Why Doesn't the IBCP Approve Live Virtual Trainings (i.e., Zoom) for Certification?

One of the most common questions we have been getting from prospective members and trainer members is, "Why doesn't the IBCP approve live virtual certification trainings?"

This is an important question to answer, especially as the world seems to be moving more virtual for just about everything after COVID.

Some people perceive that we are recently "clamping down" on virtual trainings, but our Standards for Certification have never allowed for virtual trainings.

Unfortunately, there are many trainers in the field who hold profit as their highest value who are cutting corners to increase their bottom line (for example, running three-day Practitioner trainings, five-day Master Practitioner trainings, 30-hour Udemy courses, even online/virtual Trainer's Trainings, none of which are valid for certification or accepted in the field). Because of that, it becomes even more and more important for us to have, to protect, and to enforce high standards in the field. This is not an attempt at being "old school," but rather out of a need to protect the integrity of the field, to keep the field at a high level of competency and efficacy, and to retain the level of respect we have earned as a field over the last 50 years.

There are several reasons why we do not accept live virtual trainings, and I will illustrate them here: