Summary of COVID-19 Exceptions and Updated Training and Supervision Requirements

Please see the ISST website for the full information.

1 January 2024

COVID-19 Exceptions

Exception period:  1 February 2020 through 31 December 2023

Conditions of exception:  All training and supervision hours that met ISST requirements completed during the COVID-19 exceptions period, whether they occurred in-person or online– will be counted as in-person hours for the purposes of certification.  This is to ensure clarity and fairness, as most trainees during this time had no choice but to receive training and supervision online.

Updated Training and Supervision Requirements

Effective date:  1 January 2024

Training

Up to 50 hours of the required 100 hours may be completed online, as long as training is synchronous, meaning live and interactive.  While previous ISST rules of procedure made no distinction between different types of online training, it is now clarified that in order to count toward certification, online training hours must be live and interactive. 

Note:  Exceptions for pre-existing asynchronous online training programs may be considered upon approval of the ISST Board.

Supervision

Individual supervision- At least 30 of the total required 80 hours of supervision must be completed in an individual format (1:1 with the Teaching Member).  Individual supervision may occur online or in-person.  You may complete all of the required  supervision hours individually, or you may opt to complete a portion of these hours in a group format. 

Group supervision- Up to 50 of the total required 80 hours may be completed in a group format, providing that the group structure meets ISST requirements AND the trainee presented their own case material for at least 20% of the total group supervision hours submitted.  This means that they do not need to present their own case material during every group supervision event, but they must have presented their own case material for at least 20% of the total group supervision hours listed in Appendix D on their ISST Application.  For example, if an applicant lists 50 hours, they must have presented their own case material for at least 10 of those hours; if they list 40 hours of group supervision, they must have presented their own case material for at least 8 of those hours, etc.)

In-person group supervision:  A maximum of 10 participants/trainees is allowed for in-person group supervision; however, the preferred number is 6.

Online group supervision:   Effective 1 January 2024 up to 30 of the maximum 50 hours of group supervision allowed, may be completed online, as long as the following additional requirements are met.

The supervisor must have an individual meeting with each group member prior to the commencement of an online group.

This meeting may take place in-person or online. The purpose of this meeting is to get to know the trainee, establish rapport, and learn about their professional background and Sandplay training.

There may be no more than 5 participants/trainees in an online supervision group. Each participant/trainee takes turns presenting their own case material.

Online group supervision sessions must meet for a minimum of 2 hours per session, during which time only one group member may present case material.

The composition of online supervision groups must remain consistent for at least one full cycle, meaning the same group members meeting with the same supervisor until each group member has presented case material for at least one session.