Practitioner Certification Standards

Current Draft Standards

This page publishes the current DEWA Practitioner Certification Standards draft for public orientation. It is the standards page for certification requirements, certificate types, protected designations, professional boundaries, and document control.

Status: v2026-07-05-draft. Effective date to be set upon adoption.

Until formal adoption, this page is a draft reference. It does not announce active certification issuance.

Certification Overview Assessment Templates

Deep Emotional Work Academy

Issued by: Emotion Coaching gUG (haftungsbeschraenkt)
Version: v2026-07-05-draft
Status: Internal adoption draft
Effective date: To be set upon adoption
Supersedes: Practitioner Certification Standards internal draft v2026-06-19; Practitioner Certification Standards v2026-03-05 once adopted

1. Purpose, Value, and Scope

The purpose of these standards is to protect the value of Deep Emotional Work Academy training and certification. A DEWA credential has value only when it means something clear: defined training, observed practice, documented competence, professional boundaries, continuing development, and quality assurance.

The Academy certifies practitioners in science-based techniques for emotional stabilization and processing. These standards define what certification requires, how competency is assessed, what each certificate means, and under what conditions protected designations may be used.

Certification is optional. Practitioners may complete Academy training programs without pursuing certification, and the educational value of the training stands on its own. Certification is required only when a person wishes to use a protected Academy designation such as DEW Practitioner.

These standards are written for certification candidates, certified practitioners, Academy instructors and supervisors, host institutions, and external partners evaluating the Academy.

These standards apply to all Academy training programs regardless of context, funding arrangement, delivery format, or country of delivery. Certification is issued at one of two levels: Deep Emotional Stabilization (DES, the Stabilization Level) and Deep Emotional Processing (DEP, the Processing Level), defined in Sections 1.1, 3.3, and 4.2. Every certified DEW Practitioner meets the same competency standard for the level held. Differences in professional background affect scope of practice and supervision requirements, not the standard of competence.

Deep Emotional Work (DEW) by Matthias Behrends is a multimodal system that integrates refined adaptations of science-based concepts and techniques for emotional work into one streamlined approach. The system includes Guided Affective Imagery and Breathing Techniques, Bilateral Stimulation for Emotional Processing (a.k.a. EMDR), Cognitive Behavioral (CBT) strategies and techniques, trauma-informed principles, humanistic psychology, and depth psychology primarily according to C. G. Jung. These techniques and frameworks also exist and are practiced independently of DEW. What is inherent to the DEW system is the way they are brought together: selected, combined, sequenced, and paced for a specific person, context, and purpose. Matthias Behrends cites Dr. med. Charlotte Baltrusch (ret.) as teacher, mentor, and a primary source for the techniques.

DEWA certification does not replace medical, psychological, psychotherapeutic, counseling, social-work, coaching, or bodywork qualifications. It certifies competence in the techniques and methods included in the DEW system, and in the way the DEW system brings them together, within the boundaries defined by the Academy and by the practitioner's independent professional qualifications.

1.1 Definitions

For the purposes of these standards:

• DEW system: the multimodal system described above: the techniques and methods included in it and the DEW-specific way of bringing them together.
• Stabilization / Deep Emotional Stabilization (DES): the techniques and skills used to establish safety, grounding, containment, emotional regulation, and access to internal resources. Also the name of the Stabilization Level of certification.
• Processing / Deep Emotional Processing (DEP): the techniques and skills used to work through emotionally charged material once stabilization is established. Also the name of the Processing Level of certification.
• Certification level: the level, Stabilization Level (DES) or Processing Level (DEP), at which a Certificate of Competency is issued under Section 3.3.
• Methodological supervision: structured supervision of how a practitioner applies the techniques and methods of the DEW system, covering safety, technique selection, sequencing, pacing, boundaries, documentation, and readiness for more independent practice. Methodological supervision is not clinical supervision. It does not include, and must not be represented as, clinical case management, diagnosis, treatment planning, or any professional duty reserved to licensed clinicians, and it does not replace clinical supervision required by law, employer policy, institutional governance, or a practitioner's independent professional role.
• Clinical supervision: supervision provided by an appropriately licensed clinical professional within that professional's legal and professional scope. The Academy does not provide clinical supervision under these standards.
• Protected designation: a title issued exclusively by the Academy under Section 12.
• Candidate: a person in Academy training pursuing certification under these standards.

2. Training Program Overview

The certification assessment in Sections 4 through 7 rests on a structured training program. The program develops knowledge, self-experience, technical skill, process awareness, ethical judgment, documentation discipline, and supervised application.

2.1 Training Phases

The Academy training pathway normally includes four progressive phases.

Phase 1: Self-Experience and Foundations. Candidates first encounter core Academy techniques from the recipient perspective. This phase develops personal familiarity with the depth, pacing, intensity, and limits of the work. It also introduces the Academy's professional boundaries, safety principles, method families, ethical framework, and stabilization-before-processing rule.

Phase 2: Technique Training. Candidates learn the practical application of stabilization and processing methods through live instruction, demonstration, guided practice, structured exercises, and feedback. Technique training covers at minimum Guided Affective Imagery and Breathing Techniques, Resource Work, Cognitive Behavioral (CBT) strategies and techniques for stabilization, Bilateral Stimulation for Emotional Processing, integration, closure, grounding, and documentation. Candidates pursuing the Stabilization Level complete the stabilization components; candidates pursuing the Processing Level complete both the stabilization and the processing components.

Phase 3: Supervised Practice. Candidates begin applying cleared techniques in practice settings under Academy supervision. Progression from stabilization techniques to processing techniques depends on instructor assessment of readiness. Candidates are not cleared to apply a technique independently merely because it has been taught.

Phase 4: Portfolio Assessment. Candidates submit documented practice, supervision records, self-reflection, and evidence of required learning activities. Certification is based on the full body of evidence, not on attendance alone or a single examination event.

2.2 Learning Outcomes

Before certification, candidates must demonstrate that they can:

• explain the purpose, scope, and boundaries of the DEW system, the techniques and methods included in it, and the way DEW brings them together;
• assess readiness before selecting an intervention;
• establish stabilization before processing;
• apply Academy core techniques safely, accurately, and responsively;
• recognize signs of overwhelm, dissociation, destabilization, or work beyond scope;
• pause, contain, ground, de-escalate, refer, or seek supervision when needed;
• document sessions precisely while preserving confidentiality and anonymization;
• reflect honestly on uncertainty, mistakes, learning points, and development needs;
• represent qualifications accurately to clients, host institutions, and professional partners.

The Academy maintains a detailed training curriculum and bibliography for candidates. External partners may request a curriculum summary when evaluating the Academy's training and certification framework.

3. Certificate Types

3.1 Certificate of Active Participation

A Certificate of Active Participation confirms that the holder attended and actively engaged in a defined Academy training program, phase, or module. It does not certify independent competency with clients or authorize use of the DEW Practitioner designation.

Requirements:

• attendance at a minimum of 85% of scheduled live sessions;
• active participation as assessed by the lead instructor;
• completion of assigned self-experience or practice exercises;
• no unresolved conduct, confidentiality, or safety violations.

The certificate states the participant's name, the program or module completed, dates, delivery format, and the fact of active participation. The certificate also carries a statement that it confirms active participation only, does not certify independent competency with clients, and does not authorize use of any protected Academy designation. It is signed by the lead instructor or Academy Director.

3.2 Certificate of Event Participation

A Certificate of Event Participation confirms attendance and active engagement at a defined on-site or live Academy event, such as a workshop, seminar, retreat day, or guest training delivered or expressly authorized by the Academy.

Requirements:

• attendance of the full event, or of a defined minimum announced before the event;
• active engagement in the event exercises as assessed by the lead instructor;
• no unresolved conduct, confidentiality, or safety violations.

The certificate states the participant's name, the event name, dates, location or delivery format, total contact hours, the technique or topic areas covered, and the perspective in which they were encountered, for example self-experience or guided peer practice. It is signed by the lead instructor or Academy Director.

A Certificate of Event Participation confirms participation in a single event only. It does not certify competency, does not authorize client-facing or participant-facing application of any technique, does not confer any protected designation, and is not a certification level. It carries the same limitation statement as the Certificate of Active Participation, and the designation-use rules in Section 12.5 apply to how it may be described.

Documented contact hours from Academy-delivered or Academy-authorized events may be credited toward training-phase requirements, the self-experience hours in Section 6.1, or the continuing professional development hours in Section 8, where the event content and records meet the requirements of these standards. Crediting decisions rest with the Academy and are recorded in the candidate or practitioner record. Event participation never reduces the competency, volume, supervision, or assessment requirements for certification.

3.3 Certificate of Competency

A Certificate of Competency confirms that the holder has demonstrated the ability to apply the techniques and methods of the DEW system at the certified level safely and effectively within defined boundaries. It is based on documented practice, structured feedback, supervision, self-reflection, and formal assessment against the competency domains in Section 4.

A Certificate of Competency is issued at one of two levels:

• Stabilization Level: Deep Emotional Stabilization (DES). Certifies competence in the stabilization technique group defined in Section 4.2.
• Processing Level: Deep Emotional Processing (DEP). Certifies competence in both the stabilization and the processing technique groups defined in Section 4.2. Processing Level certification presupposes that the Stabilization Level standard is met: stabilization before processing applies to the credential structure as it does to the work itself.

A Certificate of Competency is issued only after all certification requirements for the level are met. It states:

• practitioner name;
• date of certification;
• certification number;
• certification level: Stabilization Level (DES) or Processing Level (DEP);
• valid-until date;
• scope statement;
• applicable supervision requirement;
• signature of the Academy Director or authorized certification signatory.

The Certificate of Competency is the credential required for use of the protected designation DEW Practitioner at the corresponding level.

4. Competency Domains

Certification is assessed across four domains. A candidate must meet the required standard in each domain independently. Strength in one domain does not compensate for deficiency in another.

4.1 Domain 1: Client Safety and Boundaries

The practitioner demonstrates consistent awareness of safety, readiness, confidentiality, professional limits, and responsible escalation.

Assessed elements:

• readiness is assessed before any technique is introduced;
• stabilization is established before processing;
• signs of overwhelm, dissociation, or destabilization are recognized and addressed;
• the practitioner can pause, contain, ground, de-escalate, or stop the work when needed;
• professional boundaries are communicated clearly;
• referral or additional supervision is sought when a situation exceeds scope;
• confidentiality and anonymization are maintained in all documentation.

A single unaddressed safety failure in any submitted session triggers mandatory review, regardless of scores in other domains.

4.2 Domain 2: Technique Execution

The practitioner demonstrates correct, safe, and responsive application of Academy core techniques for the certification level pursued. The technique groups below state the minimum; the Academy curriculum maintains the authoritative technique register for each level.

Stabilization technique group: Deep Emotional Stabilization (DES). Required for all candidates at both levels:

• Guided Affective Imagery: correct induction, pacing, containment, and exit, including the Inner Safe Place technique;
• Breathing Techniques: appropriate selection, timing, and adaptation to client state;
• Resource Work: establishing, anchoring, and accessing internal resources;
• Cognitive Behavioral (CBT) strategies and techniques: identifying relevant cognitive patterns and selecting appropriate stabilization interventions;
• grounding, containment, and safe session closure across all techniques.

Processing technique group: Deep Emotional Processing (DEP). Required for Processing Level candidates in addition to the stabilization technique group:

• Bilateral Stimulation for Emotional Processing: appropriate readiness assessment, correct protocol execution, management of activation or abreaction, and safe closure;
• integration of processing with stabilization based on client state rather than protocol sequence alone;
• transition management between stabilization and processing, including the decision not to proceed with processing.

4.3 Domain 3: Process Awareness

The practitioner demonstrates understanding of why, when, and when not to apply techniques.

Assessed elements:

• coherent rationale for technique selection;
• correct phase identification: Stabilization, Processing, Integration;
• awareness of contraindications and situations where a technique should not be applied;
• ability to explain deviations from the planned approach;
• awareness of the relationship between the practitioner's own emotional state and the quality of the work;
• capacity to integrate feedback into subsequent practice.

4.4 Domain 4: Ethical Conduct and Professional Integration

The practitioner operates within the ethical and professional framework defined by the Academy.

Assessed elements:

• informed consent for recorded or submitted sessions;
• honest representation of qualifications and certificate status;
• no conflation of Academy certification with clinical licensure, psychotherapy qualification, diagnosis, or treatment authority;
• use of processing techniques only within the practitioner's scope and required supervision arrangement;
• appropriate documentation and record handling;
• respectful communication with clients, peers, supervisors, institutions, and the Academy.

5. Assessment Model

5.1 Continuous Assessment Through Documented Practice

The Academy does not certify practitioners based on a single examination event, and certification is not granted automatically after a fixed program duration. The standard is met when it is demonstrably met.

Certification is earned through a sustained body of documented work assessed over time. Once candidates begin practice application, they submit documented interactions for review. Each reviewed submission receives structured feedback. Candidates are expected to integrate that feedback into later sessions.

The certification decision is based on the complete portfolio: documented practice, assessment records, supervision records, self-experience, peer practice, instructor observations, development trajectory, and the candidate's ability to learn from feedback.

The Academy applies these standards equally to all candidates regardless of gender, origin, religion or belief, disability, age, or sexual identity. Reasonable adjustments to assessment format, scheduling, or documentation medium may be arranged for candidates with disabilities or comparable needs. Adjustments concern how competence is demonstrated, never whether the competency standard in Sections 4 and 5 is met.

5.2 Submission Requirements

Each documented client or practice interaction must include the components below. The Academy provides structured templates.

Consent and confidentiality record. Before any session is recorded or submitted for assessment, the candidate must obtain informed consent covering the recording, use for training and assessment, anonymization, storage, access, and deletion or retention rules. Evidence of consent must accompany each submission.

Pre-session assessment.

• anonymized client or participant context;
• relevant current emotional state and readiness considerations;
• planned technique or techniques;
• rationale for selection;
• scope and supervision considerations where relevant.

Session documentation.

• audio or video recording where required;
• structured protocol notes;
• sequence and timing of techniques applied;
• observed client or participant responses;
• deviations from the plan and reasons for each;
• closure, containment, grounding, and follow-up steps.

Post-session reflection.

• what worked and why;
• what did not work and why;
• moments of uncertainty or judgment calls;
• what the candidate would do differently;
• follow-up actions taken or recommended;
• supervision questions arising from the session.

5.3 Minimum Certification Volume

The following are minimum thresholds. Additional sessions, supervision, or training may be required when the portfolio shows development needs.

Direct instructor review means the session recording or equivalent approved documentation was reviewed by a qualified Academy instructor or authorized assessor and written or verbal feedback was provided.

At least 6 of the 18 supervision hours must be individual supervision. Group supervision hours count at full value only when the candidate makes a substantive contribution by presenting cases, receiving direct feedback, or engaging in structured case discussion.

At least 4 of the 10 peer practice sessions must include the candidate in the practitioner role applying processing techniques in a supervised, simulated, or otherwise Academy-cleared practice context.

Processing sessions may be submitted only after the candidate has been cleared by the supervising instructor to apply the relevant processing technique in the relevant context.

The volumes above state the requirements for Processing Level (DEP) certification. For Stabilization Level (DES) certification, the same minimums apply with the exception of the processing-specific requirements: the 8 sessions including processing techniques and the 4 peer practice processing sessions apply to Processing Level candidates only, and all sessions in a Stabilization Level portfolio are stabilization sessions.

A practitioner certified at the Stabilization Level who later pursues Processing Level certification retains credit for the documented Stabilization Level portfolio. The processing-specific requirements, and any additional documented practice the Academy requires based on the portfolio, must be met before Processing Level certification.

5.4 Evaluation Criteria

Each reviewed session is assessed against objective criteria organized by domain. Each criterion is rated Met or Not Met on the Academy's structured assessment template. Criteria that do not apply to a session are marked not applicable and excluded from the assessed-criteria counts. The assessment templates are maintained as separate controlled documents under Section 13. Scores may support the decision, but scores do not override safety, boundary, or scope requirements.

Client Safety and Boundaries:

• readiness assessment documented before technique application;
• stabilization established before processing;
• signs of overwhelm, dissociation, or destabilization recognized and addressed if present;
• session closed with explicit grounding or containment;
• no escalation beyond demonstrated client or participant capacity;
• referral, consultation, or supervision considered where appropriate;
• confidentiality and anonymization maintained.

Technique Execution:

• technique selected is appropriate for the current phase;
• initiation or induction protocol followed correctly;
• pacing adapted to observable client or participant state;
• containment or grounding provided before, during, or after the technique as needed;
• clean exit from the technique with no unresolved activation left open;
• processing work integrated with stabilization rather than treated as an isolated protocol.

Process Awareness:

• rationale for technique selection is coherent;
• phase identification is correct;
• contraindications considered and documented;
• deviations from plan explained with sound reasoning;
• post-session reflection identifies genuine learning points;
• candidate integrates prior feedback into later practice.

Ethical Conduct and Professional Integration:

• consent documented where recording or assessment submission is involved;
• qualifications and role represented accurately;
• scope and supervision requirements respected;
• documentation is precise, descriptive, and reconstructible;
• communication is respectful and professionally appropriate.

5.5 Passing Standard

To be certified, a candidate must:

• meet all minimum volume requirements in Section 5.3;
• meet the required standard in all four competency domains;
• meet at least 80% of assessed criteria cumulatively across reviewed submissions;
• have no reviewed session in which fewer than 60% of assessed criteria are met;
• have no unresolved Client Safety and Boundaries criterion;
• have no unresolved conduct, confidentiality, or scope violation;
• complete all required supervision and self-experience records.

No candidate may be certified while a safety failure, scope violation, or unresolved ethical concern remains open.

The passing standard applies per level. For Stabilization Level certification, Domain 2 is assessed on the stabilization technique group; for Processing Level certification, Domain 2 is assessed on both technique groups.

5.6 Handling of Submitted Records

Submitted recordings, protocols, and portfolio materials are used only for training, assessment, supervision, quality assurance, and complaint or appeal handling. Access is limited to the Academy Director and the instructors, supervisors, and authorized assessors involved in those functions, and, in anonymized form, to external quality reviewers under Section 9.4. Records are stored securely, handled in accordance with applicable data protection law, and retained only as long as needed to document the certification decision and meet legal obligations, after which they are deleted or anonymized. Retention periods and storage details are communicated to candidates before their first submission.

6. Additional Candidate Requirements

6.1 Self-Experience

Candidates must complete at least 10 hours of self-experience with Academy techniques. Self-experience means receiving the techniques themselves, not only observing or delivering them.

Self-experience is normally the starting point of training and must be documented before the candidate begins client-facing or participant-facing practice. A practitioner who has not experienced the depth and intensity of the methods from the recipient perspective cannot guide others responsibly.

6.2 Peer Practice

Candidates must document at least 10 structured peer practice sessions with fellow trainees, including mutual feedback. Peer practice is separate from client-facing or participant-facing work. It serves as the bridge between self-experience, technique training, and supervised application.

6.3 Supervision

Candidates must complete at least 18 hours of supervision before a certification decision is made. Supervision may be individual or group-based, subject to the requirements in Section 5.3.

Supervision under these standards is methodological supervision as defined in Section 1.1 unless expressly stated otherwise. It focuses on safety, technique selection, process awareness, documentation, professional boundaries, feedback integration, and readiness for certification. It does not replace clinical supervision required by law, employer policy, institutional governance, or the practitioner's independent professional role.

7. Certification Decision

7.1 Decision Authority

Certification decisions are made by the Academy Director or by a designated DEW Instructor or authorized assessor with certification authority granted by the Academy Director.

The decision is based on the complete candidate record: portfolio, assessment criteria, supervision records, self-experience, peer practice, conduct record, and documented instructor observations.

Assessors and certification decision-makers must disclose any significant personal, financial, or other relationship with a candidate beyond the normal training and supervision relationship. Where such a conflict exists and another authorized assessor is available, the assessment or decision is reassigned. Where no alternative assessor is available, the conflict and the reasons for proceeding are documented in the candidate record, and the candidate retains the appeal rights in Section 7.3.

7.2 Possible Outcomes

Certified. All requirements for the level pursued are met. A Certificate of Competency is issued at that level. The practitioner may use the designation DEW Practitioner at the certified level within the scope stated on the certificate.

Certified at Stabilization Level with Processing Level deferred. A Processing Level candidate who meets all requirements for the Stabilization Level but not yet the processing-specific requirements may be certified at the Stabilization Level, with the Processing Level deferred under a written development plan. This is a full Stabilization Level certification in its own right, not a reduced Processing Level credential.

Certification deferred with development plan. The candidate is not yet certified, but the gaps are specific and addressable. The Academy provides a written development plan identifying required additional practice, supervision, documentation, or reassessment. The candidate may not use the DEW Practitioner designation during this period.

Not yet certified. Significant gaps remain in one or more competency domains. The candidate receives written feedback and may re-enter assessment after additional practice and supervision. A minimum interval of 90 days applies before reassessment unless the Academy specifies a longer interval.

Certification declined. Certification is declined when ethical, safety, scope, confidentiality, or conduct concerns make certification inappropriate. The Academy may decline certification regardless of technical scores. The decision is documented and communicated in writing.

7.3 Appeals

A candidate who receives a Not yet certified or Certification declined decision may request a formal review within 30 days of written notification. A Certification deferred with development plan decision is not subject to formal appeal because it defines a direct completion path; a candidate may instead request clarification or amendment of the development plan in writing.

The appeal must be submitted in writing and must state the specific grounds for reconsideration. Valid grounds include procedural error, evidence that relevant submitted material was not considered, conflict of interest, or new information that was not available at the time of the original decision.

Appeals are reviewed by a qualified Academy instructor or authorized assessor who was not responsible for the original decision. Where no suitable internal reviewer is available, the appeal is referred to an external advisor appointed by the Academy for that purpose.

The reviewer may uphold the original decision, recommend reassessment of specific portfolio elements, or recommend reconsideration of the certification decision. The outcome is communicated in writing, normally within 60 days of appeal submission.

8. Validity, Renewal, and Continuing Development

Certificates of Competency are valid for three years from the date of issue.

Renewal requires:

• documented evidence of continued practice: at least 30 DEW-relevant client, participant, training, or supervised application sessions during the three-year period;
• continuing supervision or consultation: at least 12 hours with a qualified DEW Supervisor, DEW Instructor, or Academy-approved supervisor during the three-year period;
• continuing professional development: at least 24 hours of relevant professional development, which may include Academy training, peer learning, approved external training, professional education, or supervised teaching activity;
• confirmation that the practitioner has represented the credential accurately;
• no unresolved complaints, conduct issues, confidentiality violations, or scope violations.

Practitioners are responsible for initiating renewal before their certificate expires. A 90-day grace period may be granted after expiry, but the practitioner may not use the DEW Practitioner designation during the grace period unless the Academy gives written temporary authorization. Temporary authorization may be granted only while a complete renewal application has been submitted and is under review, and it ends when the renewal decision is made.

Certificates not renewed within the grace period lapse. A lapsed practitioner must complete the renewal or reassessment process defined by the Academy before using the designation again.

Renewal applies per level held. The Academy may require that Processing Level renewal evidence includes processing-related practice and supervision.

The Academy may set additional renewal requirements for practitioners who apply processing techniques without holding an independent clinical license, for instructors, for supervisors, or for practitioners returning after a long period of inactivity.

9. Quality Assurance

9.1 Assessor Calibration

All instructors and assessors authorized to review certification portfolios participate in periodic calibration. Calibration is used to maintain consistent interpretation of criteria across candidates, cohorts, countries, and delivery formats.

During any period in which the Academy has a single authorized assessor, calibration is fulfilled through documented review of assessment decisions against the published criteria and, once established, through review by the external advisory function described in Section 9.4.

9.2 Portfolio Audits

A sample of certification portfolios is reviewed annually by the Academy Director or an authorized quality reviewer. Audits verify that decisions were consistent with these standards, that documentation was sufficient, and that safety or scope issues were handled appropriately.

Where the Academy Director made the original certification decision, the audit of those portfolios is included in the scope of the external advisory review function once it is established under Section 9.4. Until then, audit notes are documented and retained for that review.

9.3 Standards Review

The Academy reviews aggregated assessment data at least annually. Data may include pass rates, common development areas, frequency of safety flags, scoring distributions, reassessment outcomes, complaints, and renewal patterns. This review informs updates to curriculum, supervision, assessment templates, instructor calibration, and these standards.

9.4 External Quality Assurance

Within 12 months of adopting these standards, the Academy will establish an external advisory review function. The advisory function will include at least two members external to the Academy's training and assessment staff, selected for relevant expertise such as clinical psychology, psychotherapy, trauma-informed practice, ethics, professional education, nonprofit training, or quality assurance.

The external advisory role may include:

• reviewing anonymized samples of certification decisions;
• advising on consistency and fairness of assessment practice;
• reviewing annual quality data;
• advising on standards updates;
• serving as an external reviewer for appeals or complaints where internal review would create a conflict of interest.

External reviewers do not receive identifiable client records unless the Academy has a lawful basis, documented consent, and appropriate confidentiality arrangements.

After the external advisory function is established, the Academy will publish the names and professional backgrounds of standing advisory members unless confidentiality or safety considerations require otherwise.

The Academy will maintain an annual quality summary for certified practitioners, current candidates, and relevant external partners. The summary may report aggregated assessment data, standards updates, external review findings, and improvement actions without disclosing confidential candidate or client information.

10. Complaints and Conduct Concerns

Any person may raise a concern about the conduct of a certified DEW Practitioner, DEW Apprentice, DEW Instructor, DEW Supervisor, candidate, or the Academy's own certification process.

Complaints should be submitted in writing to the Academy Director. If the complaint concerns the Academy Director, the Academy will route the complaint to an external advisor or another suitable reviewer.

The Academy normally acknowledges complaints within 14 days where contact details are available. A substantive response, resolution plan, or investigation update is normally provided within 60 days.

Complaints involving potential client safety, confidentiality, scope, exploitation, abuse of designation, or serious professional misconduct are prioritized. Interim measures may include supervision requirements, temporary suspension of a designation, limits on use of processing techniques, removal from a practitioner directory, or cessation of designation use pending review.

Where a complaint is substantiated, final outcomes may include no further action, required supervision or retraining, conditions on practice or designation use, suspension, or revocation of a certificate or designation authorization. The person concerned receives the substance of the concern in writing, has an opportunity to respond before a final decision, and may request a formal review of a suspension or revocation decision under the process in Section 7.3.

The Academy maintains a confidential record of complaints and outcomes. Aggregated complaint data may be included in the annual quality summary.

11. Professional Boundaries

The Academy teaches educational techniques for emotional stabilization and processing. Academy certification does not constitute a clinical license, psychotherapy qualification, medical qualification, psychological license, counseling license, diagnosis authority, or authorization to treat mental health conditions unless the practitioner independently holds such credentials from a recognized regulatory body.

Every certified DEW Practitioner is certified at a stated level. Practitioners certified at the Stabilization Level (DES) apply stabilization techniques only; they do not apply processing techniques with clients or participants except within Academy training structures, under instructor clearance and supervision, while pursuing Processing Level certification. For practitioners certified at the Processing Level (DEP), the right to apply processing techniques independently depends on professional background, local law, institutional governance, and the scope statement on the practitioner's certificate.

Scope rule for Processing Level practitioners:

• Practitioners who hold an independent clinical license from a recognized regulatory body may apply processing techniques independently when this is within their license, legal scope, professional competence, and institutional responsibilities.
• Practitioners without an independent clinical license apply processing techniques only under the supervision of licensed clinical staff or a designated DEW Supervisor, and only within the scope defined by the Academy and the setting in which they work.

Where the supervising DEW Supervisor is not independently clinically licensed, that supervision is methodological supervision as defined in Section 1.1. It does not substitute for clinical oversight. In clinical or patient-facing settings, the use of processing techniques additionally requires the review, approval, and supervision by qualified authorities within the receiving institution described in the Boundary Statement.

Certified practitioners must represent their qualifications honestly. They must not imply that DEWA certification authorizes diagnosis, treatment, psychotherapy, medical care, psychological practice, or clinical service delivery beyond their independent professional credentials.

12. Protected Designations

The following designations are issued exclusively by the Deep Emotional Work Academy. They may be used only by individuals who meet the stated requirements and hold valid written authorization from the Academy.

12.1 DEW Apprentice

A DEW Apprentice is a practitioner in active Academy training under direct DEW Instructor supervision.

DEW Apprentices may apply only the techniques they have been individually cleared to apply by their supervising instructor, and only within the context and limits specified by that instructor. They do not operate independently as DEW Practitioners.

The Apprentice designation is a supervised training status, not a certification. It expires when the individual certifies as a DEW Practitioner at the level pursued, discontinues training, or loses authorization from the Academy. A practitioner certified at the Stabilization Level who trains toward the Processing Level keeps the DEW Practitioner (DES) designation and applies processing techniques in training under instructor clearance and supervision; a renewed Apprentice designation is not required.

Apprentice status requires active enrollment and ongoing supervision within Academy training. The status lapses after a period of documented training inactivity defined by the Academy and communicated at authorization, unless the supervising instructor confirms continued active status in writing.

12.2 DEW Practitioner

A DEW Practitioner is a certified practitioner authorized to apply the techniques and methods included in the Deep Emotional Work system, and the DEW-specific way of bringing them together, at the certified level and within the scope stated on the Certificate of Competency.

The designation carries the certification level: DEW Practitioner (DES) for the Stabilization Level and DEW Practitioner (DEP) for the Processing Level. In professional listings, proposals, and client-facing materials, the designation is used together with the certified level.

The DEW Practitioner designation requires:

• a valid Certificate of Competency, or current written temporary authorization from the Academy during a renewal grace period under Section 8;
• compliance with the scope statement on the certificate;
• current standing with the Academy, meaning no active suspension, no revocation, no unresolved conduct, confidentiality, or scope proceeding, and no lapsed certificate;
• compliance with renewal, supervision, conduct, and designation-use rules.

Each level is one designation with one competency standard, and the Stabilization Level is a complete credential in its own right, not a partial Processing Level credential. Scope annotations reflect operational and legal requirements under the scope rule in Section 11, including the supervision requirement for processing techniques where the practitioner holds no independent clinical license. They do not indicate a lower or higher training quality tier within a level.

12.3 DEW Instructor

A DEW Instructor is an experienced DEW Practitioner, or a holder of documented founding status whose role in developing the DEW system predates these standards, authorized by the Academy to deliver training and assess DEW Apprentices or certification candidates.

Post-founding Instructor authorization normally requires:

• valid standing as a DEW Practitioner or documented equivalent founding status;
• substantial experience applying the techniques and methods included in the DEW system across a range of clients, participants, or training contexts;
• completion of Academy instructor preparation or apprenticeship;
• observed training delivery assessed by the Academy Director or authorized senior instructor;
• demonstrated ability to teach method, safety, boundaries, documentation, and feedback integration;
• participation in assessor calibration and continuing professional development;
• ongoing alignment with the DEW system as taught by the Academy, Academy ethics, and these quality standards.

Instructor authorization may be limited by technique, module, language, region, cohort type, or assessment authority. Not every instructor is automatically authorized to make certification decisions.

12.4 DEW Supervisor

A DEW Supervisor is authorized by the Academy to provide methodological supervision to DEW Practitioners, DEW Apprentices, or candidates.

DEW Supervisor authorization requires demonstrated ability to assess practitioner safety, support technique selection, identify scope issues, provide structured developmental feedback, and evaluate readiness for more independent practice.

DEW Supervisors may be clinically licensed professionals, experienced DEW Instructors, or individuals whose qualifications the Academy accepts as sufficient for methodological supervision. Where a DEW Supervisor is not independently clinically licensed, their role is limited to methodological supervision and does not extend to clinical case management, diagnosis, treatment planning, or professional duties reserved to licensed clinicians.

Supervisor authorization may be limited by scope, technique, setting, language, region, or candidate type.

12.5 Use and Protection of Designations

Unauthorized use of a protected designation, use after expiry, or use outside the stated scope violates these standards.

No person may use a variation, abbreviation, translation, or qualified form of a protected designation in a way that implies a certification or authorization the person does not hold. Prohibited forms include, for example, "DEW Practitioner in training", "DEW-certified", and "certified in Deep Emotional Work". Claiming Processing Level (DEP) status, scope, or competence while certified only at the Stabilization Level (DES) is a designation violation. Candidates in active training may describe their status only with the designation DEW Apprentice, where authorized, or with factual language such as "candidate in Academy training". Participation and event certificates under Sections 3.1 and 3.2 may be described only as what they are: confirmation of participation, never as certification or competency.

The Academy may require cessation of use, remove a person from directories or Academy materials, suspend or revoke authorization, and inform relevant organizations or clients where a designation is used without valid authorization or in a misleading way.

The Academy confirms the current certification or authorization status of any named individual on written request, without disclosing confidential assessment or client records. The certification number on a Certificate of Competency exists to support this verification.

13. Adoption, Review, and Document Control

These standards take effect only after formal adoption by Emotion Coaching gUG / Deep Emotional Work Academy. Until then, this document is an internal adoption draft.

Founding phase. Until the first DEW Instructors and DEW Supervisors are authorized under Section 12, the instructor, assessor, and supervision functions described in these standards are carried out by the Academy Director as founder of the DEW system, supported where appropriate by external supervisors or advisors with relevant qualifications engaged by the Academy for that purpose. All other certification requirements, including the minimum volumes in Section 5.3 and the passing standard in Section 5.5, apply unchanged during the founding phase.

Training, certification, renewal, and event participation are services of the Academy and may be subject to fees. Fees are set and communicated outside these standards, for example in the Academy's published fee schedule or pricing information on the Academy website. Payment of fees does not create an entitlement to any certificate, designation, or renewal; certification and renewal decisions are based solely on the requirements in this document. Where funded or subsidized access is offered, the same certification requirements apply. These standards are maintained in English as the authoritative version. If the Academy provides translations, the English version prevails in case of any discrepancy.

The Academy reviews these standards at least annually and may update them based on quality assurance data, external review, legal or regulatory developments, candidate experience, practitioner feedback, institutional partner feedback, and further development of the DEW system.

Changes that materially affect certification requirements, protected designations, renewal, scope, supervision, or complaints are recorded in a version history or adoption note.

Assessment templates and evaluation sheets are maintained as separate controlled documents aligned with these standards. They may be updated independently for clarity and usability. Where a template and these standards diverge, these standards prevail.

Boundary Statement

Deep Emotional Work Academy materials are non-clinical professional education by default. They are not medical or psychological advice, diagnosis, treatment, psychotherapy, cure, or a guaranteed mental-health outcome. Any clinical use, patient-facing application, or integration into institutional standards of practice requires review, adaptation, approval, and supervision by qualified authorities within the receiving institution. Those decisions remain within the responsibility, qualifications, governance structures, and legal scope of the participating professionals and host institution. Matthias Behrends is not a licensed therapist or psychologist.

Deep Emotional Work Academy
Emotion Coaching gUG (haftungsbeschraenkt), Mannheim, Germany
www.deepemotionalwork.academy

Copyright Emotion Coaching gUG. All rights reserved. This document may be shared in its entirety for informational purposes. Modification or partial reproduction requires written permission from Emotion Coaching gUG.