You’re reading this post because you’ve been toying with the idea of getting certified in Human Design. This is a topic that is near and dear to me because back in 2019, I was working through the same situation. I hope that this post provides some truth and much-needed clarity around the topic of getting certified in Human Design.
This is a topic that I’ve spoken casually about through my social media or in other private conversations. I’ll be honest – I’ve lost friendships, potential collaborations and received backlash for talking about this topic — but hey, living in your design never had anything to do with being liked.
Update: Originally, this was a no-pitch post. Since then, I’ve created Reading Human Design for Others as a part of my offerings. Click here to learn more.
This is solely the experience of a line 3 experimenting with certifications (or not).
To give you an idea of where my knowledge of Human Design comes from, here’s my background:
- Purchasing a lot of Ra Uru Hu’s courses.
- Taking one certification course from Ra’s school.
- Books published by Ra and Ra’s competitors.
- Online courses and programs not affiliated with Ra.
After spending $10,000 in the span of 1 year to learn about Human Design, here’s what I’ve learned:
There is a divide between Human Design teachers.
At this time, I see several powerhouses when it comes to Human Design teachers. Off the top of my head:
While there are plenty more names to draw from, these were the big four that circulated while I was looking for people to learn from.
But let’s remember: you don’t legally need a certification to practice or sell Human Design.
Period.
There is no governing or accrediting body watching over Human Design businesses.
Ra Uru Hu’s school does attempt to say that anyone who is not certified through their school is unlicensed and an imitator, but these claims do not mean anything in terms of whether you’re allowed to read Human Design without a certification.
Ra’s school does not own Human Design as a system. They only own the content they’ve created.
Worth reading -> There was a case in Italy where Ra’s school tried to go after Chetan Parkyn over the rights to publish Human Design material. Chetan won.
2. Ra Uru Hu’s school pretends the others don’t exist.
Back in early 2021, I took a certifying course with Ra Uru Hu’s school at the recommendation of one of their then-students.
During the first day of class, we were asked to introduce ourselves.
Several students introduced themselves and gushed over how Karen Curry Parker/Jenna Zoe/etc’s content introduced them to Human Design.
The instructor would speak over them and say, “I don’t know who they are. If they are not certified with us, they are not real practitioners.”
Legit, it felt like brainwashing.
At this time, I had my Human Design business for about a year already so I had an established client base, including Human Design students of my own.
I remember one of my students named me in a conversation about Human Design teachers while one of my peers repeated the rhetoric of, “She’s not certified yet. She isn’t qualified to be teaching or doing readings.”
In the coaching industry, we like to say that if you need help with your body, you go to a doctor. If you need help with (for example) marketing, you would go to a marketing coach.
This comparison does not translate to Human Design.
While the Human Design reader should be educated in the system and have field experience working with clients, there is no real reason to tear down readers who haven’t participated in a certifying body.
In fact, there is something to remember when it comes down to purchasing a certification:
3. Certifying people in Human Design is a business model.
Not only is certifying people a business model, but it’s also a lucrative one, too.
To certify someone is to license them in a proprietary way that you do something. It’s a stamp of approval.
If I decided to certify others in how I approach Human Design, it would look like this:
- Readings -> $444
- Teaching others how I do my readings + licensing them (course) -> $2222
- Teaching others how I do my readings (one on one) -> $5555
- Requiring a yearly license renewal -> $500
Why just become a reader when you can teach readers for way more money?
While I do take students in Human Design, I will always remind them that people go to them for how they show up in Human Design… not how they are a replica of me.
Human Design certifications solely function as a business model for whoever is selling the certification, especially because there is no way to accredit readers.
4. Clients don’t care.
I’ll reiterate that it’s important to know your doctor’s background before you see them or it’s important to see a marketer’s track record before paying them, but in my experience reading Human Design: not a single client has ever asked about my Human Design certifications. I’ve hit over a thousand readings in just three years.
No matter how much we want to compare the metaphysical industry to the medical industry, it does not equate.
I like to ask my clients how they found me and why they chose to work with me.
Answers have included:
- They like the way I write/speak on Human Design. It resonates with them.
- Cultural understandings.
- They “just felt called to do it.”
I don’t even put my educational background on my about me page anymore.
The only people who cared about my certification history are other Human Design businesses.
No paying clients have asked.
A lot of people who get into reading Human Design fall into this trap of wanting to validate themselves to other readers. Why spend money to appease people who aren’t spending money to support you?
I encourage you to see past the glitz, glamor and promises to determine whether a Human Design certification is right for you.
5. Certifications don’t make imposter syndrome go away.
Way back in the day, I thought that if I got a certification and learned everything, no one could criticize me. It also freaked me out to think that people wouldn’t hire me if I didn’t get certified.
These narratives were part of the imposter syndrome I experienced.
Harvard Business Review defines imposter syndrome as:
a collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist despite evident success. ‘Imposters’ suffer from chronic self-doubt and a sense of intellectual fraudulence that override any feelings of success or external proof of their competence.
A UK study also shows that 85% of people feel incompetent in what they do for work.
However, you cannot buy your way out of imposter syndrome.
Human Design is literally called The Science of Differentiation.
You can’t feed yourself off of other people’s validation – especially peers!
A Human Design certification may band-aid the problem temporarily, but when it’s over, the anxiety can still return.
Side note -> my therapist is a huge part of how I’m able to keep running a business. Working in this industry, especially because it’s considered “woo woo” (and you sometimes have to justify how it’s “real” to other people) can be mentally taxing. Mental health, alongside financial health, is important for business.
6. Are you looking to just “learn more” about Human Design?
We’re living in a cool age of information where you can take a course on Skillshare today and start a new business next week.
If you’ve just discovered Human Design and you’re thinking, “Holy cow, I wanna learn and sell this stuff,” that’s a natural reflex.
If you still want to learn Human Design for your coaching clients but you’re not ready to take a certification, check out Understanding Your Clients Through Human Design by Robin Winn. This book is free on Kindle (as of writing this post) and will give you plenty of suggestions on working with your coaching clients through the lens of their type.
There are plenty of free resources to help you dip your toes in the Human Design system before committing to a certifying body.
7. How much should you pay for a Human Design certification?
There’s one rule of thumb I follow:
The only amount of money you should pay for a Human Design certification course is the amount of money you’re willing to lose.
Readers have written to ask about programs I’ve enrolled in, especially how much money I’ve made after I finished the program.
I’ve also had people say, “I can get away with skipping rent/student loans/car payment for one month to pay for this course.”
When you purchase a Human Design certification, you are not purchasing a guarantee of sales.
You may never get a single client out of the certificate or you may end up hating Human Design after classes are finished.
Also, most certification programs don’t offer a risk-free refund.
The only one-size-fits-all answer is, “As much as you’re willing to lose.”
8. Does the certifying body align with your values?
Y’know when people proudly display their diplomas on their office walls? You’ll likely display your Human Design certification on your website.
So when you promote yourself as a certified Human Design reader through another business, you’re representing their values.
Do a little research. Here are a few questions to start you off:
- How are the alumni doing? Do you like the vibe they carry?
- Are there bad reviews? Are you concerned about any of the claims?
- What is the contractual agreement if you choose to be certified with this company? Will you be able to start your own Human Design business? Will you only be able to read through their company? Are there limitations you must adhere to?
As you narrow down your Human Design certification program, use these points as a way to compare and contrast where you want to invest your time and money.
9. Does the certification content match what you’re looking for?
What’s a bigger letdown than investing hundreds (or thousands) of dollars into a program only to realize this isn’t what you were looking for 😩
When people are new to Human Design, they think that the system is made up of type, strategy, authority, profile and a few other seasonings.
Instead, Human Design gets gnarly. You’re looking at quantum science, learning how to keynote, maybe even Rave psychology.
Consider how Human Design might fit into your business model. Write to the course instructor or their customer support team to ask them if what you’re looking for will be covered in the program.
If so, great.
If not, they may recommend you to a different program.
This is your time and money.
You get to look for (or wait for) a program that is tailored to your success/satisfaction/peace/surprise.
10. What do your strategy and authority say?
We can’t have a Human Design decision-making post without talking about strategy and authority!
Find yours below.
- Emotional authority – allow the information you’re absorbing to be felt through the cycles of your emotional waves. Trust that you don’t have to rush this decision because if certification is correct for you, the opportunity will present itself.
- Sacral authority – place your dominant hand over your sacral center. What does the voice of your sacral center say? You can also use tarot cards or other self-reflective tools.
- Splenic authority – what were your initial reactions to the certification programs you’ve encountered? How does it feel every time you revisit the programs?
- Ego authority – is this something you feel a commitment towards? Is this a contract you are ready to enter?
- Self-Projected – Does your voice get excited when you talk about one certification or another? Is your voice garbled and difficult to understand?
- Mental/Environmental – Have a conversation with the schools that you’re looking to enroll in. How does it feel when you communicate with them?
- Lunar – Sample the environments. Speak to the schools and teachers. Allow yourself time to chew on the information. Were any of these programs worth going back for a second bite?
Hear yourself, first.
My Answer to Human Design Certifications
To this day, I remain uncertified in Human Design. Instead, I choose the route of the anti-certification because I find it hypocritical that for a system bent on honoring our differences, we’d try to shove people into boxes assigned by a piece of paper.
When I started mentoring Human Design practitioners, one of the ways I honored the way they uniquely read charts was through taking them into the field. They sat in on my client sessions and offered their readings. I sat in on their client sessions and watched in wonder as they worked. Each Human Design reader brings forth a different type of magic which becomes limited when you want them to follow a blueprint.
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