Karuna Institute

What Karuna Institute does

Karuna Institute (operating as Karuna Training Ltd) is a Bristol-based education centre founded in 1982 by Maura and Franklyn Sills that trains psychotherapists in Mindfulness Based Core Process Psychotherapy (MBCPP), a synthesis of Buddhist psychology and Western psychotherapy traditions. The institute runs a four-year UKCP-accredited Post-graduate Diploma pathway, accessed via a Foundation Year (also available as standalone CPD) and Introductory Workshops, plus annual five-day residential retreats at its wholly-owned Karuna Dartmoor venue in Devon. Training is delivered exclusively in-person, with cohort sizes capped at 18 students and faculty composed of senior practitioners who also hold senior roles in the Association of Core Process Psychotherapists (ACPP) and UKCP's HIPC Assessment Board.

The core technology is a pedagogical and clinical framework rather than a software platform, built around proprietary concepts including the Nine Territories of Embodied Relational Attunement and Embodied Relational Enquiry. Digital infrastructure is limited to a Student Dashboard/Portal for applications and course material access, and Zoom for tutorials and telephony. All program components - modules, clinical practice oversight, graduation, and UKCP accreditation application - are mediated by faculty, with no online training or marketplace distribution.

Revenue is generated through tuition fees (Foundation Year and PG Diploma years at £3,995 per year), Introductory Workshop fees (£140), Dartmoor residential fees (£425/year), post-training Clinical Contract fees (£500/year), and one-time Accreditation Panel application fees (£450). Customers are individual adults seeking UKCP-accredited psychotherapy credentials, accredited practitioners seeking CPD, and meditation practitioners seeking depth training. Geographic reach is restricted to UK residents; EU and overseas students are not accepted.

Name

Karuna Institute

Legal name

Karuna Training Ltd

Website

https://karunainstitute.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Karuna Institute is a Bristol-based education centre running a UKCP-accredited four-year Post-graduate Diploma in Mindfulness Based Core Process Psychotherapy, serving individuals seeking accredited psychotherapy credentials, CPD practitioners, and meditation practitioners in the UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Psychotherapy Training

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Training Delivery Providers (In-Person, Virtual, Train-the-Trainer) (BPACANAM)

Keywords

• Psychotherapy training programs
• Mindfulness-based psychotherapy
• Postgraduate diploma counseling
• Continuing professional development
• Professional counselor education

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional Training Tuition: Main revenue stream from postgraduate diploma and foundation year training programs. Students pay annual tuition fees for the 4-year professional training leading to UKCP accreditation as a psychotherapist.
2. Clinical Contract Fees: Annual fees charged to students working towards graduation and accreditation who are no longer attending taught training years but maintaining clinical practice under institutional oversight.
3. Accreditation Fees: One-time fees for accreditation panel application and graduation interview processes with UKCP.
4. CPD and Introductory Workshops: Revenue from introductory workshop days (also serving as prerequisites) and continuing professional development offerings for accredited psychotherapists and counsellors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Karuna Institute delivers a UKCP-accredited four-year Post-graduate Diploma in Mindfulness Based Core Process Psychotherapy, supported by a Foundation Year and introductory workshops that serve as prerequisites. Training combines Buddhist psychology and mindfulness practice with Western psychotherapy traditions and is delivered through weekend modules in Bristol and annual residential retreats at Karuna Dartmoor.

Product overview

Karuna Institute offers a multi-tiered psychotherapy training program built around Mindfulness Based Core Process Psychotherapy (MBCPP). The core offering is the four-year Post-graduate Diploma leading to UKCP accreditation as a psychotherapist. Access is through the Foundation Year (which can also be taken as standalone CPD) and Introductory Workshops as the entry point. The training combines monthly weekend modules held in Bristol with annual five-day residential retreats at Karuna Dartmoor. Students receive clinical practice permission in Year One and work toward graduation and UKCP accreditation through a structured pathway. The Institute also provides a private Student Dashboard/Portal for enrolled students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Introductory Workshops One-day in-person workshops at the Bristol training centre that introduce Mindfulness Based Core Process Psychotherapy; a prerequisite for the Foundation Year and also available as 6 hours of CPD for accredited psychotherapists and counsellors. Cost: £140.
• Foundation Year Training A one-year Foundation in Mindfulness-based Core Process Psychotherapy. It is a prerequisite for the Post-graduate Diploma but may also be taken as a standalone CPD year. Cost: £3,995 for academic year 2025, with a £1,595 deposit due by 31st May to secure a place.
• Post-graduate Diploma in Mindfulness Based Core Process Psychotherapy A four-year UKCP-accredited professional training programme (Foundation Year plus three PG Diploma years) integrating Buddhist psychology and mindfulness practice with Western psychotherapy traditions (psychodynamics, attachment theory, trauma theory). Leads to full professional qualification and UKCP accreditation as a psychotherapist. Each of Years 1–3 costs £3,995 (annual subscription), with nine weekend modules per year and one five-day residential.
• Five-day Residential Retreats at Karuna Dartmoor Annual five-day immersive residential retreats held at Karuna Dartmoor in Devon, forming a required component of the PG Diploma training (one residential per year). Invoiced separately by Karuna Dartmoor at £425 per year including accommodation and meals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Full professional UKCP accreditation as a psychotherapist upon meeting all training requirements
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• UKCP (United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy)coreOthersKaruna Institute is an Organisational Member of UKCP. The Post Graduate Diploma in Mindfulness Based Core Process Psychotherapy is UKCP accredited and validated by the Professional Standards Authority. Graduates can apply for accreditation onto the UKCP register of accredited therapists.
• Association of Core Process Psychotherapists (ACPP)coreOthersACPP is an Organisational Member of UKCP that oversees ethical standards and supports good practice of registered members. Many graduates join ACPP post-accreditation. ACPP holds re-accreditation processes with UKCP and conducts its own courses and conferences.
• Karuna DartmoorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical partnership dating back to the founding of Karuna Institute over 40 years ago. Karuna Dartmoor serves as the venue for annual residential retreats, hosting groups who find these five days deeply bonding. Students spend part of their time together on the moors in short retreats.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Minster Centre: UKCP-accredited psychotherapy training institute in London offering integrative and mindfulness-oriented trainings. Comparable to Karuna as a small, specialist UK psychotherapy training provider with similar accreditation and trainee cohort dynamics.
• New School of Psychotherapy and Counselling (NSPC): London-based psychotherapy training school offering UKCP-accredited programs leading to professional registration. Comparable to Karuna in delivering in-person, multi-year practitioner training with similar target audience and accreditation outcome.
• Metanoia Institute (now part of Middlesex University): UK-based psychotherapy and counselling training institute offering UKCP-accredited programs. Directly comparable to Karuna as a specialist psychotherapy training provider with similar accreditation pathways and target audience of adult career-changer trainees.
• Iron Mill College: UK-based counselling and psychotherapy training provider offering BACP/UKCP-accredited programs. Comparable to Karuna as a private training college delivering professional counsellor/psychotherapist qualifications with similar intake-driven tuition model.

Others

• United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP): UK regulator that accredits psychotherapy training programs including Karuna's PG Diploma. Not a competitor but a directly relevant ecosystem entity whose accreditation standards and re-accreditation cycles shape Karuna's operating environment.
• Association of Core Process Psychotherapists (ACPP): Professional association that oversees Core Process Psychotherapists and is organizationally affiliated with UKCP. Closely tied to Karuna's alumni network and governance, making it a comparable ecosystem participant rather than a competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust: Large NHS-affiliated provider of psychotherapy, counselling, and mental health training in the UK. Comparable to Karuna as a UK psychotherapy training institution but operates at much greater scale with NHS commissioning and broader portfolio of courses.
• Regent's University London: London-based private university offering psychotherapy and counselling programs at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Comparable to Karuna as a private UK institution offering UKCP-aligned psychotherapy training, but at larger scale and with a broader academic portfolio.
• City, University of London (Psychotherapy and Counselling): Major UK university offering UKCP-accredited postgraduate psychotherapy training programs. Comparable to Karuna as a UKCP-accredited psychotherapy training provider, but operates within a large university with broader degree-granting authority and larger cohorts.

Regional players

• Hawo's Training (formerly Bath Centre for Psychotherapy and Counselling): Southwest England-based psychotherapy and counselling training provider. Comparable to Karuna as a UKCP-accredited training institute operating in the same Southwest region with similar regional student base and cohort-based delivery model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/karunainstitute
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@karunainstitute
• Facebookfacebook.com/karunainstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/karunainstitute
• Instagraminstagram.com/karunainstitute

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Karuna Institute