Who This Program Is For
Registered Acupuncturists & TCM
Practitioners
You are already seeing patients who come in due to anxiety, low mood, insomnia, and stress, sometimes as the reason for the visit, but often folded into one. This program educates you on the Ben Shen Clinical System, a structured approach for handling such cases with a clear plan.
ELIGIBILITY
Registered Acupuncturists, Registered TCM Practitioners, or Registered Doctors of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Dr. TCM).
You are in good standing with your regulatory authority, in cases where regulation exists.
Healthcare Professionals Authorized to Practice Acupuncture
You already have acupuncture in your scope as a physician, chiropractor, physiotherapist, or nurse, and patients are asking you for integrative methods for dealing with stress, anxiety, and sleep. This program provides a credible, well-structured TCM framework you can apply in your established practice.
ELIGIBILITY
1. Registered Acupuncturists and TCM Practitioners
You may already be treating patients who present with anxiety, low mood, insomnia, stress, or related psycho-emotional concerns—either as their primary concern or alongside other health conditions. This program introduces the Ben Shen Clinical System, a structured framework for assessing these complex presentations and developing clear, individualized care plans that integrate acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, therapeutic communication, and lifestyle cultivation.
2. Healthcare Professionals Authorized to Practise Acupuncture
If acupuncture is included within your legally permitted scope of practice as a physician, chiropractor, physiotherapist, or other qualified healthcare professional, this program can help you respond to the growing demand for integrative approaches to stress, anxiety, sleep difficulties, and other mental health concerns. It provides a credible, clinically grounded TCM framework that can be safely incorporated into your established practice within your professional scope.
3. Senior Acupuncture and TCM Students
Students in the final year of an accredited acupuncture or TCM program, as well as third- and fourth-year CITCM students, may apply for conditional admission. The program allows senior students to strengthen their understanding of integrative mental health care, develop clinical reasoning through case-based learning, and prepare to apply the Ben Shen Clinical System confidently and safely in their future professional practice.
What You’ll Gain
Developed and refined through Professor Changqing Joseph Yang’s more than 40 years of integrative clinical practice in mental health care, the Ben Shen (Rooted Spirit) Clinical System provides a unified framework for addressing psycho-emotional concerns. It brings together TCM assessment and pattern differentiation, individualized acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine treatment, therapeutic communication, and lifestyle and mind–body cultivation.
Through clinical observation, expert case mentorship, and your own casework, you will learn how to translate Ben Shen theory into safe and practical patient care. Upon successful completion, you will receive a certification jointly awarded by CITCM and the American Institute of Mental Health in Traditional Chinese Medicine (AIMHTCM).
If You Are a Practising Acupuncturist
You will strengthen the systematic clinical reasoning needed to assess psycho-emotional presentations and provide confident, structured, and integrative care within your professional scope. The certification also demonstrates your advanced training to patients and to the physicians, counsellors, and other healthcare professionals with whom you collaborate or exchange referrals.
If Acupuncture Is Part of Your Broader Professional Scope
You will gain a credible, clinically grounded TCM framework that can be integrated into your established practice. The program will help you respond with greater confidence and safety to the growing demand for integrative mental health care among your patients.
If You Are Completing Your Acupuncture or TCM Education
You will enter practice with advanced knowledge and practical preparation in an increasingly important area of patient care. Through case-based learning, clinical observation, and mentorship, you will develop specialized knowledge in psycho-emotional care and earn a distinctive credential to present to future employers, clinics, professional collaborators, and patients.
Meet Your Instructors
Curriculum and Delivery
The program consists of seven modules, combining online and onsite instruction, onsite clinic observation and offsite case management mentoring.
This one-year certification program runs from January to December for 2027 enrolment.
Module
Title
Contact Hours
Program Summary, Research, Evidence-Informed Practice, and Integrative Mental Health Applications
18
Mentored Independent Clinical Practice & Case Studies
24 (Non-contact Requirement)
Total Contact Hours
124
Estimated Total Study Hours
Approximately 300
Complete all required modules and learning activities.
Achieve a minimum overall program grade of 70%.
Obtain a minimum grade of 70% on your Capstone Case Study Project.
Complete required practical skills demonstrations and case-based assessments.
Meet the minimum attendance requirement of 80% of scheduled instructional hours.
Demonstrate safe, ethical, professional, and scope-appropriate practice throughout the program.
Meet all financial and administrative obligations to CITCM before the certificate is issued.
Complete the required 10 hours of clinical observation.
Application & Enrollment
The program consists of seven modules, combining online and onsite instruction, onsite clinic observation and offsite case management mentoring. This one-year certification program runs from January to December for 2027 enrolment.
01
Check Your Eligibility
The program is open to registered acupuncturists, TCM practitioners, and
healthcare professionals who can do acupuncture under their local laws, and senior
TCM/acupuncture students and alumni.
03
Admission Review
Our admissions team follows up to confirm your eligibility, collect any required
documents, and then reviews your completed application.
04
Enrollment Confirmation
Seats are limited: there are 30 spots total for 2027
30
05
Program Begins
The first group will begin on January (exact date TBC), 2027.
Tuition & Investment
$4,500(USD)
- All seven modules of instruction, online and onsite
- Clinical observation hours and capstone case study supervision
- All required course materials and learning resources (textbooks are separate)
- Joint CITCM–AIMHTCM certificate upon successful completion
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ
I do not practise Chinese herbal medicine. Can I still apply?
Yes. Practising Chinese herbal medicine is not an admission requirement. Acupuncture doctors, including Physicians, chiropractors, physiotherapists, and other qualified healthcare professionals may apply, provided that acupuncture is included within their legally permitted scope of practice and they meet the program’s admission requirements. Although the curriculum includes Chinese herbal medicine, participants may apply herbal knowledge in practice only when it falls within their legal and professional scope.
I am still studying to become an acupuncturist. Can I enrol before graduating?
Yes. Students in the final year of an accredited acupuncture or TCM program, as well as third- and fourth-year CITCM students, may be considered for conditional admission. Students may begin the program before graduating; however, we will award certification only after they complete their qualifying program and, where applicable, obtain registration as an acupuncturist, Doctor of Acupuncture, or other recognized professional designation.
What distinguishes this program from other TCM mental health training?
Mental health has become an increasingly important area of clinical practice; however, comprehensive, well-established TCM clinical frameworks for mental health care remain limited. To address this gap, the Ben Shen Clinical System provides a structured, clinically grounded framework for integrative mental health care, developed and refined over Professor Changqing Joseph Yang’s 40+ years of clinical practice.
Rooted in the traditional Chinese medicine understanding of the central role of Shen, the system guides practitioners in identifying patterns of Shen disturbance and developing individualized care plans that integrate acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, therapeutic communication, and lifestyle cultivation. This pioneering advanced certification brings together Chinese medicine, contemporary mental health knowledge, evidence-informed care, clinical safety, case-based learning, and expert faculty mentorship to promote safe, responsible practice and support improved mental health and overall well-being.
What will I be able to do after completing this certification?
Upon successful completion, graduates will be able to apply Ben Shen theory and clinical protocols; conduct structured assessments of psycho-emotional presentations; identify and differentiate patterns of Shen disturbance; and develop individualized, patient-centred treatment plans. They will also be able, within an individual’s scope of practice where applicable, to integrate acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, therapeutic communication, and lifestyle cultivation; monitor patient responses; recognize clinical warning signs; and determine when referral or collaborative care is required. Within their legally permitted professional scope, graduates are also prepared to provide evidence-informed, integrative mental health care with greater confidence and safety.
What is included in the tuition?
The tuition fee of USD 4,500 includes the application fee, online and onsite instruction, learning materials and access to digital resources/platforms, assessments, the final capstone evaluation, clinical case mentorship with Professor Yang. Textbooks, travel, and accommodation (for out-of-town students) are not included.
Are there any costs beyond tuition?
Additional fees apply only when relevant. These may include reassessments or supplemental/rewrite examinations, replacement certificates, late submission after the program ends, and optional textbooks or reference materials. Optional clinical mentorship or advanced training pursued after completing the program is also available for an additional fee.
Can I pay in instalments?
Yes. You may pay the tuition in full before the program begins or apply for an approved CITCM payment plan. Regardless of the payment option selected, you must pay all tuition and applicable fees in accordance with CITCM policies before the certificate can be issued.