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Learn more about what it means to be a 

TRAUMA MODEL THERAPY LEVEL 1 CLINICIAN

What this means for the client or patient

For a person seeking care, a TMT Level 1 Clinician offers something rare: safety through competency. A Trauma Model Therapy (TMT) Level 1 Clinician hasn't just watched a video—they have demonstrated a robust understanding of how trauma impacts a person, how a survivor of trauma adapts to their circumstances, how to recognize those impacts, how to help a person understand themselves, and how trauma can lead to a spectrum of dissociative experiences. 


When you see a therapist with this training, you are working with someone who:

  • Doesn't Pathologize You: They see your symptoms as brilliant survival strategies, not a broken brain.

  • Uses Objective Data: They won't leave you wondering about your diagnosis; they use validated tools to provide clear answers.

  • Specializes in Dissociation: They are trained to see what many generalist therapists miss, ensuring you don't spend years in the wrong type of treatment.

  • Has Been Vetted: They have demonstrated their skills to experts in the field, ensuring they can sit with your heavy history with calm and clinical confidence.

Terms clinicians are permitted to use once requirements have been met:


“Trauma Model Therapy Level 1 Trained” or “TMT Level 1 Trained” 

  • Completed TMT Level 1 Training 


“Trauma Model Therapy Level 1 Clinician” or “TMT Level 1 Clinician” 

  • Completed TMT Level 1 Training 

  • Completed 2 hours of TMT Level 1 Group Consultation 

  • Completed 1 hour of TMT Level 1 Individual Consultation 

"Trauma Model Therapy is more than a set of tools; it is a commitment to seeing the human being behind the survival system. Level 1 is the first step in that journey."

Understanding TMT Level 1 Training:
A Standard of Clinical Excellence

When a person attains TMT Level 1 Clinician status, it signifies they have moved beyond general trauma-informed care and into a specialized, attuned, data-driven framework for resolving complex trauma and dissociation. This designation ensures that the provider understands the logic of survival and possesses the objective tools to navigate even the most complex clinical presentations.

PART 1

The Knowledge Base:
The Theoretical Foundation

The journey begins with an intensive, asynchronous curriculum designed to replace clinical myths with empirical data. A clinician who has completed TMT Level 1 Training has learned the following: 


  • The 5 Principles of Trauma Model Therapy: The foundational perspective used to explain a person’s survival strategies.

    • Attachment to the Perpetrator 

    • Locus of Control Shift 

    • The Problem is not THE PROBLEM

    • Addiction is the Oppositive of Desensitization 

    • The Victim-Rescuer-Perpetrator Triangle

  • The Definition and History of Dissociation: An overview of the history and neurobiology of dissociation, moving beyond surface symptoms to understand structural changes in the self.

  • The Spectrum of Dissociation: A deep dive into the 5 Dissociative Disorders, how to interpret and recognize the definitions associated with the diagnostic criteria, and how to decode the nuances within the diagnostic criteria. 

    • Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID): A disruption of identity characterized by two or more distinct personality states. 

    • Dissociative Amnesia: The inability to recall important autobiographical information.

    • Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder: Persistent or recurrent experiences of detachment from one's self or surroundings. 

    • Other Specified Dissociative Disorder (OSDD): Presentations of pathological dissociation that cause significant distress but do not meet full criteria for any specific disorder. 

    • Unspecified Dissociative Disorder (UDD): Used when a clinician chooses not to specify the reason that criteria for a specific dissociative disorder are not met. 

  • Objective Assessment Mastery: TMT Level 1 attendees are trained in the gold-standard tools of the field for screening and assessing trauma and dissociation, moving from subjective guessing to objective measurement using:

    • Screening Tools

      • The ACE IQ (Adverse Childhood Experiences International Questionnaire) 

      • The DES II (Dissociative Experiences Scale)

      • SDQ-20 (Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire)

    • Assessment Tools

      • The DDIS (Dissociative Disorders Interview Schedule)

      • The MID (Multidimensional Inventory of Dissociation)

      • SCID-D (Structured Clinical Interview for Dissociative Disorders)

  • Specialized DID Training: Comprehensive foundational education on Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), its misunderstood prevalence, indicators that should alert a clinician to screen further, secondary features that are unique to DID and validated questions to ask as part of the differential diagnosing process, and a structured vocabulary for accurate diagnosis and patient education.

PART 2

Clinical Integration Through Standardized Consultation

Knowledge is only as good as its application. To become a TMT Level 1 Clinician, clinicians must transition from the classroom to active consultation, demonstrating their skills in both group and individual settings.


Group Consultation: Collaborative Strategy

Hours Required: 2 

Cost: $100


In these structured sessions, clinicians work in small cohorts (2–4 peers) to:

  • Apply TMT Principles to active, real-world trauma cases.

  • Refine their clinical lens by analyzing how the model changes their view of "treatment-resistant" symptoms.

  • Receive expert input to ensure the highest level of support for their clients.


TMT Level 1 Group Consultation question that each TMT Consultee must answer: 

  • Which TMT Principle has impacted the work you are doing with clients or changed the way in which you view your cases?


Individual Consultation: Demonstrated Mastery

Hours Required: 1

Cost: $100


To earn TMT Level 1 Clinician status, a clinician must personally demonstrate proficiency to a TMT consultant. They are required to:

  • Explain the Unexplainable: Translate complex concepts like PTSD, dissociation, addiction, and complex trauma into clear, empowering language for the patient.

  • Tool Proficiency: Explain exactly how and why they utilize specific assessment tools in their practice.

  • Diagnostic Integrity: Demonstrate the proper use of the "DID Questions" to ensure accurate identification and non-pathologizing treatment.


TMT Level 1 Individual Consultation questions that each TMT Consultee must answer: 

  • Give a brief overview of each TMT Principle. 

  • Explain the tools that you utilize for assessing trauma and/or dissociation.

    • Screening vs diagnostic tools 

  • Explain how you use the DID questions listed in the handout from the Level 1 Module 4 lesson entitled “DID Secondary Features & The DID Questions.”

    • Indicators vs secondary features 

  • How would you explain PTSD to someone? 

  • How would you explain complex trauma to someone? 

  • How would you explain dissociation to someone? 

  • How would you explain addiction to someone? 

PART 3

The Provider Directory

Once a clinician has achieved TMT Level 1 Clinician by successfully navigating the TMT Level 1 training, the TMT role-plays, and the rigorous TMT Consultation process, they are eligible to join the TMT Provider Directory. This directory serves as a trusted resource for patients worldwide to find professionals who have mastered the logic of trauma and the art of recovery.


Unlike many certification programs, we make the conscious choice to add you to the directory before they are TMT Certified. Why? Because people need your expertise, and they need to be able to find you! We believe that the only way more people are going to find targeted care and achieve their ideal life is if we make that care accessible. We want to begin elevating and amplifying you early in the process. We hope that our perspective will inspire you to do your part in making your services accessible to people who really need it. 

GET TRAINED IN TRAUMA MODEL THERAPY

1

Level 1

Level 1 training is focused on introducing you to the model, the 5 Principles of TMT, helping you learn how to conceptualize TMT, how to diagnose properly, and how to become competent in detecting and working with complex trauma & dissociation. You will have a chance to watch multiple role plays with Dr. Ross during this training.

CE Info

7 General Hours

CE Provider: Get Into Your Head Training

Price

$350

Enroll Now

2

Level 2

Level 2 training will focus on general strategies you as a therapist need to know and employ in order to do the most effective work with any type of client who has experienced trauma. We will immerse you in the TMT Mindset and cover ethics. You will watch new role plays with Dr. Ross. We will also cover how to pair TMT with well-known modalities like EMDR & DBT.

CE Info

11 General Hours

CE Provider: Get Into Your Head Training

Introductory Price

$200

Request to Enroll

3

Level 3

Level 3 training will focus on tangible activities you can do with clients who experience complex PTSD, dissociation, or who have DID. This will include direction on how to work with complicated cases and DID parts/alters or DID systems. You will watch more role plays with Dr. Ross. We will also cover how to pair TMT with well-known models like IFS and Ego State Therapy. 

CE Info

General & Ethics Hours

Approved by NBCC

Introductory Price

$200

Coming Soon

WHEN YOU'RE READY FOR TMT CONSULTATION.
FIND SPECIALIZED, PROFESSIONAL MENTORSHIP.

SKILLS ARE TAUGHT. EXCELLENCE IS MODELED. EXPERTISE IS DEVELOPED.

FIND YOUR TMT CONSULTANT.

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LEARN MORE ABOUT ALL OF THE TMT DESIGNATIONS

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