How the CIMT Certification Transformed My Practice: Courtney's Journey
For Courtney, becoming a Certified Integrated Manual Therapist (CIMT) was about more than earning a credential — it was about elevating her ability to help her patients. “I chose to become a CIMT so that I could further my hands-on manual skills,” she shared. “I wanted to find another way to approach patients and make a bigger impact.”
Learning to Create Real-Time Change
One of the biggest lessons Courtney took from Great Lakes Seminars’ courses was the importance of test, treat, and retest — a simple but powerful principle that ensures every treatment is effective in the moment.
“I learned how to make very quick, real-time changes for the patient related to pain or range of motion,” she said. “It’s very important not to just do it at the beginning and end of a session, but to keep checking in throughout.”
By continually reassessing during treatment, Courtney has seen dramatic improvements right before her eyes. “This is how I’ve seen huge jumps in range of motion or big decreases in pain within the same session,” she explained.
Seeing Patients Through a Broader Lens
Through her journey to becoming a CIMT, Courtney found herself rethinking how she approached patients — especially those who hadn’t improved with traditional therapy elsewhere.
“I’ve been able to change my treatment style and approach patients differently,” she said. “It’s not just about looking locally at the site of pain, but thinking more globally — how other areas of the body might be connected to and influencing that problem.”
This integrated perspective has allowed Courtney to uncover the why behind her patients’ symptoms and provide more lasting, meaningful results.
A New Level of Confidence and Care
With each course and new concept, Courtney strengthened her ability to think critically, problem-solve, and deliver real results for her patients. Becoming a CIMT empowered her to approach even the most complex cases with clarity and confidence — helping her patients move, feel, and live better.
Questions? Check out these FAQs!
CIMT stands for Certified Integrated Manual Therapist. It’s a structured certification program through Great Lakes Seminars designed to help physical therapists and athletic trainers integrate advanced manual therapy, clinical reasoning, and movement-based approaches into their practice.
Most clinicians complete the CIMT in about 2-3 years, depending on how quickly they progress through the required courses and testing. You can move at your own pace based on your schedule and goals.
The CIMT consists of a series of core manual therapy courses, elective options, and the final Synthesis course, where you’ll bring all your skills together in an integrated, case-based format. Nine prerequisite courses need to be completed before attending the final certification course, Synthesis.
Synthesis is the final course in the CIMT certification process. It helps participants “connect the dots” by integrating all prior coursework into a comprehensive, big-picture approach.
No, there’s no required order for the CIMT prerequisite courses. You can take them in any sequence that fits your interests and schedule.
No. Synthesis is only available for Physical Therapists (PTs) and Athletic Trainers (ATCs).
You can explore the CIMT certification page here: https://glseminars.com/courses/view-course-info/synthesis/
If you’ve already taken a few GLS courses and want to know how far along you are in the CIMT certification process, send us an email at info@glseminars.com! We’ll let you know exactly which prerequisite courses you’ve completed and which ones you still need to finish your certification.
Share this article:
