The Sound of Experience
Established for 14 years, Sheila's course is the most comprehensive gong training in the world
The College of Sound Healing Gong Practitioner Training Course© is a CMA-certificated training programme over five weekends, over the period of one year. This comprises 70 hours formal training, plus practise, coursework, reading and mentoring in-between sessions. Completing this course gives you the information, knowledge, tools and qualification - acceptable anywhere in the world - to be a Gong Practitioner able to treat clients in a therapeutic setting both on a one-to-one basis or in groups. The Course was written for the College by Sheila, who is the senior College Gong tutor, and advisor to the College on all matters gong-related. She started running the Course for the College in 2010 and teaches it each year to new groups of students.
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The world of the Gong and its use for healing is a fascinating and relatively little-known subject. This Course aims to bring together and impart as much relevant knowledge and wisdom, ancient and new, as is possible in the time allotted for the Course. Some of this knowledge was lost in the mists of time and has been rediscovered during the last century. The Gong teachings are extensive and need time for participants to assimilate. This is best done in a Course run over the period of a year, to allow more comfortable integration of the powerful energies involved.
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Participants are guided throughout the Course by a highly experienced, caring, supportive tutor and assistants, and encouraged to do their own reading and studies between sessions to further promote their training. Sheila only takes a certain number of students on the Course each year, so that she has the time and opportunity to mentor each one individually. Students are allotted Coursework and case studies between the formal sessions to enable them to practise working with clients, thus honing their skills and techniques, and gaining confidence and expertise before they venture into the world to offer their services professionally. Doing the Course over the period of a year also enables the participants to embark on their own healing journey with the gongs - to do their own inner emotional and self development work - so that they can clear much of their own "stuff" and raise their own energy vibration before they start to treat others. This is essential when you are working in a therapeutic capacity - we need to be able to provide a strongly held safe, supportive space for our clients, and know that when the gongs inevitably do their clearing work during a gong bath, that we can be fully present to support clients in their healing process.
Each participant will need to have the use of their own gong by the 2nd weekend session. Guidance on choice of gong will be given during Session 1.
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Our Graduates
Sheila has been the best teacher anyone could wish for. I have very much valued and benefitted from her wisdom, knowledge and experience working with gongs. She always sends feedback and responds to my emails very quickly (in-between sessions), and always with kindness and encouragement. I have felt very supported by Sheila during the Course, and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in gongs
Cecilia
Thank you Sheila for an incredible journey with the gongs. Sheila's knowledge and experience has been invaluable, and loved every moment in the safe Gong Space. Did not want the Course to end. Amazing!
Jo
Learnt so much on this Course. Fully comprehensive content and structure. Brilliant step to launch myself into the gong world. Great to get questions answered too. Would recommend this Course to friends and family.
Shaun
I trained with Sheila Whittaker as a Gong Practitioner.
It was a life transforming experience for me, and brought together my previous energy work and training and showed me the focus and direction I should take. Sheila is a wonderful teacher and the course was a rich mixture of gentle discipline and rigour, and ethereal intuition.
I had always felt something was missing in my energy work and this course was it, and through it I also found the family of the College of Sound Healing.
Diana
I have just completed the Gong Practitioner course which was taught by Sheila. I really enjoyed and received so much in taking part. I didn’t realise how at a conscious level what was going to transpire, but Sheila has such a wonderful gift when teaching that she not only comes from her heart but also from the highest part of her spirit as in her higher self.
Her joy and love of Sound and of the gongs comes across in a way that made the workshop fun and full of wonder. I looked forward to learning and getting to experience the gong space with a generous hearted teacher. I thank you for your courage and strength.
Margaret

Dates
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CURRENT COURSE
Our current Course started October 2022
The 2022-23 GONG PRACTITIONER COURSE is Fully booked & now underway.
Bookings and Waiting list closed. Please go to the College of Sound Healing website for other Tutors now also teaching this Course in different parts of the UK.
Session 1 -Sat & Sun October 8th & 9th 2022
Session 2 - Sat & Sun January 7th & 8th 2023
Session 3 - Sat & Sun April 1st & 2nd 2023
Session 4 - Sat & Sun June 24th & 25th 2023
Session 5 - Sat & Sun October 14th & 15th 2023
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NEXT COURSE
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Sheila's next Gong Practitioner Course will start in October 2023 - information flyers giving all the details are available.
Bookings closed - we are fully booked for this next Course, and the Waiting list is now closed.
Please go to the College of Sound Healing website to find other tutors trained by Sheila to teach this Course.
If you really want to study with Sheila, you may want to consider doing one of the two-day Gong Intensive Workshops : dates and details on the Workshops and Events page.
2023-24 Course dates below :
Session 1 -Sat & Sun October 21st & 22nd 2023
Session 2 - Sat & Sun January 6th & 7th 2024
Session 3 - Sat & Sun April 6th & 7th 2024
Session 4 - Sat & Sun June 22nd & 23rd 2024
Session 5 - Sat & Sun October 12th & 13th 2024
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Pricing
COURSE FEES
The tuition cost of each Gong Training weekend during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 Courses is £250 (£1250 in total for all five weekends).
Go to the Shop & Book page to book online for the Course, or to Sheila's direct Paypal link here. You can pay for the whole Course at once, or each session separately.
A deposit of £100 secures your place on the Course, with the balance for Session 1 and each of the remaining Sessions due a month beforehand.
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We do have a lot of inquiries, and can get booked up quite quickly, so early booking is advisable. Sheila keeps numbers fairly low in each Course to ensure that she can give sufficient individual attention, support and mentoring to all participants.
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Please check the Booking Policy at point of sale.


Location
The Gong Practitioner Training Course is held in a super rural workshop space in an idyllic setting near Honiton in East Devon over five two-day weekend sessions during the year, including a Graduation weekend - totalling 70 hours formal training.
Each day, Saturday & Sunday, we work from 10am until 1pm with a short mid morning break, take an hour for lunch, then resume work from 2 until 5pm including a short tea break.
The course is non-residential; however, if you would need overnight accommodation, a local B & B information list can be provided – please inquire. There is some B & B accommodation available at the venue for those who book early enough.