Now Accepting Applicants for Fall 2026 and Summer 2027

Now Accepting Applicants for Fall 2026 and Summer 2027

Train Where Relational Therapists Thrive

A rigorous, supervision-rich practicum and internship at The Center for Relationships — training the next generation of relationship helpers in Austin since 2014.

Click to Apply Here

"We already know, from childhood, how to be in relationship. The work of a great relational therapist is to help people remember that — and to become someone who can hold that knowledge with presence, skill, and heart."

— Dr. Vagdevi Meunier · Founder & Psychologist · Senior Gottman Therapist & Trainer

IRIS Training Program

 

Integrative relational intelligence system (IRIS) for professionals

The IRIS Training Program is TCFR's practicum and internship program for pre-licensed therapists who want to specialize in couples and relationship therapy and education. Trainees work directly with individuals, couples, families, and groups under close supervision, gaining hands-on clinical hours in one of Austin's most respected relationship-focused practices.

This is not a general clinical placement. IRIS is designed for therapists who are drawn specifically to relational work — and who want rigorous, mentorship-driven training that goes beyond what a generalist placement can offer.

Training the Next Generation of Relational Experts

We train clinicians who are competent, confident, ethically grounded, with a passion for relational therapy and education who are ready to build a successful private practice career.

Is this training right for you?

Like a mandala, our training program is a 360-degree, interconnected whole where every element relates to every other — the IRIS Training Program develops clinicians across four dimensions simultaneously, with no dimension more important than the others and no shortcut to the center.

This program is built for clinicians-in-training who want to specialize in relationship therapy and education.

A Training Curriculum Built for your Relational Career

Your caseload grows with you. You begin with foundational skills and build toward individuals, couples, families, and group modalities — matched to your interests and readiness.

TRAINING MODALITIES YOU WILL GET EXPOSURE TO:

  • Audit Levels 1 and 2 at no cost; get the formal training and a certificate from The Gottman Institute at a substantially discounted rate. Receive ongoing consultation, resources, and special topics training in Gottman couples therapy at no cost.

  • Our signature integrated and clinically grounded approach developed and taught by Dr. Vagdevi Meunier. The Integrated Relational Intelligence System covers the Five Pillars of Relational Intelligence to prepare you for success as a relationship therapist. Free for all trainees.

  • An elegant and easy to learn and implement premarital and couples assessment system that is integrated with a 7-session solution focused approach to helping couples. Perfect for beginning therapists with no previous training or experience in relational models, this six hour training can be easily integrated into your clinical and outreach work right after being trained.

  • Interested in doing depth work with couples? Do you see relationships through a developmental and psychodynamic lens, then integrating Imago tools and techniques into your repertoire will make you a powerful relational therapist. Dr. V is trained and certified in Imago and brings this model alive in her supervision and trainings.

  • Did you know there are two models of Emotion Focused couples therapy? Did you know that there are multiple ways to integrate an attachment lens into your relational work and to facilitate a corrective emotional experience between partners? We can show you how! Learn how to become an attachment oriented therapist who can dive deep into emotions with your clients.

  • Trauma is ubiquitous and all relational therapists need to have a fundamental understanding and ability to work with trauma in the relational system. We train you in multiple trauma-informed approaches that don’t require you to spend days and dollars in training. For example: Somatic approaches such as Hakomi therapy, Internal Family Systems, and Relational Cultural Model.

  • We have senior therapists who are certified psychosexual therapists, trained in multiple modalities for working with sex within relationships, and also able to guide and mentor you in working with diverse couples who present with intimacy concerns.

READY TO APPLY?

Send us an email to training@thecenter4relationships.com and let us know of your interest. Please include:

* A detailed cover letter telling us why you want to be part of our training cohort.

* An updated resume showing all of your academic history and jobs held, as well as volunteer positions.

* The contact information for 3 professional references — only 1 professor please.