Certification Paper Guidelines

Timeframe and review process

We suggest that you make a plan for your papers with your supervisor at the beginning of your supervision journey. Here is our suggested timeline for the papers;

1. Write the Case Study Paper after your first Mind-Body Skills Group series 

2. Write the Personal Process Paper after your second Mind-Body Skills Group series. You can use your process notes to help write this.

3. Select the topic for your Application of Mind-Body Science Paper early on - this will help you develop additional clarity on one aspect of mind-body medicine and this information can then be applied to your groups. Do research for this and write throughout if possible since it is the longest of the papers and will likely be the last one to submit.

Please remember to keep small group members anonymous in both the process notes and in your papers and choose an alias (e.g. their first initial) for each member to keep their names confidential.

How to submit papers

All papers should be submitted to your CMBM supervisor for review. Once any edits are made, please submit the final versions of your papers to your supervisor for them to submit to CMBM.

All papers should be submitted before you attend the Advanced Training- Certification Track. Please let us know if you need any accommodations!

Resources

• To view the PowerPoint on paper guidelines go here

• To watch the video on paper guidelines go here (see the 19 minute mark to see the info about option #1 of the Application of Mind-Body Science paper)

• For info about option #2 of the Application of Mind-Body Science paper go here 

Case Study 

This a 2-3 page paper that highlights the journey and challenges of one group member.  In this case study paper you can provide information about your initial impressions of this person, their reasons for joining the group, their experiences and growth throughout the group and their impact on the group process. This paper is not about the facilitator.  However, you may indicate the participant’s response to certain techniques and interventions that helped them on their journey. This paper should be done following completion of your first Mind-Body Skills Group done for Certification.  Ideally, you would be able to write this paper and discuss it during the supervision session that follows your last group session.

Application of Mind-Body Science Paper

There are two options available for this paper to fit your needs and interests:

1. This is a 3-4 page paper that presents your unique didactic presentation of one of the topics from the CMBM group model (e.g. Meditation, Imagery, Autogenics, Biofeedback, Genograms, Movement, Mindful Eating, etc.). For this approach, you are asked to aim for a clear and relatable presentation of the science that underpins the topic (just as we encourage when creating your mini-talks for the small group sessions). Please include at least two scientific/academic references such as from a journal/research paper and not just from a lay book on the topic. Reviewing the science and then presenting the relevance to others in simple and accessible forms is a valued skill to develop when educating others on the relevance of mind-body medicine to their lives. Presenting the material as if you are presenting a longer talk on the topic to group members or workshop attendees is recommended.

2. This is a 4-6 page literature review on one aspect of mind-body medicine (e.g. Meditation, Imagery, Autogenics, Biofeedback, Movement, or Mindful Eating) and how it relates to the CMBM group model. This may appeal to some with a stronger interest in the scientific underpinnings of mind-body medicine. Please plan to discuss your topic with your supervisor before you start writing the paper. This paper can be done even before you start your Mind-Body Skills Group. Writing the literature review paper early on will help you develop additional clarity on one aspect of mind-body medicine and this information can then be applied to your Mind-Body Skills Group work.  

In your literature review, please describe, summarize, evaluate and synthesize at least 4-6 scholarly articles. You can also include books, but do not make these your primary or only sources of information. Plan to discuss your topic and identify the current themes in the literature. This includes where you see gaps in the literature, how this information is relevant to Mind-Body Skills Groups, and what you recommend for future investigation.  

It is helpful to organize your literature review into 1) an introduction section, 2) the body of the review and 3) a conclusion section, which summarizes and provides recommendations. In the conclusion section, please relate this information to the work in Mind-Body Skills Groups (i.e. what is the impact of this information for groups and how will you utilize this information). To prepare for your literature review, it is helpful to read several articles on your topic. We also suggest you write a clear and focused thesis statement and outline to review with your supervisor. When writing your literature review, please use primary sources and choose the most relevant sources on the topic.  We ask that you use quotes sparingly, revise your paper carefully, and provide a bibliography at the end of the paper.

Tips for obtaining research studies for review:

• We recommend first doing a search in PubMed on your topic. If the article is free, it will show it as being free.

• If the article is not free, try searching the article title in Google Scholar to see if you can find the article posted somewhere as a PDF. You can also use Google Scholar to search for articles on your topic.

• If you find a good article, try looking up some of the relevant references listed in that article

• If a researcher is on ResearchGate, you can request an article directly from them if you can’t find it for free on PubMed or Google Scholar.

Personal Process Paper

This is a 2-3 page paper that analyzes your growth as a facilitator (i.e. your issues, specific concerns, and growing edges that have arisen and how you addressed them).  This paper is an opportunity for you to reflect and articulate your overall process while learning to lead a mind-body skills group. It's about your whole journey; where you started from (i.e. your experience in your Professional Training Program in Mind-Body Medicine group), what you learned and how you grew during the Advanced Training, and your growth in the Certification Program. Please also include how supervision was helpful to you and what you learned from supervision. In this paper, please focus on your internal process and how that impacts your facilitation and group process, as well as changes you have experienced in yourself (i.e. self-awareness, new skills) and areas that you plan to continue to develop and improve in the future. Recording your process during the trainings and in your weekly process notes will help you capture your journey and make it easier to write. This paper should be done when you have completed your 16 sessions of Mind-Body Skills Groups.

Questions? Contact Certification@cmbm.org or (202) 966 - 7338 ext. 263