Applied Interpersonal Neurobiology Certificate

Program Description

Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB) lives at the intersection of spirituality, biology and psychology. This emerging field has grounded what the mystical and transpersonal traditions have taught forever, that we are undeniably interconnected and interdependent. Humans and all other mammals are biologically wired to seek connection in order to survive. Our neural landscape of interconnection is mirrored by Nature herself.

From the time a human baby is born, their sense of self is shaped in and by their experience in relation(ships) which are encoded in their ‘embodied brain’. The inherent plasticity of the embodied brain makes it possible that our sense of self can be re-shaped, expanded, healed, and that consciousness can expand unendingly under supportive conditions. This can be facilitated when there is a combination of ingredients including the ‘felt sense’ of the ‘co-regulating’ presence of non-judgmental, attentive, responsive others, which neurobiologically creates a basic sense of safety. Under these conditions, the inherent capacity for imagination, creativity and play can unfold in the deep service of healing and the exploration and evolution of consciousness.

Courses offered in this program are crafted to provide the most current theory and practices from relational neuroscience and a toolbox of practical, experiential skills grounded in IPNB for working with people of diverse backgrounds in individual and group settings. Through personal exploration and experiential practice, participants can enrich their capacity for bringing mindful, attuned, embodied connection to their relationships, their work and their lives. 

• A New Perspective on the Essentials & Practice of Group Work
• Psychodrama Now – Through the Guiding Lens of Interpersonal Neurobiology
• Strategies for Experientially Engaging Parts Work
• Cultivating New Neural Pathways for Personal & Social Change Through Psychodrama
• The Healing Potential of Non-Ordinary States of Consciousness: The Legacy of Stanislav Grof, MD
• All Aboard: Strategies for Experientially Engaging Parts Work
• Honoring the Voices Within: Understanding, Differentiating, and Integrating our Internal Parts through Experiential Processes
• Neurobiological Roots & Applications of Experiential Action Methods

Additional courses may be listed in quarterly schedules.

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Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs):

upon completion students will be able to 

PLO 1: Describe key theoretical tenets of Interpersonal Neurobiology as
a primary lens for understanding trauma, attachment, and implicit and
explicit beliefs that shape our relationship to self and other, as well as its
application in individual and group therapy.

PLO 2: Practice applying approaches informed by Interpersonal
Neurobiology to enhance and support greater emotional and social
intelligence for personal and professional growth.

PLO 3: Demonstrate therapeutic skills and techniques such as mindful
attention, empathic attunement, resonant circuitry, co-regulation,
neuroplasticity, and embodied presence in practice sessions and group
settings.

PLO 4: Utilize experiential modalities, such as psychodrama, sociodrama,
therapeutic play, expressive arts, and parts work, to safely and creatively
engage in transformation and healing as a mental health professional

Where you might use these skills

• Mental health agencies
• Treatment facilities
• Organizational and educational facilities
• Hospitals
• Private practice
• Correctional facilities

Program Director

Diana Zumas, MA, LPC, LPCC received her Bachelor of Arts in Theater and Art from Oberlin College in Oberlin, OH. She graduated with a Master’s in Counseling from Southwestern College in Santa Fe, NM, and has been a psychotherapist since 2008. She has a passion for group therapy and recently facilitated psychodrama groups for Native American men recovering from addictions at New Moon Lodge in Ohkay Owingeh, New Mexico. Diana also teaches Group Dynamics and Developmental Psychology at Southwestern College in Santa Fe, NM. With over 700 hours of training in psychodrama, sociometry, and group psychotherapy, she incorporates experiential processes, mindfulness, and artwork into her therapeutic approach. Diana’s practice is oriented toward trauma resolution, informed by Internal Family Systems, and she is certified in EMDR Levels I and II. She is also trained in stress and trauma reduction techniques through The Center for Mind Body Medicine, based in Washington, DC.

Southwestern College & New Earth Institute is approved by the New Mexico Counseling and Therapy Practice Board (#CEU2025065) and the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC ACEP No. 7520) as a Continuing Education Provider. If you are not licensed as a mental health professional in New Mexico, please check with your state’s licensing board to see if they will accept approved CEs from these two accrediting bodies.