how to be a relational therapist
A clinical training for therapists—become more confident, more connected, and more sustainable in your work
Join us for these exciting training opportunities
We know that relational therapy works.
Relational therapy helps you establish strong therapeutic relationships through shared vulnerability and authenticity. Rather than leaving your values and personhood at the door, relational therapy wants you to be YOU. You’re encouraged to bring your whole self and what you stand for into the room, as this supports clients to build true intimacy and connection with you.
Grad school often teaches therapists to be blank slates, to be neutral to a fault. We’ve learned that clients want to know us as people—that we share in their values, feel mutual belonging, and sometimes, they even want to care for us, too!
Relational therapy creates space for this mutuality, helping clients feel secure, fully seen, and more motivated for growth. Clients express feeling more safe when vulnerability is not one-sided and love hearing that we are deeply impacted by their very human experiences.
Our Level One training, How to Be a Relational Therapist: Build Your Relational Foundation, will guide you through the core tenets of this approach, offer practical interventions you can immediately use, and prepare you for the challenges that arise when you show up authentically in the therapy room. You’ll leave with a relational therapy toolkit, greater confidence for handling challenging moments with ease, and a community of colleagues committed to doing this work alongside you.
“I highly recommend this training to anyone who is interested in practicing more relationally! I learned more than any other training I’ve attended. My clients absolutely love it!”
how to be a relational therapist
clinical training
level one
Build Your Relational Foundation
Level One of How to Be a Relational Therapist is where you start laying the groundwork for a truly relational practice.
Over three modules, you’ll learn what makes this approach unique, why therapist vulnerability is essential to building trust, and how to use here-and-now awareness as a powerful intervention. Through demos, interactive theory, dyad work and small-group practice, you’ll begin to integrate relational skills into your sessions in ways that strengthen connection and deepen outcomes.
This training also creates space for you to rethink some of the assumptions you may have carried into your work. Together, we’ll challenge the myth of therapist neutrality, explore the impact of power and privilege in the therapy room, and practice showing up with your full humanity.
You’ll learn how to:
value your own vulnerability and humanity (after all, you’re a human first!)
navigate boundaries in ways that protect both you and your clients
use your own embodiment and moments of activation as essential clinical tools
understand types of conflict that arise in the therapeutic relationship and how they support deepened intimacy and connection with clients
recognize and prevent burnout before it takes hold
attune to clients with greater presence and curiosity, so they feel truly seen and understood
and feel more confident bringing your authentic self into the room
By the end of Level One, you’ll leave with a supportive community, practical tools you can use right away, and a stronger foundation for a sustainable, relational career.
level two
Beyond the Basics
Level Two of How to Be a Relational Therapist expands on your foundation and moves into the more complex, nuanced realities of relational practice.
Across four modules, you’ll dive into ruptures and repairs, grief, shame, client ambivalence, and other “sticky” moments that often test the therapeutic relationship. While we’ll ground each topic in theory, the heart of this training is experiential. You’ll learn through “YOU-play”—dyads, breakout groups, and demos—all geared to put you in the (human) therapist’s seat and let you practice directly in community.
YOU-play isn’t role-play; it’s a chance to bring your full, authentic self into practice, the same way relational work asks you to. Together with our training team of seasoned relational clinicians, you’ll strengthen both your clinical toolkit and your trust in the relational process.
We’ll explore how to:
navigate ruptures and repairs with more confidence and clarity
approach grief and shame from a relational perspective, helping clients move through withdrawal into deeper belonging
practice creative, unconventional interventions that expand what’s possible
invite political and justice-oriented conversations into the room with courage and care
set policies and boundaries that protect your humanity and serve clients well
trust the process—especially when therapy feels uncertain, stagnant, or “stuck”
integrate joy, humor, and celebration into the work to sustain both you and your clients
By the end of Level Two, you’ll walk away with more supports to better sustain you and your therapeutic work, deeper confidence in your relational stance, and a stronger community of peers who know that the mess is not a problem to fix—it’s the very heart of the work.
Meet your training team
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![Anna Kim, LCSW relational therapy trainer, smiling in blue top with pink striped background,]()
Anna Kim, lcsw
TEAM LEAD & TRAINING COORDINATOR
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![Dani Marrufo, LMFT smiling in chair in waiting room at Kindman & Co.]()
dani marrufo, lmft
CLINICAL SUPERVISOR
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kaitlin & paul kindman
CO-FOUNDERS OF KINDMAN & CO.
All of our instructors are actively working as clinicians using the Relational Therapy modality. They each have extensive experience in modeling self-awareness, curiosity, and professional ethics, and have worked as clinical supervisors for associate clinicians and clinical interns. They have diverse lived experiences and identities, and are trained in anti-racist and anti-oppressive clinical practice. Our instructors will help you learn how to develop your professional identities and build stronger therapeutic relationships with clients, leading to better therapeutic outcomes.
f.a.q.
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Licensed Therapists, Associate Therapists, & Graduate Students currently attending a psychotherapy program who are able to attend an in-person training in Highland Park, Los Angeles. Please note: graduate students and associate therapists are not eliglble for CEU credit.
Therapists wanting to understand relational therapy more
Therapists wanting to gain and practice relational therapy skills
Therapists wanting to build community with other therapists with shared clinical interests
Therapists wanting to increase their ability to question therapeutic norms and standards rooted in oppressive systems
Therapists wanting to find a therapeutic style that fosters more personal authenticity, sustainability, and works to combat burnout as a clinician
Therapists wanting to learn new clinical skills and interventions for working with individual clients
Please note that the training material will be primarily focused on supporting therapists working in private practice who have the flexibility of seeing clients on a long-term basis (approximately 1+ year or so). If you work in an agency setting or work more short-term with clients, you absolutely can benefit from this training, just know that it is primarily geared towards longer-term work.
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To support a cohort feel, our ideal size for these workshops is 10-14 registrants in order to provide a trauma-sensitive, containing space that better supports learning and makes room for all attendees to ask questions. Once you have submitted your registration and payment, your spot is secured and you will receive more information as the start date gets closer.
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If you need to cancel your registration for any reason, you must do so by one month in advance of the training start date by sending an email to training@kindman.co for a full refund. Any cancellations after this date will be eligible for a partial refund. Any cancellations after this date will only be eligible for a partial refund.
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We are dedicated to making our service offerings and trainings accessible to all who are interested. We do have a handicapped parking spot available in our private lot that can be made available to you with advance notice. Please know that depending on the size of the training, we may need to move to a larger space above our office, that does require the use of stairs. If you need any accommodations, please email us at training@kindman.co and we will do our very best to meet your needs!
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Kindman & Co. (Provider #——) is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and LEPs. Kindman & Co. maintains the responsibility for the program and all its content.
Level One course meets the qualifications for 9 hours of continuing education credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.
Level Two course meets the qualifications for 12 hours of continuing education credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.
CEU CERTIFICATESParticipants will receive a certificate of course completion in exchange for a completed evaluation form by one week following the conclusion of their training. If a participant needs another copy of their records, they may contact Kindman & Co. via email or phone at any time, using either training@kindman.co, or our main phone line (213) 793-2990 and either our Care Coordinator, Training Coordinator, or another member of our team will get them another copy of their certificate within 48 business hours.
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Grievances shall be submitted by email and acknowledgement of receipt sent within 24 business hours. The Program Administrator will review the grievance and respond back to participant within 48 business hours.
Ways to Join Us - Invest in your Relational Practice
Choose Your Relational Therapy Adventure: Start Messy, Get Braver, or Do Both!
With multiple levels, flexible fees, payment plans, and CEU offerings, you have plenty of options for diving into a lively, supportive space where growth — and a little messiness — is celebrated.
level one
Build Your Relational Foundation — Learn the theory & practice getting messy in the room.
3 Modules • 9 CE Hours
Therapy isn’t tidy—and neither is learning it!
In this interactive cohort, we’ll lay down relational foundations while experimenting, stumbling, & laughing our way through the real mess of the work. You’ll find support for your own humanness, connection with peers who “get it,” and practical tools you can bring straight into session.
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Dates:
Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 1-4:30pm
Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025 1-4:30pm
Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026 1-4:30pm
*Qualifies for 9 CEU hours, with 1.5 hours of break time. Breaks do not qualify for CEU hours.
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Level One Payment Options:
Paid Before or On 9/15/25:
Pay in Full — $525 paid upon registration
Payment Plan — two installments of $285
Investment After 9/15/25:
Pay in Full—$599 paid upon registration
Payment Plan— two installments of $320
Note: The Payment Plan option requires that the first installment is paid upon registration and the second will be charged after completion of the first module.
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Level One Payment Options:
Paid Before or On 9/15/25:
Pay in Full — $449 paid upon registration
Payment Plan — two installments of $245
Investment After 9/15/25:
Pay in Full—$499 paid upon registration
Payment Plan— two installments of $265
Note: The Payment Plan option requires that the first installment is paid upon registration and the second will be charged after completion of the first module.
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There are four reduced fee spots for available for Associate-Level clinicians & graduate students currently enrolled in therapy programs.
Investment On or Before 9/15/25: $359 (or two installments of $195)
Investment After 9/15/25: $425 (or two installments of $225)
Note: The Payment Plan option requires that the first installment is paid upon registration and the second will be charged after completion of the first module in Level One. If interested in securing a reduced fee spot, please email training@kindman.co
level two
Beyond the Basics — Start to get braver, messier, & be more skilled in the therapy room.
4 Modules • 12 CE Hours
Once you’ve dipped into the mess, it’s time to lean in deeper.
In Level Two, you’ll take on the tougher stuff—complex cases, sticky dynamics, and those “oh f*@k, what do I do now?” therapy moments. Together we’ll practice getting braver and more skillful while still honoring the humanity (and humor) that makes relational therapy so alive.
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Dates:
Sunday, Feb, 22, 2026 1-4:30pm
Sunday, Mar. 22, 2026 1-4:30pm
Sunday, Apr. 26, 2026 1-4:30pm
Sunday, May 24, 2026 1-5:30pm (4:30-5:30pm closing celebration!)
*Qualifies for 12 CEU hours, with 3 hours of break/party time. Breaks do not qualify for CEU hours.
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Level Two Payment Options:
Paid Before or On 11/15/25:
Pay in Full — $749 paid upon registration
Payment Plan — two installments of $395
Paid After 11/15/25:
Pay in Full—$839 paid upon registration
Payment Plan— two installments of $440
Note: The Payment Plan option requires that the first installment is paid upon registration and the second will be charged after completion of the first module.
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Level Two Payment Options:
Paid Before or On 11/15/25:
Pay in Full — $649 paid upon registration
Payment Plan — two installments of $345
Paid After 11/15/25:
Pay in Full—$705 paid upon registration
Payment Plan— two installments of $370
Note: The Payment Plan option requires that the first installment is paid upon registration and the second will be charged after completion of the first module.
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There are four reduced fee spots for available for Associate-Level clinicians & graduate students currently enrolled in therapy programs.
Investment On or Before 11/15/25: $525 (or two installments of $280)
Investment After 11/15/25: $599 (or two installments of $315
Note: The Payment Plan option requires that the first installment is paid upon registration and the second will be charged after completion of the first module in Level Two. If interested in securing a reduced fee spot, please email training@kindman.co
bundle: one + two
Start messy, grow braver, & get more skilled — The whole relational therapy journey.
7 Modules • 21 CE Hours
Why stop halfway? The Bundle takes you from solid foundations to deeper dives, giving you the full shebang of messy, brave, relational learning. Across seven modules we’ll build skills, wrestle with the hard stuff, laugh at our humanness, and grow in a committed community. It’s the most supportive (& cost-effective) way to enjoy everything the training offers.
Includes all seven modules (21 CEU hours total!) Save $200 compared to registering separately.
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Dates:
Level One
Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 1-4:30pm
Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025 1-4:30pm
Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026 1-4:30pm
Level Two
Sunday, Feb, 22, 2026 1-4:30pm
Sunday, Mar. 22, 2026 1-4:30pm
Sunday, Apr. 26, 2026 1-4:30pm
Sunday, May 24, 2026 1-5:30pm (4:30-5:30pm closing celebration)
*Qualifies for 21 CEU hours, with 4.5 hours of break/party time. Breaks do not qualify for CEU hours.
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Bundle Payment Options (with CEUs):
Paid Before or On 12/15/25:
Pay in Full — $1,235 paid upon registration
Payment Plan — two installments of $660
Note: The Payment Plan option requires that the first installment is paid upon registration and the second will be charged after completion of the second module in Level One.
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Bundle Payment Options (no CEUs):
Paid Before or On 12/15/25:
Pay in Full — $1,050 paid upon registration
Payment Plan — two installments of $560
Note: The Payment Plan option requires that the first installment is paid upon registration and the second will be charged after completion of the Level One Second Module.
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There are four reduced fee spots for available for Associate-Level clinicians & graduate students currently enrolled in therapy programs.
Bundle Reduced Fee Investment :
Paid Before or On 12/15/25:
Pay in Full — $850 paid at time of registration
Payment Plan — Paid in two installments of $460
Note: The Payment Plan option requires that the first installment is paid upon registration and the second will be charged after completion of the second module in Level One. If interested in securing a reduced fee spot, please email training@kindman.co
But wait, there’s more!
Want to go deeper with real cases?
If you’re joining Level Two, you also have the chance to add two virtual case consultation groups designed to give you extra support with your trickiest client moments, deepen your relational practice, and strengthen connections with your cohort (and with your trainers!).
These groups will be co-facilitated by Anna Kim, LCSW (Lead Trainer for How to Be a Relational Therapist) and Paul Kindman, LMFT (our Clinical Director & Co-Founder).
📅 Scheduled Dates:
March X at TIME (between Module 1 & 2)
May X at TIME (between Module 3 & 4)
This is a rare chance to bring your real-life cases into the room with two seasoned relational clinicians and walk away with tailored feedback & new perspectives. All for just $150 total ($75 per group).
Think of it as Level Two-and-a-Half — where the theory meets the work you do with clients every day. If you’d like to add this to your registration, simply check the box for “Add Case Consultation Groups” when you sign up!