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REGISTRATIONS CLOSE MONDAY 24 FEB ’25!
How students rate the Polestar Comprehensive Course - click here for the details
Comprehensive Studio & Rehabilitation Series: Advanced Pilates Professional Training
Master the complete range of authentic Pilates equipment in our most thorough and prestigious certification programme. This comprehensive course transforms dedicated students into elite Pilates Studio/Rehabilitation Practitioners, qualified to work alongside medical and allied health professionals across diverse healthcare settings.
As our most advanced offering, the Comprehensive Series provides significantly deeper expertise than our Mat or Reformer courses. You’ll develop sophisticated skills in human movement science, enabling you to design and deliver bespoke conditioning and rehabilitation programmes for a broad spectrum of clients.
The programme is thoughtfully structured over 8 to 9 months, combining one weekend every few months of hands-on training with flexible online learning modules. This balanced approach ensures thorough understanding whilst accommodating your existing commitments.
Whether you choose to focus solely on this complete certification or combine it with our other courses, we offer the flexibility to create a training schedule perfectly suited to your professional aspirations and timeline.
Sign up now to elevate your practice to the highest professional standard and unlock the full therapeutic potential of classical Pilates instruction. Your journey to becoming an elite Pilates practitioner starts here.
At the end of this course, graduates will be able to find employment as fully trained Pilates Rehabilitation Studio Instructors/Practitioner in the following areas:
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WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
- Master the versatile uses of Pilates exercises, a crucial skill for any Pilates instructor
- Develop assessment techniques to help your clients make consistent progress on their goals
- Learn to customise workouts for each client’s needs, essential for any Pilates Instructor seeking high client retention
- Learn to expertly teach Pilates in both group and private settings, broadening your instructing capabilities and enabling your teaching to be accessible to more clients
- Understand the physics of the equipment at a deep level, enabling you to manipulate any apparatus to suit your client’s needs
- Learn to safely adapt exercises for injuries and special needs, ensuring responsible and equitable instruction
- Work confidently with healthy adults, athletes, dancers, and older clients
- Create tailored programmes using the full suite of Pilates apparatus
- Apply rehabilitation principles across various clinical conditions
- Assess and enhance functional movement patterns with precision
PRE-REQUISITES
- Completion of Polestar Principles Online (PP) – explained in a different section below.
- Attainment of Secondary education or Tertiary education equivalent.
- To qualify for the Rehabilitation certificate, you must be a licensed or certified health care professional (e.g. MD, PT, OT, DO, DC,RN, and Bach. Sp Sc. / Hum Movt. and Bach Applies Science). All other applicants qualify for the Studio certificate.
- A good understanding of Pilates – a minimum of 25 hours of personal Pilates practice either in private or group sessions. This may include mat work and studio work (preferably with a Polestar Pilates certified practitioner, but not mandatory). This can be provided as a log from your studio/gym or letter/email from your Pilates practitioner.
- Polestar Pilates Courses require the completion of basic anatomy/physiology. If you are already qualified in one of the following occupations you would qualify: Physiotherapist, Osteopath, Exercise Physiologist, Nurse, Myotherapist, Remedial Massage Therapist, Cert IV Personal Trainer.
However, if you are from a different background and have NOT completed any basic Anatomy and Physiology education completion, it is required prior to the start of your course. Polestar provides the online Anatomy course that meets these requirements.
This online course will provide you with all the required knowledge to commence your Pilates studies.
Click here for more info and to register for the online Polestar Anatomy Course.
COURSE STRUCTURE
The course is delivered over six two-day courses (Saturday 12:00 to 5:00 PM & Sunday 8:00 AM to 5 PM – exact times may vary in different cities), plus three online 3-hour Practicum Sessions.
Whilst attending the Comprehensive course, or once completed, students can also attend optional Continuing Education courses, Workshops and Masterclasses, examples of which can be found by clicking here.
Studio and Rehab Streams
There are two streams of this course: ‘Studio and Rehab’.
All students learn exactly the same repertoire and attend course lectures together however those students that are from a Rehab background like Physiotherapy, Osteopathy, or Chiropractor will complete case studies, exams and assignments covering more in-depth medical applications.
- Integration of manual mobilisation skills and Pilates movement (appropriate to your scope of practice)
- Learn how to create treatment plans and case studies using the Polestar Pilates Assessment Tool and the World Health Organization’s (WHO) latest classification system, the International Classification of Function (ICF) model.
COURSE COMPONENTS
Polestar Pilates Principles of Movement – ONLINE
Learn and apply the theories of movement that lay the foundation for Polestar Pilates in this prerequisite for all other Polestar courses. Using evidence-based research, you will discover the passage ways for movement throughout the body and develop the tools to provide either assistance for or challenge your clients in helping them achieve their goals. Polestar Principles will bring to life your ability to assess, problem-solve, design and modify exercise programs to meet specific needs and abilities.
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This non-apparatus course introduces current research in movement science, motor learning, bioenergetics, and communication science to instructional practice through basic movement principles which are used throughout the Polestar Pilates curriculum. This course introduces Polestar Assessment Tool™, which includes postural evaluation and functional testing, to prepare you to properly design a plan to implement Pilates exercises for clients. This unique component significantly enhances decision-making skills as a Pilates practitioner. Students will complete online (self-paced) modules about each Principle, inclusive of built-in webinars, and attend live online lectures hosted by a Polestar Educator, to revise and discuss the findings in the unit. Polestar Principles of Movement comprise 6 modules that students need to complete, complemented by six 2-hour follow-up online discussions and lectures. |
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Students must purchase the accompanying book “Principles of Movement” by Dr. Brent Anderson for this course. Click here or on the image above for more details and to order a copy.
Please note that for those participants undertaking more than one Polestar Series course, it is only required to complete PPO ONE time. So if for example, you want to complete the Polestar Comprehensive Series after you have completed the Mat and/or Reformer Series, you do not have to redo PPO.
Once payment has been received, access will be provided to the online resources.
S/R-1 THRU S/R-6: STUDIO/REHAB LEVELS 1-6
The Pilates Studio/Rehab program has six Course Units scheduled approximately one month apart: S/R-1, S/R-2, S/R-3, S/R-4, S/R-5 and S/R-6.
The time between courses allows you to practice and become comfortable with the material before continuing to the next course. Each course is two days, usually Saturday and Sunday.
For final assessment, you will be required to complete at your own expense the required reading and writing assignments, as well as hours of observation, self-mastery practice and apprentice teaching.
The Course Units review the postural screening methodology and the six Principles learned in PP, then applies them to exercises on the Studio Reformer, Trapeze Table, Chair, Ladder Barrel, Mat and small props.
Students will receive a comprehensive didactic and theoretical review and practical training using a clinical reasoning approach.
Each Course Unit consists of a formal lecture, reading assignments, research literature review, and writing assignments. Also covered is the following:
- Verbal and tactile cueing combined with mental imagery to facilitate accurate execution of movement.
- Program design and exercise sequencing.
- Practical application of the repertoire through use of case studies.
- Exercise modifications for a variety of populations.
- Adjustment of equipment for patient safety and instructor efficiency.
- Progression of movement following an injury.
- Indications and contraindications for exercise selection.
COURSE LOCATIONS & DATES
| 2025 Course Dates | AUCKLAND CBD | CHRISTCHURCH CBD |
|---|---|---|
| Polestar Principles Compulsory for ALL students for ALL courses REGISTRATIONS CLOSE MONDAY 24 FEB ’25! | Sat 1 Mar 3-5pm Sun 2 Mar 3-5pm Wed 5 Mar 3-5pm Sat 8 Mar 3-5pm Sun 9 Mar 3-5pm Wed 12 Mar 4-6pm | Sat 1 Mar 3-5pm Sun 2 Mar 3-5pm Wed 5 Mar 3-5pm Sat 8 Mar 3-5pm Sun 9 Mar 3-5pm Wed 12 Mar 4-6pm |
| S/R-1 | 29 & 30 March | 5 & 6 April |
| S/R-2 | 24 & 25 May | 24 & 25 May |
| Practicum -1 | TBC | TBC |
| S/R-3 | 28 & 29 June | 28 & 29 June |
| S/R-4 | 9 & 10 August | 9 & 10 August |
| Practicum -2 | TBC | TBC |
| S/R-5 | 20 & 21 Sept | 13 & 14 Sept |
| S/R-6 | 1 & 2 Nov | 1 & 2 Nov |
| Practicum -3 | TBC | TBC |
PLEASE NOTE: It’s very important to register well ahead of time, because you need to complete the online theory portion of the course prior to attending in-person weekend. Don’t hesitate and register now!
COURSE FEES
Course fees include attendance at lectures, student manuals and handouts, morning and afternoon teas, as well as GST. Students are responsible for all personal extras, such as travel and accommodation and personal supplies and lunch during the course dates.
Please note that an automatic credit card surcharge of 3% gets added when you pay via Visa or Mastercard. This fee will be added to your invoice & receipt. To avoid this surcharge, you can also internet transfer the fee – see below for more information.
If you have completed any of our other training courses with Polestar NZ you are entitled to an additional discount. Please contact us for the details.
PLEASE NOTE: It’s very important to register well ahead of time, because you need to complete the online theory portion of the course prior to attending in-person weekend. Don’t hesitate and register now!
| Location: | Normal Package Price * | Early Bird Price ** | Early Bird Saving ** |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland & Christchurch Comprehensive Full Series | $7,295 | $6,930 | $365 |
* Normal Package Price – post Early Bird date
** Early Bird Price – if registered and paid in full by 31 January 2025
Exam Fees are not included in the Course Fees.
NOTE: there will be some additional costs which are not covered in the course fees. As part of your logbook hours all repertoire must be signed off for teaching and demonstration. Polestar allocates time at each face to face weekend for check off but if these are not completed they must be done in your own time at your cost with a Mentor. Also Self-Mastery logbook hours will be at an additional cost, note that 15 hours can be completed as self-directed study (unsupervised).
IMPORTANT: The following options exist to pay for your Polestar course(s):
1. Pay the registration fee in full, and make use of the Early Bird discount (provided you’ve paid prior to the Early Bird expiry date)
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- Click one of the yellow banners below to register and pay via credit card – for which you will get charged a credit card fee
- To avoid paying the credit card fee, internet transfer the full amount into the Polestar account 030104 0440078 00 (Westpac). Please note to add your name as a reference, otherwise we may not recognise your payment!
2. Use the Payment Plan, outlined below, and pay the fee over a period of time, either 6 or 12 months. This is a slightly more expensive option, but helps when you need to spread out the payments.
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- Click one of the yellow banners below to register and pay via a Payment Plan. This is only available via credit card.
Please note that an automatic credit card surcharge of 3% gets added when you pay via Visa or Mastercard.
PAYMENT PLANS
Polestar Pilates NZ offers two payment plans that allow you to pay for your enrolment over a period of time instead of all at once.
Both plans require a $1,000 deposit and a $100 handling fee. Payment Plan #1 is for 6 months, and Payment Plan #2 is for 12 months.
Payments are due on the 1st of each month and a late payment penalty or credit card decline penalty of $50 will be applied. For the Comprehensive Series, the following payment options are available:
Payment Plan #1 – over 6 months
| Location | Normal Price (including handling fee) |
|---|---|
| Auckland or Christchurch - Comprehensive Full Series | $ TBC |
| Deposit * | $1,000 |
| Month 1 | $ TBC |
| Month 2 | $ TBC |
| Month 3 | $ TBC |
| Month 4 | $ TBC |
| Month 5 | $ TBC |
| Month 6 | $ TBC |
Payment Plan #2 – over 12 months
| Location | Normal Price (including handling fee) |
|---|---|
| Auckland or Christchurch - Comprehensive Full Series | $ TBC |
| Deposit * | $1,000 |
| Month 1 | $ TBC |
| Month 2 | $ TBC |
| Month 3 | $ TBC |
| Month 4 | $ TBC |
| Month 5 | $ TBC |
| Month 6 | $ TBC |
| Month 7 | $ TBC |
| Month 8 | $ TBC |
| Month 9 | $ TBC |
| Month 10 | $ TBC |
| Month 11 | $ TBC |
| Month 12 | $ TBC |
* Deposit of $1,000 is required at the time of registration, and any Payment Plan can only be used in conjunction with your credit card.
Please note that an automatic credit card surcharge of 3% gets added when you pay via Visa or Mastercard
COURSE ASSESSMENT AND CERTIFICATION
Assessment requirements include: attending all of the course hours, completing reading and writing assignments, as well as a specified number of observation, self-mastery, and apprentice teaching hours as noted below.
To track your hours and progress, a log book will be issued at the start of your course with your materials. Certificates are granted upon successful completion of the log-book, and an 80% pass mark on the final exam.
The delivery modes are made up of approximately 600 nominal hours and are broken down as follows:
| Lectures & Homework | Observation | Self-Mastery | Apprentice Teaching |
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| 430 | 50 | 100 | 100 |
Lectures: Lecture hours include formal lecture/workshop face-to-face delivery, practical and written assessments and mandatory tutorial hours. They can also include online lectures accessed via the Polestar online platform.
Observation: Observation is where the student observes a studio in action, and has their hours signed off by a certified practitioner (preferably Polestar qualified). Polestar Online Academy can also be used for up to 10 observation hours in each course.
Self-Mastery (and Self-Directed): These hours are for Students to practice the exercises learnt in the curriculum so as to master the repertoire. Self-mastery hours include 30% of self-directed hours i.e. practicing the repertoire in your own time at home or with other students. NOTE: Polestar Online Academy can also be used as a tool for your self-practice hours. The remaining hours may be a combination of Matwork, Reformer and/or Studio sessions.
Apprentice Teaching: Once you feel confident in the repertoire, you will be expected to assist a senior instructor or Pilates practitioner (preferably Polestar qualified) within a Pilates Studio workplace in order to gain practical experience. You will teach under their guidance and assist with tactile cueing and client correction for the remaining hour to achieve sign off. NOTE: a qualified Pilates instructor must be present at all Apprentice Teaching sessions to provide sign off and feedback.
Self-Study Requirements: following is the recommended MINIMUM hours required per week for duration of the course:
- Self-Practice – minimum 2 hour per week
- Supervised Practice – minimum 2 hour per week
- Observation – minimum 2 hours per week
- Apprentice Teaching – minimum 2-3 hours per week (from S/R-2)
- Written homework – minimum 3 hours per month
For all hours, 50% can be completed with a non-Polestar trained instructor.
Practicums: Practicums help accelerate your teaching and demonstration hours in a supported environment with an Educator. Teaching is within a clinical format against units of competency and allows students to accrue 2 hours for 1 hour (1:2) towards their student logbook.
Topics included will be review of Theory, Repertoire, Case Studies and Self-Mastery demonstration and teaching. They are scheduled generally over 3 hours but this can vary and some are online.
There are 3 Practicums scheduled as part of the Comprehensive course and they are included in the course fees.
TEXT BOOKS
As part of the training Polestar recommends the following text to assist with your learning:
- Anatomy of Movement, Blandine Calais-Germain: Eastland Press 1993.
- Pilates Evolution, the 21st Century or Return to Life through Contrology – Joseph Pilates: Bain Bridge Books.
- Your Health – Joseph Pilates.
- Dynamic Alignment Through Imagery, Eric Franklin: Human Kinetics 1996.
- Energy Medicine: The Scientific Basis, James L. Oschman: Churchill Livingstone, 2000 Chapters 1-4, 15
(Provided with the course). - Motor Control: Theory and Practical Applications, Anne Shumway-Cook, PhD: (Chapter 1 and 2).
MENTORS
Mentorship & Check-offs are held regularly with the local Educator. These sessions allow students to get direct feedback on their movement and teaching as they progress through the material taught at the previous modules.
Select exercises will be filmed and submitted to the lead educator to check for competency. These “check-offs” are required prior to sitting for the final exam.
If competencies are not met during these sessions, additional fees may apply to schedule time to check-off missed exercises.
Students will be required to complete practice hours (self-mastery), which are in addition to course fees. Polestar have a national network of New Zealand mentors that can offer assistance with practice and teaching hours: click here for the list of names and locations.
Further information will be given out on the first day of the course.
POLESTAR’S ONLINE RESOURCE CENTRE
Check your inbox for an email outlining your homework assignments and lots of useful information for your course.
Prior to or during your first weekend, you will receive your manuals and this is when you can start to complete your logbook hours.
PRACTICUMS
Practicums help accelerate your teaching and demonstration hours in a supported environment with a Polestar Educator.
Teaching is within a clinical format against units of competency and allows students to accrue 2 hours for 1 hour (1:2) towards their student logbook.
Topics included will be review of Theory, Repertoire, Case Studies and Self-Mastery demonstration and teaching. Practicums are scheduled generally over 4hrs but can be shorter and some are online.
There are 3 online 4-hour Practicum Sessions scheduled as part of the course and are included in the course fees.
Please click here and look for the “Course Locations & Dates” for the exact dates & times for when the Practicum Sessions will be held.
FINAL EXAM
The Comprehensive Certification exam consists of three parts:
- An online exam consisting of 50 multiple choice questions (50 points)
- An online case study with written problem solving (50 points)
- A practical one-on-one demonstration of theoretical knowledge, exercise mastery, movement teaching skills and problem solving skills with an oral defence (50 points)
The online portions of the exam (parts 1 and 2), both of which you complete online from home, last approximately two hours in total, and part 3 lasts approximately one hour. The entire exam is worth a total of 150 points.
The candidate will need to achieve an 80% pass mark on both online and theory sections of the exam.
The Comprehensive examination tests depth of knowledge, skills and ability to facilitate movement in the Pilates-evolved environment. It is designed to establish an essential level of skill, with emphasis on safety and competence, and evaluates cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains as they pertain to movement analysis, problem solving and treatment planning.
The oral defence addresses theory, adaptations to pathology, contraindications and precautions associated with treatment planning in the Pilates-evolved environment.
Exam Fees are not included in the Course Fees. Click here for more information and to register for your Rehab or Studio Exam.
PLEASE NOTE: All logbook hours, face to face weekends and assignments must have been completed.
REGISTRATION POLICIES
Please ensure to familiarise yourself with our Registration Policies (incl. Cancellations and Transfers) on this page before you register.
PLEASE NOTE: It’s very important to register well ahead of time, because you need to complete the online theory portion of the course prior to attending in-person weekend. Don’t hesitate and register now!
If you need help with our online registration system, please CLICK HERE.
PLEASE NOTE: To avoid paying the credit card fee, which you will incur when you use any of the above options, internet transfer the full amount into the Polestar account 030104 0440078 00 (Westpac).
Then please let us know by clicking here
Make sure to add your name as a reference, otherwise we may not recognise your payment!
NZ Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs) recognised
Upon successful completion graduates will gain a total of 20 CPD points.
Tell us about your experience as a Polestar Comprehensive student!
We’re committed to providing the very best in Pilates education and resources, but we can’t do it without you!
Your thoughts on our courses, the online platform, the Mentors etc. help us shape a better experience for everyone.
✨ By sharing your feedback, you’re not only helping us improve, but you’re also inspiring the next generation of Pilates professionals! ✨
We therefore would love to hear from you — please take a few minutes to share your experience below
Polestar is different!
I chose Polestar after going through the Rehab process in my own body after a severe injury. I really found the Polestar methodology really lifechanging, I found a passion, and it’s been the best thing and best experience ever.
I’ve had the support of Mentors; it’s an environment where they really care about you and not just that you know what the coursework is but that you succeed in the real world in a workplace environment.
Polestar has a big scientific background and ongoing research to support their teachings and that was really a big appeal for me.
The depth of knowledge that is shared in the course is beyond anything I’ve experienced before and it supported my previous training but to a level that I was able to use to explain further to clients and just have more confidence with my own teaching of Pilates.
It’s really given me all the confidence that I can have now as a teacher – I can’t recommend it enough. The professional development that’s given by the whole Polestar community and also the mentors here are just outstanding.
I’ve been around a few other courses with other people who’ve done other courses as well and Polestar is different!
“The Icing On The Cake Type Experience”
I got into Pilates as an extension of the physiotherapy degree I did in the UK, and I first came across Polestar as I’d heard of it as this kind of “the icing on the cake type experience”.
I thought you know what, I think I’ve got enough of a foundation myself, but I really want to learn about “the icing on the cake” so I got into Polestar Pilates and never looked back.
And from that experience, and that sort of thirst for knowledge that makes sense, learning about the wisdom of the body, I then went into Polestar Mentoring and Educating as well, which has extended my understanding of Polestar and what Polestar moves through the world.
Polestar has influenced my life: it’s taken me away from just the science behind the physiotherapy and it has opened thousands of doorways. It’s opened my eyes into the art of the human body, it’s opened my eyes into the whole world of Energy Medicine, which is now what I love and what I live.
So it’s a real door opener and I’d recommend Polestar to anyone that has a human body. After completing the comprehensive Polestar Pilates Rehabilitation Course and Exam, my effectiveness as a practitioner has dramatically increased.
Clients now enjoy the dynamic mixture of integrating theory, hands on treatment and unique movement experiences within the Pilates studio. This ensures that as well as facilitating structural change within our clients bodies’ we can also teach the movement strategies and neuromuscular patterning specific to that client needs, work & leisure pursuits.
Outcome measures are significantly improved and client enthusiasm and compliance is tremendous. As a business owner, Polestar Pilates has enabled me to offer clients an array of Private Physiotherapeutic options which allows them to feel part of their healing process with Pilates being a holistic and affordable lifestyle choices.
My Pilates instructors all told me "You have to do Polestar, in terms just the amount of detail that goes into it the training!”
I was initially going to two different Pilates classes, one was Mat the other was Reformer, with two different instructors. When I mentioned that maybe I’d like to do Pilates Teacher Training, they both said “You have to do Polestar, in terms just the amount of detail that goes into it the training!”.
My highlight of the course was actually the people that I’ve met. In fact it was a massive highlight and I’ve made some really, really good friends.
I’ve got a long history of back problems and I had sort of reached a point where I thought I was going to be quite debilitated by my back problems later in life and so just realising actually Pilates for me has been single most benefit thing I have done for my low back pain. Just learning that actually this body even in its 40s could still learn to move better and find a little bit more freedom with my movement.
I had a very, very good Educator who really knows her stuff, she was always on the end of an email or on the end of a phone. They are a really supportive bunch of people to go through the course with, and I didn’t feel silly asking questions.
My 13 year old daughter says "Mommy you can do these stretches better than I can!” - and I'm in my 50's...
I signed up with Polestar because I was working with physios that were doing a lot of rehab-based Pilates, and their training had been with Polestar.
They just said that they had really enjoyed the experience, had been in a very supportive environment, and that it was really evidence-based. So that really appealed to me.
The Polestar Pilates community is really embraces you and it supports you and you just feel really confident as a consequence of that.
That was a real highlight, as well as the people that we were on the course, as we’ve now got some really amazing friendships.
The people who were part of our mentoring, just the relationships that we developed were really lovely.
It’s an amazing community to be a part of, and having been working in that professional environment as a physio it was really nice to feel very supported: with Maree, she would always you know like she was there for a chat, and would be really just enabling you to develop a little bit further. Emily was there if we needed to have the communication with what we were doing through the course, and then of course we had Abbey and Mel who were both there just how us along the way the whole time so it’s fantastic.
I really embrace Pilates as a profession now, because I’ve really enjoyed the movement-based rehabilitation. It is like you think you’ve reached a level where you feel you’ve really explored how much your body can do, but then you get into Pilates and the amount of stability and the movement that you can do in reality is so much more.
I’m in my 50s and I do my stretches with my 13 year old daughter who really wants to improve her mobility. My daughter is like “Mommy you can do it better than I can!” and I didn’t think I’d ever be able to do that, so it’s been amazing.
Polestar training has changed my life and has opened doors!
I’ve just completed my Polestar comprehensive training (Auckland) and can honestly say it has changed my life.
Polestar training has opened doors… and I’m now working with clients in an environment I love.
Looking forward to continuing my learning journey with Polestar. ❤️
Click here to give us your review about your experience as a Polestar Comprehensive student
DO YOU HAVE POLESTAR COMPREHENSIVE COURSE QUESTIONS OR FEEDBACK?
We would love to hear from you. Please use the form to send your message and we’ll get in touch with you as soon as possible.