about cci-usa

Our History

Co-counseling International (CCI) was founded in 1974 by Dency Sargent (USA), John Heron (UK), and Tom Sargent (USA). Dency, Tom, and John were introduced to the practice of co-counseling through Re-Evaluation Counseling (RC). RC began in the 1950s in the Seattle area, and is still practiced around the world.

After leaving RC, Dency and Tom taught CCI-style co-counseling and trained other teachers in the the Northeastern USA, while John helped spread CCI to the UK, Europe, and New Zealand. From the beginning in 1974, those independent communities have met together at annual workshops in the USA and Europe, and occasional workshops in New Zealand and Israel. These workshops have given CCI co-counselors the opportunity to advance their skills, deepen their personal work, and build community across the planet.

In ______, CCI-USA incorporated as a certified non-profit organization. Our Community Committee members use a peer consensus process to help develop programs and guide the organization. We began offering on-line gatherings and classes in 2020, and held our first online international workshop in 2021. Since then, online classes have continued, allowing us to spread our membership across the U.S. Whether you take co-counseling online or in person, we hope you join us in changing the world, one person at a time!

Our Mission

The mission of CCI-USA is to maintain, promote and develop the practice, culture and theory of co-counseling regionally and nationally through an energetic and focused peer community of individuals committed to the practice and vision of co-counseling.

Our Vision

Co-Counseling is a well respected and firmly established practice for achieving emotional health, personal clarity and self-fulfillment.

Our Founding Principles

We believe that:

At our core, each of us is inherently good.
Each of us has our own answers within us, along with a wide range of gifts and talents
With deep and caring attention from our session partner, we can:
- Heal past and present hurts.
- Address patterns of behavior that no longer serve us.
- Make intentional changes in our lives and our worlds.

FAQs

How do I learn co-counseling?

Everyone starts by taking a Fundamentals class, either online or in person. Usually taught in a group, the classes are highly experiential, with practice sessions expected between classes. The material taught is common to all CCI-USA Fundamentals, but the format and duration of the class varies by teachers. If finances are an issue, most teachers offer scholarship assistance. For more information about upcoming Fundamentals, click here.

Are there advanced classes?

Since you’re always working on your own material, you can repeat Fundamentals and continue to be learning more about yourself and developing your skills in both the client and counselor roles. There are also opportunities to take advanced or applied classes or workshops.

I’d prefer an in-person class, but there’s none in my area. What do you suggest?

Co-counseling online is easier and more effective than you might think. We encourage you to attend an online introductory session to try it out. You can also encourage a local friend or two to take the class with you, so that you can co-counsel together. Or, if you can gather a group of interested people, let us know, and we may be able to bring a teacher to you!

What’s the difference between CCI co-counseling and RC?

CCI is a federation of independent and peer-based co-counseling communities, while RC has a more hierarchical organization. CCI emphasizes that the person in the client role is fully in charge of their session, and our teaching emphasizes skills you use in that role. RC teaching often focuses more on counselor skills. CCI uses validation and celebration work for strength-building, while RC typically emphasizes validation to promote discharge (catharsis). RC co-counseling typically includes more emphasis on liberation and oppression work in order to effect social change, but many CCI teachers include that work as well.

Still have more questions? Contact us or book in for an info session.