other way around.Structure, not dogma
You learn a work framework (intake → goals → plan → evaluation) that you fill with your own approach and skills. We do not impose whether you work in CBT, systemically, or eclectically.
Evidence-based progress
You learn to use standardised screening tools such as PHQ-9 and GAD-7 to monitor symptoms and progress. Screening is not diagnosis and does not replace professional assessment where required.
Time-limited work
ICI promotes a clearly defined scope and purpose for the work rather than an open-ended client relationship. The length of the process should reflect the goal, the client's needs and the specialist's competence.
Transparency with the client
From the first session, the client knows: what we are working on, how long it will take, how we measure progress, and when we finish. This builds trust and agency.
Diversity, not hierarchy
We do not teach that one modality is superior. We teach that the specialist should be a tool that adapts to the client's needs — not the other way around.
Why we created this standard
I have seen schools that teach loyalty to a single modality. I wanted to give specialists a framework — intake, goals, plan, evaluation — and the freedom to fill it with their own experience. Client progress is measured with tools, not by the impression after a session. That is not bureaucracy — it is respect for the client and for your own work.
The client has the right to know three things: what we are working on, how long it will take, and how we will know it is working. Everything else is an add-on. The registry is not an advertising catalogue — it is the answer to a single client question: does this person truly meet the standards today?
Ready to start?
Start your journey to ICI certification in the Academy.
ICI is a private certification organisation. ICI certification confirms compliance with ICI standards. It is not a state licence to practise, nor does it replace the legal requirements in your country. ICI does not provide medical, psychotherapeutic or crisis services. In a crisis, contact your local emergency number or a 24/7 support line.