Many children and adolescents have difficulty concentrating. They sleep poorly, often worry and are constantly under stress. Relaxing or just doing nothing at all seems almost impossible for them. The "on button" always seems to work but the "off button" does not.

How can we teach children to calm themselves? How can we help them stop fretting, develop confidence in their own qualities and remain resilient in the demanding world of the 21st century? Mindfulness can play a valuable role here. It provides children with the tools to consciously manage their thoughts and emotions, find calm and focus, and be more resilient to the challenges of modern life.

Mindfulness Child Trainer at the AMT
During the Mindfulness Children's Trainer Course at AMT, you not only learn as a professional to teach an eight-week Mindfulness training course to children ages 4 to 12. You also learn to teach yourself. After all, you also learn to play the piano from someone who has experience with it and practices it daily. The Method Eline Snel has been developed with much compassion and dedication in practice for and with children. The Method is known worldwide as the Mindfulness training for children and adolescents!
Method Eline Snel®
The Method Eline Snel® is universal, practical, comprehensive and compassionate. Eline developed all trainings for children, adolescents and professionals working with children and adolescents, in practice. You feel this in everything. The roots of both the training and the development of the Method Eline Snel lie in 30 years of experience of Eline as a therapist, mindfulness and compassion trainer and comes to life together with the ancient wisdom of the Vipassana meditation tradition.

Contents Mindfulness Training

The complete content of the training courses is described in detail in the trainer manuals. This training is "teacher-proof" and evidence-based. Both the trainer training and the children's trainings themselves, are experiential and provide a solid foundation for delivering effective mindfulness training. The training focuses on the following aspects:

Becoming familiar with the structure, content and essence of the lessons
Getting familiar with the different forms of work
Getting familiar with preparing and implementing lessons
Practice in the art of inquiry
Practice intake interviews and training evaluations
Awareness of the importance of (self) compassion
Research and the effect of Mindfulness on the young developing brain
Introduction of the training at school, in the (private) practice or institution in which you work

Level and study load

The child mindfulness trainer course is designed at the college level and provides a comprehensive foundation for the professional coaching of children in mindfulness.

The Children's Trainer Training Program includes a total of 95 hours:

45 hours of training at the Academy of Mindful Teaching incl. preliminary interview, supervision/intermediate coaching
20 hours of studying required literature and preparing classes
25 hours of preparation and implementation of an eight-week pilot training program
5 hours of writing a final report

After your certification, annual continuing education of 6-8 hours is mandatory.

Learning Outcomes Mindfulness Training

Main learning output:

The student can, after certification, independently give a mindfulness training according to the principles of the Method Eline Snel for children aged 4-12 years at school, in private practice, or in the own institution.

Partial learning outcomes:

The student knows the structure, construction and essence of the lessons in the Method Eline Snel and the trainer's manual, and can follow them in their implementation;
The student knows the art of inquiry and can have conversations with children from this theory;
The student knows the importance of (self-)compassion and the dangers of transference, and can use this knowledge in lessons;
The student can name the effects of mindfulness on young child and brain development.

What can you expect from the training and what is expected of you?

What can you expect from AMT trainers during the training?
During the AMT training you can count on the warm commitment of the trainers. Thanks to their years of experience in giving lessons according to the Eline Snel Method in various settings, such as regular and special education, the GGZ, hospitals and private practices, they have built up a wealth of knowledge. Our goal is to guide you as well as possible throughout the training process.

What do we expect from you?
To obtain the certificate, you must meet the following requirements:

Embodiment of mindfulness during and after classes.
100% attendance to all training days (catching up in another group is possible).
A mandatory supervision session to monitor and deepen your personal learning.
Making your own appointment for the supervision interview with a supervisor.
Conducting a pilot training in your own target group (at least three children who are not relatives).
Writing a 12-14 page report on your pilot experiences.
After certification, make the frog seal visible on all your own promotional materials and your website.

Prerequisites for participation in the Mindfulness Child Trainer Course

Completion of an eight-week MBSR or MBCT training course by a certified trainer. Or completed participation in the eight-week Mindfulness in Education & Parenting training. This eight-week training must be completed or nearly completed before the start of the Mindfulness Child Trainer Training Program.
HBO prior education or HBO thinking/working level (internationally known as Bachelor's level of thinking and working)
Working with children (or intentions) ages 4-12 in school, private practice, institution or after-school program
Participating in a Mindfulness silent retreat of at least five consecutive days to deepen one's own Mindfulness practice. This silent retreat must be completed within 2 years of starting the Mindfulness Child Trainer Course.

Unsure about the terms? Then feel free to send an email to [email protected], we will be happy to help you.

Certification and Continuing Education

Certification as a Mindfulness Child Trainer according to the Method Eline Snel takes place after 100% attendance, successful completion of a pilot, conducting a supervision interview and submission of an approved final assignment. After certification, each child trainer receives a certificate and a personalized frog logo, the official hallmark of our training. This seal may be used visibly on all your PR materials, website and correspondence.

After certification, you will also be registered with "Find a Trainer" on our website. To keep this registration active, attending annual continuing education is mandatory.

In addition to annual continuing education, there are further training opportunities. You can choose to take the Mindfulness Youth Trainer Course or the Mindfulness Trainer in Education & Parenting Course. The latter training qualifies you to offer teachers, parents and healthcare professionals a full eight-week Mindfulness training.

What can you do with this course?

After completing the Mindfulness Child Trainer course, you are certified to teach mindfulness to children in a playful and accessible way. This offers several opportunities:

In education: Integrate mindfulness in your classroom or at your school.
Within your own practice: Start or enrich your own practice as a mindfulness child trainer and coach children individually or in groups.
In care: Support children in (youth) care.
Workshops and trainings: Organize mindfulness classes in schools, community centers or sports clubs.

You will contribute to the well-being and resilience of children through this training so that they are stronger and more aware in life.

Cost and reimbursement Mindfulness training

This cost for Mindfulness Child Trainer Training at the Academy for Mindful Teaching is €1795 for the physical training, €1595 for the part physical and part online training (French only) and €1395 for the online training (Spanish and English only) . This price includes:

Two copies of the trainer's handbook, for ages 4-8 and 8-12
Access to an online learning environment (AMT Classroom)
1 supervision call (any additional supervision calls cost 75 euros)
For both age groups download materials for students
A comprehensive syllabus with information about the Mindfulness Method Eline Snel
AMT-PowerPoint presentation for giving an information evening (to parents or colleagues)
Coffee, tea and lunch/light meal (only at the physical training courses in the Netherlands)