March - November 2027

Holistic Psychotherapy Training

2027 applications are now open

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This training will fill. Apply now to secure your spot.

Good therapists are born, not made

There are qualities that good therapists possess - a commitment to service, the desire to be truly helpful, curiosity about the human condition and a depth of compassion that cannot be taught.

The purpose of this training is to cultivate, develop and empower the therapist in you. To bring forth what is already there.

What does ‘Holistic’ mean?

It means that we bring together the most cutting-edge insights from neuroscience, biochemistry and somatic psychotherapy, with the time-tested wisdom of Buddhist psychology and nature-based wisdom traditions.

This training is truly multi-dimensional. Because humans are.

What you will learn

There are three elements to the training:

HEAD

Theory and Insight

Here we lay the theoretical groundwork and build a framework for clear thinking.

HEART

Compassion and Capacity

Here we cultivate the internal qualities that form the basis of holistic psychotherapy.

HAND

The Art and Craft of guiding therapy

Here we embed our learnings and growth, exploring the craft of holistic psychotherapy.

More information is available in the
Training Information Guide.

2027 Calendar

8 live modules and 2 in-person intensives starting March 2027.

  • Module 1

    Fundamentals 1
    Intro to Effective Therapy
    March 6-7

  • Module 2

    Fundamentals 2
    ARISES model
    March 20-21

  • Module 3

    Fundamentals 3
    Storytelling and Narrative Therapy
    May 1-2

  • Module 4

    Fundamentals 4
    Body-centred and Somatic Therapy
    May 29-30

  • In-Person Intensive 1

    June 22-26
    Myocum, Northern Rivers, NSW

  • Module 5

    Archetypes and Patterns
    July 3-4

  • Module 6

    Anxiety, Depression and Suicide
    August 7-8

  • Module 7

    Addictions, Anger and Grief Counselling
    September 4-5

  • Module 8

    Relationship Counselling
    October 16-17

  • In-Person Intensive 2

    November 9-13
    Myocum, Northern Rivers, NSW

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Past student experiences

  • “A life changing journey"

    — Zena R.

  • “This course has truly transformed the way I look at life and everything involved."

    — Katisha

  • "A journey to Know Thyself on a deeper and more compassionate level"

    — Margy

  • "An opportunity like no other."

    — Settie

  • “I have been unlocked and opened on every level of my being”

    — Suzi

  • "A deep trust in my own inner guidance"

    Jola

  • "It's been life changing and life-affirming!"

    — Amber

  • "A powerful furthering in the connection of therapy to myth and nature"

    — Diego

Hannah

Amber

Taylor

New for 2027

  • A dedicated space where students can meet in small groups to meet themselves and the inner journey that is such an important part of becoming a skillful therapist.

    Included in course fee & optional (but highly recommended)

  • A unique and supportive learning container that provides an opportunity to ask questions and discuss course content with established psychotherapists (past graduates of the HP training).

    Included in the course fee & optional

  • Once you’ve completed the required clinical placement hours and supervision sessions with an experience therapist, you can apply for accreditation in Holistic Psychotherapy through the Connection Culture Institute.

    After becoming accredited, therapists are listed on our official Therapist Directory, can receive referrals from within the community and gain membership to the Community Clinic.

Expand your learning

These pathways invite students to step into real, relational, and embodied learning.

Empowered Practice

Optional & included in course fee

These sessions take place between training modules and help you translate what you’ve learned into what you are becoming as a practitioner.

Community Clinic

Available to accredited graduates

The Community Clinic is where learning meets life. This is a space to deepen your craft in real-world practice while offering genuine care to those who might not otherwise access therapy.

Mentoring Sessions

Optional & available at a reasonable rate

In addition to mentoring within the modules, 1-1 mentoring sessions are available. Here you’ll find opportunities to explore your professional growth and personal unfolding.

Empowered Practice Experience

  • "Empowered practice was a place/environment that I would definitely recommend to participate in."

    — Settie

  • "Empowered practice was like the cosmic beam of focus for each module"

    — Margy

  • "This was such a helpful, grounded and practical application of the course content. Highly recommend as a way to deepen embodied understanding."

    — Suzi

  • "A very rich integrating experience that helped to consolidate and experiment further with the learning. A place to reflect and share and feel held."

    — Jola

  • "The structure allowed for regular revision and practice with my fellow peers, deepening our connection and learning in real time."

    — Amber

  • "Empowered practice provided a safe, exploratory, curious space to 'try' on the theory."

    — Anon.

  • "Michelle has been a beacon of light throughout this year, and her presence and technical/emotional support has been invaluable."

    — RIbhu

Lee Trew
Lead Teacher

Meet Lee —
Lead Teacher

Lee Trew is the founder and lead teacher of Holistic Psychotherapy Training. He holds an accredited Postgraduate Diploma in Psychotherapy and Counselling, but his education in this work extends well beyond formal training. For more than two decades he’s been exploring what helps people heal, grow and become more fully themselves — through psychotherapy, trauma and somatic work, relationship, storytelling, nature-based practice and his own ongoing inner work. He brings all of that into the way he teaches.

“I love psychotherapy because, at its heart, I believe it is about one human being learning how to truly meet another. I’m less interested in teaching people to apply techniques or fit clients into diagnostic categories than I am in helping students develop presence, sensitivity, courage and trust in their own perception. My hope is that you leave this training not just knowing more about psychotherapy, but knowing yourself more deeply — and with the capacity to sit with another person with curiosity, steadiness and genuine humanity.”

Lee Trew, Lead Teacher

Michelle McCosker
Community Steward

Meet Michelle — Community Steward

In her invaluable role as Community Steward, Michelle will, as always, be helping to support the student community in between training modules, responding to communication in the group message thread and offering the amazing Empowered Practice sessions where students can practice their therapeutic skills in small groups, with expert guidance and immediate feedback.

She'll also be continuing her facilitation of the growing Connection Culture Community Clinic, and Mentoring offerings.

Graduate in 1 year
instead of 4

Psychology and psychotherapy has long suffered from an inadequacy complex, trying to seem more scientific. So the study of psychology becomes enmired with statistics and experimental design, and psychotherapy training becomes an academic discipline with huge reading lists and essay writing, over years of study (and tens of thousands of dollars).

Our perspective is that although science is wonderful and useful, the art and craft of psychotherapy becomes stilted and dry when attempted by academicians.

And although mass, randomised clinical trials can tell us a lot about huge populations and averages, they may not necessarily reveal much that is useful about the person in front of you.

The Investment

We want to offer psychotherapy training that keeps essays and statistics to a minimum.

Focusing instead on the actual interpersonal craft of powerful, evidence-based therapy and the practical tools that can help people in distress, quickly and effectively.

This streamlining means that where other courses may take three or four years, ours takes 1 year. Rather than tens of thousands of dollars, ours is far less:

$6499aud

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The World Needs You

By some estimates, as much as 40% of young people are experiencing mental health challenges. The National Survey of Mental Health conducted in 2021 found that one in four young people reported seeking mental health support from a health professional, but more than a third said they did not receive the counselling they needed.

More than two in five Australians adults have experienced a mental health condition at some point in their lives. One in five was experiencing a mental health disorder at the time of the study.

This is the unheralded pandemic, and it pre-dates COVID. It is infecting and overwhelming the hearts and minds of humans around the world, as well as in our own communities, families and ourselves.

We need more bodhisattvas to face this challenge - the battle for the heart to heal and the mind to see clearly.

If you're feeling called to this work or you're already doing this work and want to level-up your skills and capacity, then we would love to see you on the training.

We look forward to walking with you as you begin a new chapter in your journey.

With much love and many blessings,
Lee, Michelle and Hannah

Michelle

Lee

Hannah

March - November 2027

Apply for the 2027 Holistic Psychotherapy Training

Investment: $6499aud

Apply now

A $500aud deposit is required to secure your place. Full payment is due prior to February 1st.

Past student responses to the question:

“What did you get from doing this course?”

  • "An opportunity like no other. To find the words to provide expression seems tough. I got connection, awareness, gratitude, fulfilment of a deep knowing that the path I am journeying on is rich, powerful and not yet complete. I have learnt to hold self with compassion and meet others with that same energy."

    — Settie

  • "A journey to Know Thyself on a deeper and more compassionate level – rippling out to my loved ones. The holistic knowledge + practice + Lee's way of being in service to someone in the psychotherapeutic space.

    — Margy

  • "I'm not sure I can do justice to the profound power of this course. It feels like I have been unlocked and opened on every level of my being, rearranged completely from within and without – a dissolution of the way I see the world, the world and myself – and a reformation that has alchemised the foundational elements into something new."

    — Suzi

  • "A sense of sacredness of life. What it means to receive and be in service to life. A deep trust in my own inner guidance and belief/faith that I can hold and guide people to find this in themselves."

    — Jola

  • "I gained a lot of confidence, a feeling of community in a learning environment and more skills than I ever could have imagined. It's been life changing and life-affirming! A difficult stretching & growing season in a nourishing & profound container!"

    — Amber

  • "Much needed therapy and resources to draw on later. A powerful furthering in the connection of therapy to myth and nature."

    — Diego

  • "An insight into a world of kindness, ancient knowledge, ritual, ancient practice, and magic that exists to serve humanity & self."

    — Ali

  • "An incredible amount of awareness of the inner journey, a convergent authentic summary of many teachings that I have been exposed to which supports my ability to step out into the world with clear vision and purpose and a powerful toolkit to be the change I wish to see."

    — Ribhu

  • "The reminder to seek understanding rather than judgment. To trust in the greater wisdom of self. To have courage and faith."

    — Anon.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The five-day intensives at the middle and end of the training are in-person.

    The 8 modules in between are online via Zoom. These will be held on weekends, Saturday and Sunday, 9am - 4pm.

  • Along with the eight online modules and two intensives, students are required to undertake (and document) 1-2 hours of practice and study per week for the duration of the training.

    Though many students find that they want to give even more time to the rich course content. You can choose your own adventure!

  • The course is $6499AUD. This includes a $500 deposit to secure your place. Full payment is due prior to February 1st.

    (This investment does not include accommodation for the in-person intensives. Students will need to organise their own accommodation. There are cheap camping options at Mullumbimby Showground, Brunswick Heads caravan parks, or students often split the cost of an AirBnb. Lunches are included, but not breakfast and dinner.)

  • Yes, we have to pre-requisites that have to completed before starting the course:

    Each pre-requisite takes at least a month to complete. (RBR Foundations can be squeezed into less time, but it's not recommended)

    You can start them now in order to begin the learning journey and begin integrating and embodying the foundational skills and practices in your life.

  • At the moment it looks like we will run the course again in 2029. However, this is not yet confirmed.

Apply now