Become a Functional Imagery Training Practitioner

• To sign up for the course please email linda.solbrig@plymouth.ac.uk
• 7×2.5-hour group sessions, taught on Zoom
• One on One FIT training time to be arranged individually (about 1 hour)
• Clinical supervision and feedback on your recording session (1 hour), to be arranged individually
• Cost £985
• Total hours including self-study, practice and assessment: Approximately 40 hours
• Please note that the course can be taught one on one and/or tailored to a specific team/service in which case dates and times can be agreed upon request- just email me to enquire.

• Please also note that I do not train more than 15 trainees per course. I want to insure very high quality and provide room for questions and discussions. I also give much live feedback.

The FIT advanced practitioner status is awarded and certified only upon satisfactory completion of this course and its assessment.

There is an option to receive FIT Master Practitioner Status after completion of advanced status and satisfaction of a top-up assessment (enquire with Dr Linda Solbrig). 

The training, assessment and certification process is conducted by the FIT co-developer and primary developer of FIT for weight management: Dr Linda Solbrig (University of Plymouth and Dr Linda Solbrig Consultancy).

Motivational Interviewing for FIT teaching sessions and assessment (3×2.5 hours, taught on Zoom):

Trainees complete 7.5 hours of taught foundational Motivational Interviewing Training for FIT. We would expect you to set aside an additional 5 hours of self-study, using the provided learning resources.

MI sessions cover, but are not limited to: 

• We consider why people find change difficult and how MI can help
• We cover MI background, MI success to date and its application in various settings
• We consider patient-centred, collaborative, but directive approaches and the use of OARS in practice
• We give extra consideration the power of excellent reflection skills
• We consider how to best apply OARS and especially Reflection with very ambivalent clients
• We consider the MI 4 process model, engagement, evocation, focusing and planning, and how it is applied in practice
• We teach you how to use MI through videos, demos and exercises
• We engage you in MI role/real-play at several points throughout with an assigned buddy
• We consider the importance of OARS and the four-process model in FIT
• We take your questions and consider discussion throughout the sessions
• Brief assessment

Assessment info:

We ask you to participate in a short assessment on the final day of MI teaching sessions. This assessment comprises a series of client/patient statements and we will ask you to write example responses, using your new and/or refreshed MI skills.

We will ask you to complete this brief task online and Dr Linda Solbrig will give brief written feedback on your responses over the week that follows the end of your MI course section.

Your answers will be kept confidential and your responses are never shared with anyone other than Dr Linda Solbrig.

Please note the MI assessment is not a pass-fail part of the course; it simply gives the trainer an indication of where the group is in terms of their MI skills and how much depth of MI review needs to be addressed within the FIT teaching sessions. This should make the next part of the course much more effectively tailored to your needs.  

Learning resources provided MI for FIT part:

• MI example scripts for lifestyle change
• MI reading list, including copies of key academic MI publications
• FIT example video/audio that illustrates the importance of the use of MI in FIT
• Training power point slides in form of PDF document with all video and reading links
• Resources to self-check MI skills, like the MITI and our own simplified version to check MI skills in FIT interviews

Functional Imagery Training teaching sessions (4×2.5 hours, taught via Zoom)

We continue with 10 hours of taught FIT sessions. We would expect you to set aside an additional 5 hours of self-study, using the provided learning materials.

FIT Taught sessions cover, but are not limited to: 

• You will experience some brief parts of FIT and the use of imagery on yourself
• We briefly consider ethical conduct when using FIT
• We teach the research, rationale and theoretical background of FIT
• We review why MI is so important in FIT
• We teach you how to use FIT, through demonstrations, video and audio examples 
• We engage you in real-play on a peer at several points
• We consider the application of FIT, offer and discuss practise-based evidence examples and share observations
• We discuss how to use FIT to support other programs, such as prescribed diets and exercise regimes
• We learn how to flexibly and creatively adapt FIT training for clients with complexities, specific preferences, while retaining FIT fidelity
• We discuss how to use FIT in group settings
• We demonstrate and invite you to experience key exercises of FIT that address issues such as acute cravings, binge urges and periods of slow progress (weight loss plateau) 
• We discuss how to adapt FIT delivery for individuals with ADD and ADHD, to maximize performance outcomes for this client group
• We take your Questions and encourage discussion throughout the sessions

Learning resources provided for FIT:

• FIT handbook, including practise sections and FIT example scripts for lifestyle change
• FIT reading list, including copies of key academic FIT publications
• FIT example videos, case studies and brief written dialogues
• Training power point slides in form of PDF document
• Resources to self-check FIT skills and fidelity

2 practice sessions of FIT on Dr Linda Solbrig with live feedback are arranged individually with me and you can decide if you would like to use part of our time together to experience FIT on yourself and/or for any clinical supervision you may want.

FIT Advanced Practitioner Assessment (10 hours of FIT practise, 1×1 hour FIT session recording)

Throughout the course and following, I ask you to accumulate 10 hours of practice in FIT practicing on clients, friends, colleagues or family members.

Once you have accumulated 10 hours of FIT practice, please submit (via email, WhatsApp, Googledrive link, Dropbox or https://wetransfer.com/) 1×1 FIT first session audio recordings to me for written feedback and fidelity assessment (Linda@doctorlindasolbrig.com).

Please make sure you obtain verbal or written consent from your practise partner for this process. The only person who will have access to your recordings and who will assess them is Dr Linda Solbrig.

Please assure that you submit your recordings within 3 months of completing the taught section of the course.

Once you have received your feedback, I will arrange to have a Zoom or skype clinical supervision session with you to give you an opportunity to discuss your progress, challenges, personalised feedback and any other questions you may have.

Following this meeting your advanced FIT practitioner status will be confirmed and you will receive your certificate via email, certified by Dr Linda Solbrig Consultancy, in affiliation with The University of Plymouth.

You will then be allowed to use the FIT logo to advertise as offering FIT officially to clients and/or patients and will be included on the official FIT practitioner register hosted by the University of Plymouth on their website.

General competences the FIT advanced practitioner training builds

• Ability to engage client and to demonstrate and explain rationale for using and learning the use of FIT
• Ability to structure sessions and adhere to agreed agenda
• Ability to use active listening skills, collaboratively setting agenda, reflecting emotions and emphasising autonomy for behaviour change
• Using summaries and feedback to structure sessions
• Ability to assist client in decisional balance
• Show empathy for client’s dilemma
• Ability to elicit client’s ideas and incentives for change
• Ability to build client’s own motivation and confidence
• Ability to form and support client’s plans for change/goals
• Ability to teach client how to use the FIT way of thinking for themselves, outside of coaching sessions

FIT competences: behaviour change

• Knowledge of basic principles underpinning FIT
• Ability to elicit and gently guide vivid multisensory imagery, using prompts and silence appropriately
• Ability to employ imagery techniques to elicit goal imagery
• Ability to use imagery-based mental time travel to enhance discrepancy between current behaviour and core values
• Ability to use imagery to help client consider hypothetical scenarios
• Ability to keep main focus of interaction on positive imagery of proximal goals
• Ability to help client identify and imagine alternative behaviours, particularly where a goal involves abstinence or restraint
• Ability to assess client’s imagery
• Ability to elicit key cognitions/emotions via goal imagery
• Ability to detect, examine and help client reality test elicited cognitions/goal imagery
• Ability to elicit client’s imagery of past successes and use this to strengthen motivation and overcome current obstacles to change
• Ability to use confidence rulers to explore and strengthen client’s motivation and self-efficacy
• Ability to agree concrete plans and help the client problem solve in regards to setting goals and sub-goals, via the use of imagery
• Ability to end therapy in planned manner, and to plan for long-term maintenance of gains after treatment

FIT competences: behaviour maintenance

• Ability to assist with ongoing behaviour change using imagery techniques
• Ability to review original incentives and current progress, revising goal and goal imagery accordingly
• Ability to identify and affirm progress, even if partial
• Ability to sustain motivation when progress on specific goal seems slow by eliciting positive imagery and affect related to overarching life goals and values (plateau exercise)
• Ability to pair imagery techniques with frequent behaviours
• Ability to teach people to apply motivational imagery themselves
• Ability to identify appropriate imagery reminders
• Ability to set appropriate homework: To engage social support, take pictures, make videos

Problem-specific competences

• Ability to assist with cravings using imagery techniques
• Ability to flexibly tailor FIT exercises to specific needs and situations (delay, defer etc.)
• Dealing with low cognitive capacity
• Dealing with low imagery ability creatively using verbal thinking prompts that are imagery charged
• Coping with situations where imagery elicits too strong a reaction
• Ability to work in partnership with the client to deliver the support they need, such as potential recordings of personalised audios using client’s own verbal and imagery-based prompts and narrative

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