Become a Macrobiotic Counselor The Macrobiotics America Online Counselor Training Program Curriculum and Instruction by David Briscoe Join students from around the world as you challenge yourself to learn, creatively apply macrobiotic principles, and develop practical skills in macrobiotic counseling. The course is organized into ten self-contained processes: Process 1: Macrobiotic Healing Theory I Early Roots of Macrobiotic Healing Theory George Ohsawa's Teachings on Health Process 2: Macrobiotic Healing Theory II Michio Kushi's Energetic Healing Theory Herman Aihara's Healing Theory Acid-Alkaline Overview of Alternative Healing Theories (Chinese Medicine, Homeopathy, Chiropractics, Naturopathy, etc.) Process 3: Overview of Anatomy and Physiology Basic Human Anatomy and Physiology, Western & Eastern Location and Main Functions of the Major Organs and Systems Anatomy and Physiology of Digestion Blood Formation Theory Anatomy and Physiology of Blood Sugar Anatomy and Physiology of Acid-Alkaline Eastern Energetics Anatomy: Location of Meridians
Process 4: Building A Macrobiotic Whole-Person Diagnosis 2 Developing One's Perceptions Strengthening One's Ability to See the Possibilities for Recovery, Re-Balancing and Happiness in Oneself and Others The Macrobiotic Meaning of "Diagnosis" Bo-Shin (Visual Diagnosis) Bun-Shin (Listening Diagnosis) Mon-Shin (Questioning Diagnosis) Setsu-Shin (Touching Diagnosis) Understanding Symptoms from a Physiological Point of View Meridians and Diagnosis Points Voice Diagnosis Building a Diagnosis During the Consultation Body Psychology (reading the psychological biography in the language of the body) Macrobiotic Yin-Yang Diagnosis The Five Transformations and Diagnosis Process 5: Food, Nutrition, and Macrobiotic Food Energetics Basics of Modern Nutrition Macrobiotic View of Modern Nutrition Macrobiotic Food Energetics Fundamentals Unique Properties and Production of Macrobiotic Foods Energetics of Cooking Styles Macrobiotic Menu-Planning Essentials Researching Alternative Dietary Approaches: Vegetarian, Vegan, Living Foods, Fruitarian, High Protein, Chinese Medicine, etc. Process 6: Building Macrobiotic Dietary Recommendations How to Go from Diagnosis to Making Skillful and Clearly Communicated Macrobiotic Dietary Recommendations Special Recipes for Specific Needs and Conditions "Menu Diagnosis" Menu Planning for Implementing the Recommendations Process 7: Building Non-Dietary Recommendations How to Prepare, Use and Recommend Macrobiotic Home Remedies Understanding Various Exercises and When They Are Useful Lifestyle Recommendations that Support Balance, Harmony and Personal Happiness George Ohsawa's Teachings on Mind, Freedom & Happiness Emotional Healing Alternatives
Process 8: Creating Consultation Forms, Educational Materials and Educational Services 3 Creating a Consultation Questionnaire Designing Support Materials Setting up a Counseling and Education Practice Legal issues Creating a Consultation Follow-up Support Service Process 9: Modern Diseases, Women's Health and Hospice Heart disease Cancer Arthritis Obesity Hospice: Understanding & Supporting The Terminally Sick Special Focus on Women's Health Process 10: Consultation Practice Sessions Doing Actual Consultation Sessions Receiving In-depth Feedback from the Instructor The individual pace of each student is honored. Each student completes the course offline at her or his own pace. The student has up to twelve months to complete the course material. It can be completed sooner if the student chooses. In some cases more time may be needed. Learning Materials are presented via online readings, books purchased by the student, web resources and occasionally by online streaming audio and video. Online Group Chats are held almost weekly for the students to meet with the instructor to discuss various questions they have about the course material. The online group chats are for all students no matter what Process of the course they are currently completing. The majority of the course study is completed offline by the student at his or her own pace. Students who cannot join the online chats due to time zone differences or for other reasons, can read the archived chat transcripts. Online Office Hours are held by appointment for students to visit with the instructor, ask questions, get advice, etc. Software Programs necessary for the course are free and can be easily downloaded from the internet.
4 Computer System can be Windows or Apple. The student needs to be proficient at sending and receiving email and browsing the internet. A minimum 56k dial-up modem is necessary, but a broadband connection is highly recommended. Tuition: A one-time full payment for the entire course: $3,500 when received 30 days in advance of beginning date of the course; $4200 when received later than 30 days in advance. The course may be started on January 15 (early registration by December 15), June 15 (early registration by May 15) or September 15 (early registration by August 15). Enrollment at other times during the year is possible by special arrangement. Please inquire. Withdrawal/Refund Policy: If the student withdraws from the course before the first day, a full refund minus a $500 Administrative and Technical Set-Up Fee is made. If the student withdraws after the starting date, a refund of the tuition is made minus the $500 administrative fee and $250 for each month or part thereof of the initial 12 months the student was enrolled in the course. A refund is based on the time enrolled in the course, not on the amount of work completed or how much the student participated. The student is required to sign an Enrollment Agreement prior to final registration. Frequently Asked Questions Q: Who may apply for the course? A: Anyone who is personally practicing macrobiotics and has a sincere desire to be of service to humanity may apply. Prior macrobiotic counseling experience is not necessary. Willingness to work hard, think for yourself, and to be highly self-motivated for independent study are a must. The online student is a person who enjoys learning and communicating via online technology such as email, downloadable documents, chat room discussions, online bulletin boards, streaming audio and video, etc. Q: How is it possible for the tuition for the Macrobiotics America online counselor course to be so much less than similar in-person courses? A: We are happy to offer an affordable tuition cost so that more students can afford to become macrobiotic counselors. Since we do not have the high expense of a large on-site staff, and since we do not have a physical facility to maintain for the online course, we can pass along big tuition savings to the students. In addition, being an online course, there is no need to add the expense of housing and
meals to the tuition cost, allowing even more savings to be passed along to students. The students in our course also save even more by not having to pay for travel expenses and the personal expenses of being away from home. 5 Q: How can I finish the Macrobiotics America online course in 12 months when the time to complete in-person certification courses usually takes much longer? A: Our course allows the students to complete their studies at home, avoiding the time-consuming factors of adjusting their schedules and then traveling back and forth to a physical site to attend sessions that can sometimes be weeks or months apart. As a result, students have reported that the amount of information and learning in our online course is actually far more than when they took an in-person course, even though it takes less time to complete our course. Q: Will I really be able to do quality macrobiotic counseling at the end of this course? A: Yes, if you dedicate yourself, study hard, and have the true desire to be of service to humanity, you will be able to do quality macrobiotic counseling by the end of this course. Actually, students do macrobiotic counseling during the course itself. This is a practical course that is 100% designed toward the goal of eventually doing macrobiotic counseling, not just studying and thinking about it. Keep in mind that it will not be a certificate, the teachers you can name, or the amount of time studying that will determine your success as a macrobiotic counselor. It will be your spirit of service, dedication, hard work, on-going experience, endurance and compassionate relationship with others that will build your practice, skill, and reputation over time. Q: What is the difference between this macrobiotic counselor training course and other macrobiotic training I might find? A: There are several good macrobiotic training programs. They all offer useful information and instruction. For our training program we only accept students who have the goal of being a macrobiotic counselor. It is not a general macrobiotic program. Our course provides focus on macrobiotic counseling, on-going support during the studies, a certificate of completion, membership in the worldwide association of Macrobiotics America trained counselors, regular opportunity for interaction with the instructor and other students from around the world, practical guidance for becoming a counselor, and support for establishing your own local macrobiotic counseling and education program. Macrobiotics America trained counselors who have distinguished themselves by hard work and service to humanity may be invited to teach and counsel at Macrobiotics America events in North America and elsewhere.
Q: What if I've already studied and/or graduated from a macrobiotic training program? 6 A: Students who received previous macrobiotic training elsewhere have expressed pleasant surprise that they learned so much that was new and interesting from this course. Optional In-Person Counselor Training Sessions with David Briscoe at The Macrobiotics America Study House in Northern California. By popular request there will now be the option of complementing the online studies with in-person training. The 5-day training sessions will focus on actual consultation practice with real people recruited from our local community, advanced macrobiotic diagnosis methods, and special instruction in macrobiotic cooking for healing and recovery. The 5-day training sessions will be held during preannounced times of the year. There is a separate tuition charge for each of the training sessions. A student may attend as many of the 5-day training sessions as he or she wants. To attend the sessions, the student must be currently enrolled in the online course or enrolled in it in the past. There must be a minimum of 5 students enrolled 30 days in advance of an in-person training week for it to be held. For more information and/or an application, please contact us: 877-622-2637 U.S. and Canada, Toll-Free 530-532-1918 from outside North America info@macroamerica.com Macrobiotics America P.O. Box 1874 Oroville, CA 95965 U.S.A. www.macroamerica.com About David Briscoe David Briscoe is one of the most experienced macrobiotic teachers and counselors in the world today. Since 1972 he has gained expertise in every facet of macrobiotics, including personal practice, teaching, counseling, professional cooking, restaurant ownership and center development. In 1975 he was given the honor of being one of the few macrobiotic counseling apprentices to the late macrobiotic master, Noboru Muramoto, author of Healing Ourselves. In 1983 he was among the first to be certified
by the Kushi Institute's premier training program. During the 70's and 80's, David established macrobiotic education programs and centers throughout the U.S. He has appeared on national TV programs and radio shows, including the HBO Special, "Six Months to Live." He is the co-author of A Personal Peace, contributing author to The Whole Mind and a regular columnist for Macrobiotics Today, the world's leading macrobiotic magazine. David has developed macrobiotic curriculum and instruction programs for numerous educational organizations, applying his experience as a former secondary school teacher and as a trainer of teachers at the University of Kansas. 7 David is well known for his skilled and personal approach to private macrobiotic counseling. He is highly regarded for his vast experience in the areas of macrobiotic healing diet, home remedies and lifestyle re-balancing, and he is considered one of the leading trainers of macrobiotic counselors and cooking teachers. In 1990 the late macrobiotic master, Herman Aihara, invited David to be his administrative, teaching and counseling associate at The Vega Study Center in California, and from 1991-1998 David worked closely with Herman. After Herman's passing, David moved on to co-found Macrobiotics America and Macrobiotics Global, the first macrobiotic educational programs to offer multi-media distance learning courses via the internet. David travels and teaches throughout North America and overseas, speaking to medical and lay audiences and as a featured presenter at the major macrobiotic camps and conferences, including The Kushi Institute Summer Conference, French Meadows Summer Camp, The Fall Health Classic, and The Whole World Summer School in Belgium. He has also served as a guest faculty member at the world-famous Kushi Institute in Becket, MA. David holds the honorary position of macrobiotic counselor for The George Ohsawa Macrobiotic Foundation of Chico, CA, the oldest macrobiotic education and publishing organization in North America. David lives in Northern California with his wife, Cynthia, and children, Justin, Nora, Iris, Ana and Rio.