Commitment to Professional Training
Psychotherapy is a profession that requires not only theoretical knowledge but also personal development, experiential learning, clinical skills, and professional maturity. For this reason, attendance is considered an essential component of training at ACCPI.
Students are expected to attend 100% of all scheduled training modules whenever possible. While we recognise that unforeseen personal, family, professional, or health circumstances may occasionally prevent attendance, our expectation is that students make every reasonable effort to participate fully in the learning process.
The quality of psychotherapy training depends not only on the information delivered by trainers but also on active participation in discussions, experiential exercises, skills practice, group processes, demonstrations, and reflective learning activities. These aspects cannot always be fully replicated through independent study.
Why Attendance Matters
Psychotherapy training differs from many traditional academic programmes. Students learn not only through lectures and reading but also through observation, personal experience, role-play, clinical discussions, supervised practice, and interaction with colleagues and trainers.
Regular attendance allows students to:
- Build clinical skills progressively and systematically.
- Participate in experiential learning exercises.
- Engage in group discussions and reflective processes.
- Develop professional identity and competence.
- Strengthen therapeutic communication skills.
- Benefit from peer learning and professional networking.
- Integrate theoretical concepts with practical application.
Because each module contributes to a larger developmental process, absences may create gaps in learning that need to be addressed before progression through the programme.
Making Up Missed Training Modules
ACCPI recognises that occasional absences may be unavoidable. In such cases, students are required to make up any missed training hours.
The preferred method of making up missed attendance is by attending the same module with another ACCPI training group or cohort. Because many training topics are repeated across different cohorts, students are often able to recover missed content through participation in an equivalent module at a later date.
Where possible, students should arrange make-up attendance through the administrative secretary in advance. Records of completed make-up modules are maintained as part of the student’s training portfolio.
This approach ensures that students receive the full educational and experiential content originally intended within the curriculum.
Exceptional Circumstances
In rare and exceptional situations, attendance at a replacement module may not be possible within a reasonable timeframe. Examples may include international travel restrictions, serious illness, family emergencies, maternity leave, or other significant circumstances beyond the student’s control.
In such cases, ACCPI may approve an alternative academic assignment designed to demonstrate that the student has engaged with and understood the material covered during the missed module.
Typically, this will involve the submission of a written essay on the topic addressed during the training session. The essay should demonstrate:
- Understanding of the theoretical concepts presented.
- Critical reflection on the topic.
- Integration of relevant literature.
- Application of concepts to psychotherapeutic practice.
- Personal and professional learning outcomes.
The specific requirements, length, and submission deadlines will be determined by the trainer or academic coordinator.
Approval for essay-based compensation is granted only in exceptional circumstances and should not be regarded as a routine alternative to attendance.
Responsibility for Monitoring Attendance
Students are responsible for monitoring their own attendance and ensuring that any missed training hours are appropriately recovered. It is also the student’s responsibility to communicate absences promptly and to arrange make-up requirements in consultation with the administrative secretary.
Failure to complete required attendance recovery activities may affect progression within the programme, eligibility for examinations, certification requirements, or graduation timelines.
Flexibility Within a Framework of Excellence
ACCPI seeks to balance flexibility with professional responsibility. We understand that adult learners often combine training with professional, family, and personal commitments. At the same time, psychotherapy training requires a high level of commitment and engagement.
Our attendance policy is designed to support both educational quality and student success. By providing opportunities to attend missed modules with other cohorts and, when necessary, complete approved alternative assignments, we aim to ensure that every student receives the full benefit of the training while maintaining the high standards expected of future psychotherapists.
Attendance is therefore viewed not simply as an administrative requirement, but as an important expression of professional commitment, ethical responsibility, and respect for the learning process.