How do you choose a cacao ceremony training?
There are more cacao ceremony trainings than ever, from weekend retreats to online certificates. Many are beautiful - I’ve done many of them myself. But fewer prepare you for the practical questions that come up once you start: what to say to someone on antidepressants, where your cacao actually comes from, and what your insurer needs to see. These are the eight things I would look for, as someone who has taught cacao since 2022 and rebuilt my own course around them.
1. Recognised accreditation
Ask who has accredited the course and what that covers. My training is accredited by the Complementary Medical Association (CMA). Accreditation means an outside body has reviewed the content, and it helps when you talk to insurers.
2. A real safety module
A good training spends proper time on contraindications: MAOI and SSRI antidepressants, heart conditions, blood pressure and blood-thinning medication, and pregnancy. It should also teach you how to screen people before a ceremony and what to put on your booking page. Ask how long the course spends on safety, and whether you leave with a written contraindications guide. I've written about the detail in Is cacao safe with antidepressants?
3. Clear scope and referral
Cacao supports wellbeing. It is not a treatment for mental health conditions, and ceremony can bring strong emotions up. Look for a course that says plainly what you are and are not trained to do, and teaches you how to refer someone with care. This matters most if you are a therapist or coach bringing cacao into your existing work.
4. Honesty about the research
There is good research on cocoa and mood, and there are popular claims the research does not support. A trustworthy course tells you which is which. On my training every piece of knowledge carries a label: Established, Emerging or Traditional. See What does the research actually say about cacao and mood?
5. Ethics and sourcing
Around 1.56 million children were in child labour in cocoa production in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana in 2018–19 (NORC, 2020). And "ceremonial grade" has no legal definition. A training should teach you to ask suppliers who grew the cacao, what farmers are paid, and whether it is tested for heavy metals such as cadmium.
6. An accurate history
The cacao ceremony as practised in the West today is recent, and grew largely from Keith Wilson's gatherings at Lake Atitlán in Guatemala. Cacao itself has been used for about 5,300 years, beginning in the upper Amazon. A course that is honest about this helps you honour the plant's roots and avoid claiming a lineage that does not exist. More in Where does the cacao ceremony come from?
7. The practical and legal basics
You will need insurance that names cacao ceremony, a Level 2 Food Hygiene certificate, and to check whether you must register as a food business with your local council. You also need to be able to tell people about allergens. A good course covers all of this and gives you the course content to show your insurer.
8. Time to build your own relationship with cacao
One day teaches you a lot. A practice afterwards, and a chance to come back together and reflect, is where it settles. My course includes a 30-day guided practice and a two-hour online integration session, where we can review the first ceremony each person plans to hold, and create a solid plan.
A quick checklist
Accredited by a recognised body
Dedicated safety and contraindications teaching
Clear scope and referral guidance
Research presented honestly, with sources
Ethics and sourcing covered
Accurate history of cacao and the modern ceremony
Insurance, food hygiene and legalities covered
Support after the training day
My CMA accredited Cacao Training & Ceremony relaunches in 2027 with all eight. Sign up on the course page to hear about dates first.
