Integrative Psychology Institute - Wariness
I've been wondering if the IPI is too good to be true... and so I recently attended the info session for Integrative Psych Institute and noticed some red flags. First, they reference outdated brain scan material that they say is the basis of the Psychosomatic training. Adam Carney, the businessman and founder, said in the call "in full transparency this is older research that isn't a full reflection we know now." I was shocked that he so blatantly admitted that the scientific basis and subsequent theoretical backbone of this program is old, inaccurate scientific data?
Secondly, according to their website they are still seeking a clear path to being recognized by any kind of licensing body. Yet they are marketing a MS program for licensure.. and don't tell you (even when directly asked) what state they are able to license in.
The greatest skill of these institute is their marketing. 10/10. However... the content is flimsy. I asked a question about teachers-- WHO is teaching the program? They said I could refer to a list of people on their website (that list does not tell me which people teach which course) and that there's some videos with different teachers. Despite having one core teacher, I'm concerned at the lack of clarity around who is sharing information.
I also have an extensive background in somatics, massage therapy, body-mind centering, continuum (deep somatic practices with a lot of lineage), and based on how they speak about the program, it all seems surface level, and I am concerned just from a content perspective that it will be simplistic, and entry-level.
My diagnosis is that they have certainly identified a problem: licensure routes being long and too focused on behavioral and diagnostic lens and lacking an integrated psych lens. This is exactly what Adam says is the most critical part of a successful therapy practice: identifying where the need is so your practice can go fill it. I disagree. A successful therapy practice is one that engages your clients with deep, transformational work. He never mentioned that reason. How about instead of building a business solely off of the needs of the market, you become a therapist by accessing your own gifts and seeing what you are called to bring forth and serve?
My initial suspicion and intuitive "something feels off" here, has in fact, been confirmed. Curious if others have had similar misgivings.