Small Group • Taught by Cole James & Sandi Derby

Premium In-Person Certification

Everything in Foundational and Advanced, delivered as an intimate in-person experience with live roleplay, direct mentoring, and the support to launch your practice right after certification.

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Why Premium Exists

Some people need the room, the human connection, and the trainer right across from them

Foundational and Advanced are complete trainings. Premium exists because a certain kind of learner, and a certain kind of specialist, wants the depth that only comes from being in the room. Live roleplay. Real conversations. Direct mentoring. Cole and Sandi present the entire time.

What Premium Adds

Everything in Advanced with seven additional offerings to launch your business

Small-group in-person certification

Capped at 20 participants in the room. You get the depth of face-to-face training, live roleplay, and the kind of connection that's difficult to build over Zoom.

Direct 1-on-1 mentoring with Cole and Sandi

Both trainers are in the room with you the entire time. Ask your hardest questions, work through your specific cases, and get personal coaching you can carry into your practice.

1 month of mastermind calls with Cole and Sandi

After certification, you join a month of weekly mastermind calls led by Cole and Sandi. Bring your real client situations, roadblocks, and business questions to the people who built the training.

The Marketing & Sales Backbone

A complete launch course that walks you through how to position, price, and sell the work. Messaging, lead generation, sales conversations, and the operational backbone of running a specialist practice — all designed for grief recovery work.

1 month of Marketing Coaching included

A $249 value. One full month of 1-on-1 coaching with our marketing team on top of the launch course, so you have both the roadmap and a coach walking you through it.

Business launch support

Direct access to our team after certification to help you get your first clients, troubleshoot early challenges, and actually launch — not just graduate.

Everything in Advanced, included

The 4-day live training, 18 hours of additional self-paced training, the extra lesson plans, 149 marketing coaching videos, the Advanced Specialist badge, 12 months of the Build tier of My Business Hub, and 1 year of unlimited support are all part of Premium.

An experience, not just a training

Premium location, human connection and experiential setting are all part of why people call this the most meaningful training they've ever attended. You leave connected to both the material and the people in the room.

Who Chooses Premium

Three kinds of people end up here

You want the fastest start

The combination of in-person instruction, live roleplay, the Marketing & Sales Backbone course, and a month of mastermind calls with Cole and Sandi puts you in position to see paying clients sooner than any other track.

You learn best in the room

If you know that Zoom training doesn't land for you the same way face-to-face does, Premium is built for how you actually learn.

You want direct access to the trainers

Cole James and Sandi Derby lead every Premium cohort personally. Small group size means real time with them, not a hand raised in a crowd.

Meet Your Trainers

You'll learn from Cole and Sandi personally

Cole James

President & Lead Trainer, The Grief Recovery Institute

Cole leads the Institute founded by his father, John W. James. He has trained thousands of specialists across the U.S. and internationally and teaches every Premium cohort personally.

Sandi Derby

Senior Certification Trainer

Sandi has been teaching the Grief Recovery Method for decades and is one of the most experienced trainers in the organization. She co-leads every Premium cohort alongside Cole.

Tuition

From $1,665/mo for 3 months

or $4,995 today · 0% interest

Includes the 4-day in-person training with Cole and Sandi, everything in Foundational and Advanced (including 12 months of the Build tier of My Business Hub), small-group roleplay, 1-on-1 mentoring, training materials, 1 month of weekly mastermind calls with Cole and Sandi, the Marketing & Sales Backbone launch course, 1 month of Marketing Coaching, and business launch support. 0% interest payment plans available.

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Premium Certification FAQ

Do I need to complete Foundational or Advanced before Premium?

No. Premium is an all-in-one option. The 4-day live training you complete in the room is identical to what Foundational students receive — you just get it in person, in a small group, with everything from Advanced added on top.

Where are the Premium trainings held?

Premium is held at select locations around the country. Upcoming cities and dates are listed on the training calendar.

How many people are in each Premium cohort?

Capped at 20. That's deliberate — it's the maximum group size where everyone still gets direct, one-on-one time with both trainers.

Are travel, lodging and meals included?

Travel, lodging and meals are arranged by each participant. We provide location details and hotel recommendations once you're enrolled.

How does the business launch support work?

Three layers: (1) The Marketing & Sales Backbone launch course — a complete, self-paced program on positioning, pricing, lead generation, and selling the work. (2) One month of weekly mastermind calls with Cole and Sandi where you can bring your real client situations and business questions. (3) One month of 1-on-1 Marketing Coaching from our marketing team. Combined, it's the roadmap plus the people to help you follow it.

How much is Premium?

Premium is from $1,665/mo for 3 months (or $4,995 today). 0% interest payment plans via Stripe.

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Ready to train in the room with Cole and Sandi?

Pick an upcoming in-person cohort, or talk to our team about whether Premium is the right fit for your goals.

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