PORT Level 1 & 2 – Integrated Couples Therapy Certification

Develop a unified, presence-based approach that integrates the best of Gottman, EFT, Imago, PACT, and the Developmental Model. Learning and practicing Presence Oriented Relationship Therapy (PORT) gives you the structure and confidence to bring the leading couples therapy models together in one practical, embodied framework.

Program Schedule

Level 1 – Foundations (Integrated with Level 2)

Learning begin with the online Level 1 module completed at your pace and timing before the first live Level 2 workshop session. Each live Level 2 workshop is carefully aligned with the online Level 1 workshop. Every module includes concise video lessons, guided exercises, and practice activities designed to prepare you for live sessions and deepen your understanding afterward. Expect around two and a half hours per week of self paced Level 1 learning.  You gain access to the online content from the 1st of March.

Level 2 – Live Cohort (Applied Practice)
The live component runs for eight weeks of small-group training and supervision. Each week includes a two-and-a-half-hour interactive session focused on applied practice and integration, combined with about two and a half hours of self-paced study from Level 1—making a total weekly immersion of around five hours. The next cohort runs from March 10 to April 28, 2026. Live sessions are held Tuesdays at 11:00 a.m. NZDT / 9:00 a.m. AEDT / Mondays at 6:00 p.m. ET. All sessions are recorded for training purposes and the teacher led aspects are available for review.  Breakout rooms and demo sessions are confidential.  I

Continuing Education and Certification

The full program provides 40 total training hours—20 integrated self-paced and 20 live. Approved for 10 OPD points by the Australian Counselling Association. Certificates of completion are issued for both Level 1 and Level 2. Graduates are eligible to continue toward the PORT Level 3 Advanced Certification Pathway. 

Curriculum Overview

Level 1 – Integrated Foundations
Level 1 introduces the PORT Framework—Presence, Orientation, Regulation, and Tracking—and shows how the five major models can be mapped into one coherent system. Learners explore the Relational Brain Model and progress through increasing levels of couples attunement. Weekly practice assignments and reflections connect directly to each live training theme, helping integrate the material into embodied clinical practice.

Level 2 – Applied Practice Lab
Level 2 focuses on integration in real time. Participants learn to use the PORT Process Map to structure and flow through a session while maintaining presence and flexibility. Training includes supervised live practice, case consultation, and collaborative reflection groups. The program concludes with a final integration assessment and the Level 2 certification.

What You Receive

Enrolment includes lifetime access to all Level 1 materials and recordings, eight weeks of live Level 2 training, a structured weekly learning plan combining theory and practice, downloadable worksheets and process maps, and access to an ongoing community of graduates for peer consultation. Completion also provides eligibility for advanced PORT certification.

Enrollment and Pricing

The full program for PORT Levels 1 and 2 is $1,295. The next live cohort begins March 10, 2026 11 AM - 1:30 PM New Zealand (9 AM - 11:30 AM Sydney)

The price is $595 (USD) for US participants.

Payment Plan

Pay in 3 monthly installments. You will enter your credit card for the first payment. Subsequent payments will be taken through the same card. Note: all payment plans are in United States Dollars

Regular Payment Plan

Continuing Education

Australian Counseling Association - Approved for 10 OPD Points

Better After Betrayal Intensive Level 1 & 2 - Very Early Registration $795 (Will be $995 starting May 1, full price will be $1295)

Participants will get full access to Level 1 at registration. Level 2 will start September 1, 2026. View Full Schedule

Continuing Education: Approved by the Australian Counselling Association for 10 OPD Points

Supporting couples after an affair is some of the most challenging therapeutic work we face. Clients arrive dysregulated, frightened, shame-filled, or defensive. Sessions can escalate quickly. Therapists must hold safety, track multiple states, manage disclosures, guide regulation, and maintain clarity all at once.

This 20-hour Intensive gives you a complete, structured model for safely and confidently guiding clients from the initial shock of betrayal through to genuine repair, reconnection, and secure attachment.

Developed and taught by PORT Clinical Director
Steven Dromgool, this course brings together:

- neurobiology

- attachment science

- developmental mapping

- structured disclosure

- somatic co-regulation

- trust repair protocols

- live demonstrations

- practitioner tools and templates

You’ll walk away with clarity, structure, and confidence for when it matters most.

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Who This Course Is For

Designed for practitioners across Australia and New Zealand:

- Counsellors

- Psychologists

- Psychotherapists

- Social Workers

- Family Therapists

- Mental Health Practitioners

- Relationship & Couples Therapists

- Individual clinicians who frequently see betrayal themes

If you support clients navigating infidelity, mistrust, confusing disclosures, emotional volatility, or complex attachment injuries; then this training is for you.

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What You’ll Be Able to Do After This Training

By the end of this program, you will:

- Confidently structure all four phases of betrayal recovery

- Stabilise highly reactive couples using somatic and relational co-regulation strategies

- Identify gaslighting dynamics and manage reality distortion safely

- Conduct structured disclosure without escalating harm

- Understand the neurobiological impact of betrayal (shock, identity collapse, threat perception)

- Guide couples toward predictable, safe relational rhythms

- Rebuild attachment using the baby/child/adult brain model

- Support clients to develop “Relationship 2.0”—a meaningful, more secure partnership

- Reduce therapist overwhelm using clear session maps and tools

The Pre-Course Foundations 

Three essential primers:

- 5 Challenges Couples Face After an Affair

- Betrayal First Aid

- Mapping the Why

These provide critical context for the full framework and help ensure you start the Intensive prepared and grounded.

Four Demonstration Sessions With Clinical Commentary

Watch real clinical footage of
Steven Dromgool working with betrayal dynamics.
See, moment-by-moment:

- how to track nervous system states

- when to scaffold safety

- how to intervene without escalation

- how to restore connection organically

- what to say (and not say) during critical moments

These are rarely offered in betrayal-focused trainings and are consistently cited as the most transformative part of the program.

Practitioner Toolkit (Downloadable Templates & Guides)

Includes:

- Safety plan and session structure templates

- Fidelity contract framework

- Structured disclosure preparation worksheets

- Co-regulation scripts & prompts

- Developmental/sexual blueprint tools

- Therapist checklists for each phase of recovery

Everything you need to support clients immediately.

Relational Brain Model: Clinician Guide

A practical, easy-to-apply model integrating:

- attachment theory

- nervous system regulation

- polyvagal principles

- pacing and timing of interventions

- truth-testing and congruence tracking

Transforms complex neuroscience into accessible, session-ready strategies.

 

Certificate of Completion 

Supports annual CPD requirements across major Australian and New Zealand professional bodies. Approved by the ACA for 10 OPD points.

Level 1 Course Format

- 20 hours of video content

- Structured modules with guided practice

- Demonstration sessions

- Printable resources

- Self-paced

- Mobile-friendly

- Lifetime access

-Certificate on completion

Level 1 Course Format

- 8 Weekly live training

- 2.5 Hours per week to enhance learning

- Practice the most important trust building skills

- Learn to manage anxiety and stress during intense betrayal therapy

- 1 Week Break: See Full Schedule

About the Instructor

Steven Dromgool
Clinical Director, PORT (Presence-Oriented Relationship Therapy)

Steven is a leading clinician in betrayal recovery, known for his structured, safety-focused, neurobiologically-informed approach to couples therapy. He brings warmth, clarity, and over 15 years of specialist experience helping couples rebuild connection and secure attachment after affairs.

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Professional FAQs

Is this course suitable for new graduates?

Yes. Early-career practitioners often report this training gives them clarity and confidence they wish they’d had from day one.

Is this recognised for CPD/OPD?

Australian Counselling Association: Approved for 10 OPD Points
Most practitioners use this for annual CPD hours, please check your accrediting body’s guidelines.

Is it relevant for individual therapy?

Absolutely. Betrayal issues appear frequently in individual work. 

How practical is the training?

Extremely. You receive scripts, templates, checklists, and real-session demonstrations.

Do I need the short course first?

It’s helpful, but not required. If you register for the Better After Betrayal Introduction, and decide to register for the intensive, we will refund the cost of the introduction course. Email admin@relate.online.

AI is already shaping how clients reflect, prepare and seek help.

The challenge for therapists is how to engage with AI thoughtfully, making use of it’s strengths while staying alert to how it subtly reshapes the value of therapeutic skill. This training is for therapists who want space to explore this emerging clinical landscape. 

WHO THIS TRAINING IS FOR

• Therapists curious about AI but unsure how to engage with it well
• Couples and relationship therapists committed to protecting relational depth
• Clinicians who want a balanced, ethical approach, both curious and critical
• Practitioners who want to remain grounded as the field evolves
• If you’re curious about how these changes are already showing up in practice, this session is for you

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

In this 60-minute live training, we’ll explore:

• What AI already does well in therapeutic contexts
• How therapists are using it responsibly
• How to respond to client concerns about AI - especially in couples and relational work
• The hidden risks of AI in therapy
• How AI raises the bar for professional expertise rather than replacing therapists
• Why advanced relational skill is becoming more valuable, not less

This is not a tech tutorial - this is a clinical, ethical and strategic conversation about where therapy is heading.

WHY THIS MATTERS NOW

Clients are already using AI for reflection, validation and meaning-making.

As AI absorbs more surface-level support, depth, presence and relational skill become the true differentiators.

Therapists who thrive won’t ignore AI they’ll know how to work alongside it without losing what makes therapy effective.

 

Format

Live online training (Zoom)

Duration: 90 minutes

Includes: live teaching + clinical examples + facilitated discussion + Q&A

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Training Details

Date: 11 February, 2026

Time: 9 AM Sydney / 11 AM Auckland

Length: 90 minutes (Includes Q & A)

Format: Live online via Zoom

Accreditation: Australian Counseling Association - Approved for 5 OPD Points (Pending)

Audience: Therapists, counsellors, couples and relationship practitioners

Spaces are limited to keep the session focused and interactive.

Better After Betrayal: Hope & Trust for Therapists

United States and Canada: For US approved Continuing Education - Register through our US Based CE Partner Engagedmindsce.com

Earn 2 CE (U.S.) Approve through NASW, ACA and NY Board of Psychology - Full Details

5 OPD (Australia) · Approved Register on this Page

Self-paced • Mobile-friendly • Lifetime access • Free course

Therapists rebuild trust. Trust rebuilds relationships. In under two hours, learn practical, brain-based tools to help clients—and quietly strengthen the relationships that matter most in your own life.

The first two lessons are the videos to the left.

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What you’ll be able to do

1. Describe how intimate partner betrayal affects the brain, relationships, trust, and attachment.
2. Identify at least three common therapist errors that can unintentionally reinforce mistrust after an affair.
3. Explain how brief emotional “repair” moments work as micro-interventions in betrayal recovery, using client-centered examples.
4.  Recognize the value of a structured betrayal-recovery model and what it means for long-term relationship repair.

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Who is Better After Betrayal for?

Counselors, social workers, psychologists, pastoral counselors, and both couples and individual therapists (new grads and seasoned clinicians alike).

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Quick facts (CE & logistics)

• Credits: 2 CE (U.S.); 1 OPD (Australia). Approvals pending.
• Certificate: Print instantly at completion.
• Assessment: 20-question quiz, 80% to pass. Retakes allowed.
• Format: 100% self-paced video + 4 printable PDFs.
• Access: Lifetime; watch anywhere—quizzes work on your phone.
• Support: Email us; typical reply 1–2 business days.
• Price: Free. No catch—built to give hope, clarity, and momentum.

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Curriculum at a glance

1) Why Trust Is the Real Therapy Goal (Not Just Symptom Relief)
• Why healing after betrayal is possible • Self-survey on how trust shows up in your work • From insight to intervention 

2) How Mistrust Shows Up—and How to Spot It Early
• Why trust is hard today • The relational brain, practically • Choice in rebuilding love • How betrayal shatters trust • The betrayal cascade • Your map forward 

3) Four Micro-Interventions to Begin Rebuilding Trust Today
• Borrowed trust • Trust-focused disclosure • Sexual & developmental blueprint • From assumptions to agreements • What therapists are saying 

4) When Emotions Are High and Trust Is Low—You Still Have a Path Forward
• Live demonstration • Big “B,” little “b” betrayals • Rebuilding safety, identity, reality • Ethics of voice & presence (text) • Skills for angry, hurt clients • When not to begin work (text) • Critical moments 

5) What It Looks Like When Repair Begins
• Taming criticism/defensiveness • Presence & authenticity • Navigating anger • Working with shame • If you’re the kind of therapist who… 

6) From Shut Down to Seen: How the PORT Model Sparks Emotional Safety
• Helping avoidant partners open up • Present-moment needs • Turning betrayal into connection • A new way to see trust 

7) Can Love Return After Betrayal? What’s Possible
• Trust with the relational brain in mind • Emotional safety first • Enjoying therapy again • Why betrayal is often the core issue 

8) Your Next Step: Go Beyond Insight and Into Action
• A participant’s perspective • How trust issues drive anxiety, depression, trauma • Resources for continued growth 

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Instructor: Steven Dromgool

Steven brings warmth, humor, and deep clinical structure to one of the most emotionally difficult forms of couples therapy. He developed the PORT method to help therapists stop “winging it” and start transforming stuck betrayal dynamics into structured healing.

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CE details & compliance

• Approvals: U.S. CE (2 hours) and Australian OPD (1 unit) approval pending—most state renewals are satisfied, but please confirm via our partner’s website, EngagedMinds.
• Completion: Pass the 20-question assessment at 80%, complete the course evaluation, and print your certificate immediately.
• Recordkeeping: Retain your certificate for your records per your board’s guidance.
• Scope & ethics: Educational content only; not a therapeutic relationship. Accessibility includes captions and transcripts.

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What you get (free)

• Short, tightly produced lessons you can apply tomorrow.
• 4 printable PDFs (checklists & mini-tools) for session use.
• A hopeful, trust-first lens that calms chaos and builds momentum.
• A clear next step into the 20-hour Therapist Edition if you want mastery.

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FAQ

Will this satisfy my state renewal?
For most licenses, yes—but always verify on EngagedMinds (our approval partner).

How/when do I get my certificate?
At completion. You can print it instantly.

What’s the pass score? Can I retake the quiz?
80% on a 20-question assessment; retakes allowed.

Is this appropriate for new grads?
Absolutely. It contains new information on the neurobiology of trust and is equally useful for experienced clinicians.

How much does it cost?
It’s free.

What’s the format and access?
Self-paced video + PDFs, lifetime access, mobile-friendly, and quizzes run on your device.

How fast is support?
Email us; we respond within 1–2 business days.

I'm having trouble accessing the course. What do I do?
If you have already registered, but are struggling to access the course click here to access your courses.

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Ready to go?

Enroll free
You’ll finish confident, hopeful, and equipped with trust-building moves that change sessions—and outcomes.

Considering the full path?
After you complete this course, unlock Better After Betrayal: Therapist Edition (20 hours) for in-depth skills, protocols, and case work.

Ready to Register? Click Add to Cart at the top of the screen.

Registrants: Access Course Here

School of Love: Professional Edition: access course Here

Australian Counselling Association CPD: Non-ACA OPD status

Among PORT’s innovations are the integration of the PORT Relational Brain Model that makes neuroscientific insights accessible for both clinicians and clients; The Presence Bridge Model which incorporates existential and mindfulness into the bridge concept; and the 5 Step Therapy Progress Model which informs intervention and manages client conflict. PORT’s challenge and achievement has been to integrate these diverse insights into an accessible, flexible and powerful approach that empowers clinicians while allowing them to incorporate their own unique insights and experience. Connection, Change and Trust is a brief introduction to Presence Oriented Relationship Therapy.

PORT is an intensely practical couples therapy modality that developed from the ground up out of the challenge of equipping a diverse team, including interns, with the most effective strategies from models as diverse as PACT, EFT, Imago, Gottman and the Developmental Model.  What became clear is that each of these models offered significant strengths but often lacked essential features or flexibilities present in other models.  In addition insights from other modalities including Narrative, ACT, NLP, Psychodrama, Gestalt, Relational Neurobiology were incorporated. PORT is an integrated eclectic approach developed over the last 8 years by the Relate NZ team.  Initially developed in the context of the weekly team training sessions  it was honed over the next 6 years of the intern programme to help distill the core insights of successful couples and relationship therapy to clinicians who had not been specifically trained to work with couples.

PORT is an intensely practical course that coalesce around the challenge of finding the successful common features of therapy models as diverse as PACT, EFT, Imago, Gottman and the Developmental Model.  What became clear is that each of these models offered significant strengths but often lacked essential features or flexibilities present in other models.  In addition insights from other modalities including Narrative, ACT, NLP, Psychodrama, Gestalt, Relational Neurobiology were incorporated.

Port's focus was simple and driven by the clear imperative of research that indicated that untrained therapists working with couples were highly unsuccessful and the therapy process itself was highly stressful for the couple and the therapist.

The challenge of course is that everyone needs to start somewhere and our focus was to support our interns to be successful as soon as possible.

While Steven Dromgool was cross-training in Imago, Gottman and EFT he noticed a recurring pattern underlying their seemingly different methods. Steven adapted the Relational bridge model for interns to use and tested this among the team.  The developmental brain model was the next innovation that made relational neuroscience accessible to clinicians and clients and therapy progress model among other innovations.

The feedback from PORT trained therapists is that they quickly felt confident to hold a relational space for the couple that felt safe for deep intimate connecting work and that they had strategies to help them contain and manage conflict.  Additionally  clinicians could maintain and develop their own unique authentic style and presence and incorporate other training and experience more seamlessly and effectively.  

The Connection, Change and Trust offering is designed to provide a resource and reference point for clinicians who want to learn the basics about PORT. 

We have included two bonus training sessions that therapists have loved to help give you the flavor of PORT: 5 Challenges Couples Face After an Affair Couples: Introduction to Working with Affairs, Betrayal and Infidelity and How to Break  the Pursuer/Avoider Cycle.

In this self paced program, you will learn the origin of PORT and its 3 models: Relational Brain Model, Presence Bridge Model and 5 Step Therapy Progress Model. You will also get access to an introduction to working with betrayal and how to approach the pursuer / avoider dynamic in relationships. 

Objectives:

Describe how the Relational Brain Model helps the therapist know how to intervene with relationships

Describe how the Presence Bridge Model explains the communication process in relationships

Describe how the 5 Step Therapy Progress Model decreases client drop-out and recidivism rates

 

For the last 30 to 40 years, CBT and antidepressant medication have been promoted as the gold standard treatment for depression and anxiety.

Most therapists and doctors were trained inside that frame. Most treatment guidelines and recommendations still reflect it. In many settings, there are few real alternatives offered.

But the longer many of us stay in the work, the harder it is to ignore a growing discomfort.

Outcomes are often modest. Relapse is common. Clients cycle through treatment episodes. And a significant number of people with chronic depression or anxiety never quite get where they hoped they would.

At the same time, the evidence base underneath medication has become less reassuring than it is often presented. Large meta-analyses have shown that antidepressants outperform placebo by a much smaller margin than most clinicians expect, in some cases with placebo accounting for roughly three quarters of the observed effect.

There are also increasing concerns about long-term effects on emotional flexibility, nervous system responsiveness and psychological resilience, particularly when medication becomes a long-term management strategy rather than a short-term support.

CBT faces its own challenges. While it is effective for many clients, especially in acute phases, its impact on chronic and recurrent depression and anxiety is far less consistent than training programs often imply.

Over the same period that CBT and medication have dominated mental health care, other areas have been quietly advancing. Attachment research. Somatic therapies. Affective neuroscience. Interpersonal models of change.

These fields are raising uncomfortable but important questions about what actually drives lasting emotional recovery and what we may be missing when we focus primarily on mechanistic and medicalised approaches.

If you are working with clients struggling with anxiety and depression - and lets face it - who isn't then this seminar is for you.

Why CBT and Medication are no longer enough: What every Therapist and Doctor should know$25, CE credits available

This 60 minute training with 30 minutes for Q&A examines why standard approaches so often fall short with chronic depression and anxiety and explores clinically practical strategies drawn from contemporary research and broader clinical models.

The focus is not on abandoning CBT or medication, but on understanding where their limits are and how to work more effectively when clients are not getting the outcomes we would expect.

The material draws from attachment science, somatic approaches, relational models and advances in neuroscience, with a strong emphasis on what can be applied in individual clinical work.

This training is suitable for therapists, counsellors, psychologists and medical professionals who want a clearer, more honest picture of what is helping, what is not, and what else belongs in a modern mental health toolkit.

Our hope is that this seminar will challenge and expand your thinking, treatment options and effectiveness. 

What Do Gottman, EFT, IMAGO, PACT and the Developmental Model All Have in Common?

Each offers profound insights into love, attachment and repair, yet each tells only part of the story. Couples therapy has developed through powerful but partial lenses, leaving many clinicians wondering how to bring it all together in the therapy room.

This one-hour professional training, led by Steven Dromgool, Clinical Director of Relate and a clinician trained in all five approaches, explores how these models intersect, where they diverge, and how integration rooted in presence represents the next wave of relational healing.

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What You’ll Learn

• You’ll explore the core principles and interventions of five leading couples therapy models
• The key strengths and blind spots of each approach
• How presence acts as the bridge between structure and spontaneity
• Ways to align interventions with your own therapeutic style and values

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Who This Is For

Licensed and pre-licensed therapists, counselors, psychologists and social workers, whether you’re new to couples work or refining your craft.

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Why Join This Training

Clarity: Understand how today’s leading models complement and contradict each other
Confidence: Learn to work fluidly across approaches without losing your authenticity
Connection: Discover how presence brings theory to life and deepens the therapeutic bond

You’ll leave with a clear, comparative framework for integrating the best of these traditions into your own practice.

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About the Presenter

Steven Dromgool is an experienced couples therapist, trainer and Clinical Director of Relate. He has trained in Gottman, EFT, IMAGO, PACT and the Developmental Model and brings more than two decades of clinical experience helping therapists bridge theory and lived connection in the therapy room.

He is also the developer of Presence Oriented Relationship Therapy (PORT), an integrative framework that weaves together insights from these leading models into a coherent, presence-based approach to couples work. Steven’s teaching style is experiential, grounded and deeply informed by practice.

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Course Details

Format: 90 Minute Self Paced Online training 

Cost: Free

Continuing Education: ACA approved for 5 OPD Points