External Transfer Hours
Please note that this pathway is offered on a case-by-case basis, based on IAYT accreditation standards.
External Course Hour Transfer
For experienced practitioners and alumni who have completed at least 500 additional hours of yoga-related training beyond their foundational 200-hour yoga teacher training, we welcome you to explore our External Course Hour Transfer pathway into our 800-Hour Yoga Therapy Diploma Program. Learners might be eligible to transfer up to 300 hours of prior training into the diploma, where appropriate.
All transfer requests are reviewed individually by the Program Director and Program Coordinator to ensure:
Requirements for Consideration
To be eligible for this pathway, applicants must:
Training may be considered when it includes:
Training that are not be eligible toward transfer hours:
In alignment with IAYT's accrediation standards, eligible transfer hours are evaluated based on:
Application Process
Step 1: Apply to the Yoga Therapy Diploma
Begin by submitting your application to the 800-Hour Yoga Therapy Diploma Program.
Step 2: Complete the External Transfer Pathway Request Form
Applicants will be asked to provide:
Reflection Prompt:
In 1 - 2 paragraphs, please share how your previous training and lived experience align with trauma-informed, relational, and decolonial approaches to care and community practice.
Step 3: Submit the $200.00 CAD Non-Refundable Evaluation Fee
Please note:
Step 4: Review Process
Transfer requests are reviewed by the Program Director and Program Coordinator.
Please allow approximately 2 - 3 weeks for review once all required documents have been received.
Step 5: Written Outcome
Possible outcomes can include:
Transfer requests are reviewed with attention to:
For experienced practitioners and alumni who have completed at least 500 additional hours of yoga-related training beyond their foundational 200-hour yoga teacher training, we welcome you to explore our External Course Hour Transfer pathway into our 800-Hour Yoga Therapy Diploma Program. Learners might be eligible to transfer up to 300 hours of prior training into the diploma, where appropriate.
All transfer requests are reviewed individually by the Program Director and Program Coordinator to ensure:
- alignment with International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) competencies
- alignment with our trauma-informed, decolonial, and relational approach
- and the overall integrity of the Yoga Therapy Diploma
Requirements for Consideration
To be eligible for this pathway, applicants must:
- have completed a minimum of 500 hours of yoga-related training beyond their foundational 200-hour YTT
- already be working within therapeutic, health-related, educational, or community care settings
- demonstrate clear alignment with our trauma-informed, decolonial, and relational approach to care and practice
Training may be considered when it includes:
- formal yoga teacher training or yoga therapy education
- continuing education related to trauma-informed care, nervous system regulation, mental health, embodiment, ethics, philosophy, accessibility, or the therapeutic application of yoga
- structured learning experiences with documented learning outcomes and instructor/faculty information
- certificate-based or competency-based educational experiences
Training that are not be eligible toward transfer hours:
- trainings without clear learning objectives or hour breakdowns
- trainings without verifiable proof of completion
- personal practice hours without structured educational delivery
- duplicate or substantially overlapping content
- trainings that do not align with IAYT competencies or the program’s trauma-informed, relational, and decolonial values
- Competency-Based Review Process
In alignment with IAYT's accrediation standards, eligible transfer hours are evaluated based on:
- content and depth of learning
- competency alignment
- educational context
- integration into professional or community practice
- relational and ethical alignment with the program’s approach
- readiness for relational community learning and mentorship
Application Process
Step 1: Apply to the Yoga Therapy Diploma
Begin by submitting your application to the 800-Hour Yoga Therapy Diploma Program.
Step 2: Complete the External Transfer Pathway Request Form
Applicants will be asked to provide:
- training institution & program name & website link
- total hours completed
- year completed
- instructor/faculty names and credentials
- certificates of completion
- a short written reflection on equivalency and integration into practice
Reflection Prompt:
In 1 - 2 paragraphs, please share how your previous training and lived experience align with trauma-informed, relational, and decolonial approaches to care and community practice.
Step 3: Submit the $200.00 CAD Non-Refundable Evaluation Fee
Please note:
- this fee supports the administrative and competency review process
- the evaluation fee is non-refundable
- the fee is separate from tuition costs
Step 4: Review Process
Transfer requests are reviewed by the Program Director and Program Coordinator.
Please allow approximately 2 - 3 weeks for review once all required documents have been received.
Step 5: Written Outcome
Possible outcomes can include:
- full transfer approval (up to 300 hours maximum)
- partial transfer approval
- recommendation to complete the standard diploma pathway
- Internal Review Considerations
Transfer requests are reviewed with attention to:
- trauma-informed alignment
- decolonial and relational orientation
- integration of yoga philosophy
- ethics and scope of practice awareness
- therapeutic application of yoga
- reflective and self-inquiry components
- competency alignment with IAYT domains
We believe wholeheartedly that community, social justice, decolonization, anti-oppression, and anti-racism are inherent to trauma-informed care.
Dr. Melissa Jay is an Indigenous, nehiyaw-Métis member of the Métis Nation of Alberta. The primary location of Canmore Counselling and Trauma-Informed Yoga Psychology School is located in Chuwapchipchiyan Kudi Bi (translated from Îyârhe Nakoda as “shooting at the willows”), colonially known as Canmore. We are grateful to be located on Treaty 7 territory and the current and ancestral lands of the Îyârhe Nakoda (Stoney Nakoda), which includes of the Bearspaw First Nation, Chiniki First Nation, and Goodstoney First Nation, as well as the Tsuut’ina First Nation and the Blackfoot Confederacy, including the Siksika First Nation, Piikani First Nation, and Kainai First Nation. This is also the home to the Rocky View Métis District 4 within the Battle River Territory. We recognize all Nations who continue to nurture these lands, and we are dedicated to uplifting Truth, language, and culture as essential to right relations. As an act of reconciliation and commitment to decolonization, we are committed to the TRC's Calls to Action.
At Canmore Counselling, we are also privileged to be yoga students, practitioners, and guides. Our offerings centre on the root of yoga as Indigenous to South Asia, and we are grateful to learn from and amplify the South Asian practitioners and teachers whenever possible. We are grateful for the eight limbs of yoga, as taught by Patanjali. It is a joy to walk alongside our incredible alumni of the Trauma-Informed Yoga Psychology School as they create opportunities for care, connection & curiosity within their communities.
We believe wholeheartedly that trauma-informed care requires commitment to community, social justice, decolonization, anti-oppression, and anti-racism. Thank you for being here :)
At Canmore Counselling, we are also privileged to be yoga students, practitioners, and guides. Our offerings centre on the root of yoga as Indigenous to South Asia, and we are grateful to learn from and amplify the South Asian practitioners and teachers whenever possible. We are grateful for the eight limbs of yoga, as taught by Patanjali. It is a joy to walk alongside our incredible alumni of the Trauma-Informed Yoga Psychology School as they create opportunities for care, connection & curiosity within their communities.
We believe wholeheartedly that trauma-informed care requires commitment to community, social justice, decolonization, anti-oppression, and anti-racism. Thank you for being here :)