60 HOUR ONLINE CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

INTEGRATIVE SOMATIC
TRAUMA THERAPY CERTIFICATE

 

“Thriving is our birthright. Healing individual and collective trauma is the deepest embodiment of this truth.”

— DR. SCOTT LYONS

 

PROGRAM AT-A-GLANCE

Are you ready to help heal trauma from a holistic and body based unified approach? Are you committed to transforming pain and challenges into growth, meaning, change and resilience?

Then we wholeheartedly invite you to our first-of-its-kind 60-hour Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy Certificate Program.

This unique 3-month online certificate program is designed for individuals, practitioners and educators wanting to explore a unified somatic approach to trauma-informed care: including a deeper understanding of the body’s relationship with  social, environmental, developmental, relational, spiritual, and cultural wounding and healing.  This program brings together world renowned somatic trauma therapy teachers into one training.  The intention of this program is to offer a holistic framework for understanding and working with trauma from a body-centered perspective. This extraordinary program offers a collection of practical tools that will help access the innate wisdom that guides the healing process for yourself and your work with others.

 

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST FOR THE 2024 PROGRAM

Enter your details below to be the first to hear about the next Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy Certificate program.

 
 
 

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

a unified somatic approach to trauma-informed care

This unique 3-month online certificate program is designed for individuals, practitioners and educators wanting to explore a unified somatic approach to trauma-informed care: including a deeper understanding of the body’s relationship with social, environmental, developmental, relational, spiritual, and cultural wounding and healing.

Bringing together world renowned Somatic Trauma Therapy teachers into one program, our intention is to offer a holistic framework for understanding and working with trauma from a body-centered perspective. This extraordinary program offers a collection of practical tools that will help you access the innate wisdom that guides the healing process for yourself and your work with others.

What is trauma?

A holistic approach to trauma defines trauma not as an event, but rather as a disruption and overwhelm to our body-mind’s capacity to adapt, thrive, and flourish.  

Trauma can occur when:

  • There is too much too soon

  • There is too much for too long

  • There is not enough for too long

  • Power and agency have been taken away from the person or collective

  • The stressors outweigh the resources available to navigate them

  • When our primal protective instincts, intuitions, and responses are thwarted

  • There is not enough time, space, or permission to heal 

It is essential that we consider social, developmental, and cultural factors when reflecting on a client’s trauma history. By not acknowledging these contextual factors we do the individual a disservice.

The symptoms of trauma may occur immediately or emerge over time from the compounding stress and challenges of processing and adapting to the experiences of life. Symptoms of trauma emerge as the body and mind attempt to cope with and resolve the stressors. 

The effects of trauma may include: 

  • Physical symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, tightness in the body, muscle tension, digestion challenges, and constrictions around the breath. 

  • Emotional symptoms such as flatness / inability to feel, fear, anxiety, panic, overwhelm, loss of choice, difficulty feeling comforted, anger, and shame.

  • Psychological symptoms such as dissociation, mental rumination, low self worth,  negative self talk, self blame, memory challenges, depression, and loss of interest in activities. 

  • Relational / Social symptoms such as isolation, loneliness, relational and attachment reenactments. 

Trauma can lead to feelings of powerlessness, helplessness, and groundlessness. It interferes with our ability to feel real in body and mind, it disrupts our very sense of existence, and takes us away from the present moment. However, as Dr. Peter Levine, creator of Somatic Experiencing says “Trauma is a fact of life. It does not have to be a life sentence.”  

Symptoms are the gateway to healing trauma. Our job as practitioners and educators is to listen and hear the messages and wisdom encoded in the body.

 

Join the revolution of coming home to the body and rediscovering how it can truly transform our lives and the world!

 

MEET THE 2023 INSTRUCTORS

Internationally recognized leaders bring to life a holistic and unified somatic trauma therapy curriculum.

PETER LEVINE PhD
Somatic Experiencing® and Healing Inter-Generational Trauma

STACI K. HAINES
Balancing Individual and Collective Transformation

NKEM NDEFO MSN
Co-Director | Alchemical Resilience: Foundations and Inspirations

ALBERT WONG PhD
Focusing / Active Imagination / Inner Dialogue

NIKKI MYERS SEP
Addiction, Trauma & Healing

PAT OGDEN PhD
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Perspective

SCOTT LYONS PhD
Co-Director | Trauma & Embodied Movement

DEB DANA LCSW
Polyvagal Theory and Pathways to Connection

KARINE BELL
Ecologies of Trauma and Resilience

LISA DION LPC
Foundations of Trauma and Healing in Children

ARIELLE SCHWARTZ PhD
Co-Director | Somatic Psychology and Trauma Recovery

FRANCES D. BOOTH
Trauma and the Internal Body Mind Family

RUELLA FRANK PhD
The Bodily Roots of Developmental Trauma

RUBY GIBSON PhD
Embodying Ancestral
Wisdom

MANUELA MISCHKE-REEDS LMFT
Hakomi Core Principles, Trauma and Embodied Movement

FARZANA KHAN
Structural Embodiment: Somatics for the Collective Body

 
 
 


SOMATICS HELP HEAL

‘Soma’ is a Greek word for ‘the living body known from within’, or known to the Self. This ‘knowing’ signifies wholeness. Somatic therapy is an experiential approach towards mindbody integration. The pain, overwhelm, and coping responses manifested by trauma take us away from feeling at home in our body, and as a result there is often a split within ourselves.

Somatic Therapy helps:

• Restore the body as a place of safety while helping to expand the capacity to process body (preverbal and nonverbal) memory
• Metabolize unprocessed emotions
• Complete thwarted (incomplete) stress responses
• Restore our optimal relationship to our self and the world around us

Somatic trauma therapy offers techniques for clients to sense and regulate their own physiology and states of being. This includes building more internal and external resources, building trusting and co-regulatory relationships, learning to turn inward with compassion, being invited deeper in the body, and given time and space to process the trauma. These somatic techniques unwind trauma and restore well being.

A Unified Approach to Somatic Trauma Therapy

While trauma is processed and stored through the body, the ramifications of it shows up in many places including our relationships to other people, the environment, the collective, and a multitude of systems (education and political structures).

Through a unified Somatic Trauma Therapy approach we are able to assist individuals to integrate an understanding of their developmental and attachment experiences as well the culture, structural inequities, transgenerational trauma, and systemic forces of oppression they have been subject to.

Somatic Trauma Therapy encompasses a wide range of approaches to restore well-being. Each of these are based on the foundational principle that healing and integration happens through our bodies' primal language of movement, breath, and sensation. Additionally, body awareness helps us access an internal source of wisdom that guides the healing process and builds resilience.

Each of these therapeutic approaches use different techniques to support the unwinding of trauma. The intention of a unified approach is to embody the foundational principles of somatic trauma therapies and utilize the many tools and techniques to support ourselves and others.

The Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy Certificate will explore and integrate many different somatic therapy approaches including:

• Somatic Experiencing
• Hakomi Method
• Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
• Applied Polyvagal Theory
• Focusing, Dance/ Movement Therapy
• Somatic Stress ReleaseTM
• Internal Family Systems
• Somatic Attachment Theory
• Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR)
• and Embodied Social Transformation

 
 

“Healing is never complete until we have been truly heard. May the universe send you someone who will sincerely care to listen.”


- ANTHON ST. MAARTEN

 
 

“Healing is like an onion. As you process through one layer of trauma to release the pain and heal, a new layer will surface. One layer after another layer will bring up new issues to focus on. Pace yourself. Only focus on one layer at a time.”


- DANA ARCURI

 
 

“The body stores the trauma of our lives in muscular rigidity, thereby keeping us stuck in the past. When we release the tension in the body and align ourselves with gravity, we take a new stand in life. This allows us to be at ease with ourselves and in harmony in our relationship to others and to our planet.”

- JOSEPH HELLER

 
 

“Sometimes the people around you won't understand your journey. They don't need to, it's not for them.”


-  JOUBERT BOTHA

 
 

CURRICULUM


This 60-hour certificate program included 27 two-hour modules offered over 12 weeks. Classes were on Mondays and Wednesdays, plus optional Community Connections.

 

THE FOUR SECTIONS OF THE PROGRAM WERE:



1. Befriending The Body

• Overview - Somatic Psychology and Trauma Recovery for the Individual Body

• From the Individual to the Systemic: Sites of Trauma and Healing

• Towards an Alchemical Resilience: Foundations and Inspirations

• Embodying Ancestral Wisdom

• Panel - Evolution of Trauma Healing

• Polyvagal Theory and Pathways to Connection Part I

• Polyvagal Theory and Pathways to Connection Part 2

• Healing Trauma with Children

• Introduction to Embodiment



2. TRAUMA REPROCESSING (The Building Blocks & Tools of Trauma Healing)

• Healing Inter-Generational Trauma

• Hakomi - Core Principles

• Sensorimotor Psychotherapy for Trauma Part 1 and 2

• Closing Your Eyes to See: Focusing, Active Imagination, and Inner Dialogue

• Trauma & Embodied Movement - Manuela Mischke-Reeds & Scott Lyons PhD

• Balancing Individual and Collective Transformation

• Trauma and the Internal Body Mind Family - Part 1

• Trauma and the Internal Body Mind Family - Part 2



3. Applications

• The Legacy of Early Attachment Relationships: A Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Perspective

• The Bodily Roots of Developmental Trauma

• Ecologies of Trauma & Resilience

• Treating Shock Trauma and Repeated Complex Trauma: Integrating Somatic Psychology and EMDR Therapy

• Structural Embodiment: Somatics for the Collective Body

• Working with Addiction



4. Integration and Post Traumatic Growth

• Post Traumatic Growth

• Integration Seminar

• Embodied Practitioner Skills

 
 
 

This certificate program included an 8-hour Master Workshop "Healing Trauma: Working with Somatic Wounds" with Dr. Peter Levine valued at $215 at no extra cost!

 
 

AVAILABLE ON-DEMAND + 2 HOURS OF PRE-RECORDED VIDEO SESSIONS

 
 
 

WHO IS THIS PROGRAM FOR?

 
 
This program is a certification process that distills an educational methodology to integrate into a variety of modalities such as:
 

• Social Workers

• Mental Health & Pastoral Counselors

• Yoga Therapists / Yoga Teachers

• Movement Therapists

• Coaches

• Physicians (MD, DO, ND, DC & others) & Physician Assistants

• Nurses & Nurse Practitioners

• Psychologists

• Emergency Medical Personnel

• Meditation Teachers

• Educators

• Massage Therapists & Body Workers

• Acupuncturists

• Hypnotherapists

• Kinesiologists

• Complementary & Alternative Medicine Professionals

• Clergy & Religious Leaders

• Other Wellness Professionals

This is an education program and not a licenser program.

 

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

  • Recognize and embody the key principles of somatic trauma healing approaches.

  • Understand the interconnections between individual trauma healing and collective liberatory practices.

  • Explore the latest evidence-informed approaches to treating and healing individual and collective trauma.

  • Understand how to engage practical mind-body therapy tools to resource and prepare for trauma processing.

  • Gain a deep understanding of how Polyvagal Theory provides an essential foundation in trauma reprocessing.

  • Discover and experience techniques to offer co-regulation, a key precursor to self-regulation in working with trauma individually and collectively.

  • Practice and apply tools that strengthen emotional and sensation tolerance.

  • Discover how “top-down” and “bottom up” interventions can speed up or slow down the pacing of trauma treatment.

  • Explain how trauma can lead to holding patterns and survival responses within the individual and collective body.

  • Understand the dynamics of post-traumatic hyper-arousal or hypo-arousal states, especially in ecological and cultural contexts.

  • Gain a road map to facilitate resilience.

  • Identify self- and collective-care practices to navigate boundaries, energy sustainability, and vicarious trauma.

  • A beautifully organized and structured program with an array of high-quality lecturers and content that spoke to trauma-informed somatic therapy through a variety of models, frameworks and lenses.

    FRANCESCA

  • As an African American woman who has had a great deal of educational experiences on the graduate level, I can say that there haven't been many programs like this one that gave voice and recognition to the BIPOC experience. This in and of itself was healing in many ways. I felt each of the presenters and facilitators to be authentic and caring. I am truly glad to have had this experience.

    DENISE, USA

  • I was delighted and overjoyed with the wealth of knowledge, wisdom and incredible trauma healing tools that we have learned from this wonderful program. The panel of teachers in this program is simply outstanding. You are learning from the best in the field of trauma healing and their wisdom and heart is so beautifully balanced here.

    MONIKA, AUSTRALIA

  • The Somatic Trauma Healing Therapy training program has been one of the most profound learning experiences that I have ever had.

    BETH, USA

  • I feel so privileged, honored and grateful for having been able to join this program and be flooded with the wisdom of so many wonderful human beings who are working very hard to support all of us.

    ANGELA, AUSTRALIA

  • I thank and honor the work that has been done by each of the people who provided this learning space - It has been transformative. Thank you very much for providing this space of love, understanding and dedication.

    MIRELLA, SOUTH AMERICA

  • This program changed my life, my perspective, my understanding and the scope and depth of the work being done in the somatic trauma work field. I am so incredibly grateful to have studied with some of the most skillful, kind, knowledgeable and diverse human beings. I feel eternally blessed.

    JENNIFER

SOMATIC PRACTITIONER MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

Our Somatic Practitioner Mentorship program is designed to offer you a container of support as you develop your skills as a Somatic Practitioner or Therapist. It will also help guide and enhance your personal process and practice of the tools you have gained in either your Certificate program with The Embody Lab, or other somatic-based programs.

If you want to deepen your understanding of the practice of somatic therapies, refine your skills as a practitioner, and enhance your capacity to offer this life-changing work to others… this program is for you!

 
 

PROGRAM INTENTIONS

 

  • To inspire and prepare participants for practice and integration of somatic trauma treatment tools.

  • To foster a deep understanding of both somatics and trauma from psychological, social, environmental, cultural, and historic perspectives

  • Explore the foundations of somatics, while providing a breadth of tools offered by various somatic therapy practices in relation to working with trauma. This will be done by highlighting the main practices in each modality as well as examining the intersection points between somatic trauma modalities.

  • Integrating an understanding and treatment of trauma on the individual and the collective levels.

  • Create opportunities for participants to connect as a community and connect via shared interest of applications.

  • Sessions will include at least two practical skills that can be applied to integrate the educational material.

 
 

PROGRAM DETAILS

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

The program will ran live from September 26th to December 15th, 2023. A detailed schedule was provided when registering. All live sessions were recorded so students could watch in their own time:

STUDENT ORIENTATION: Tuesday, September 26, 2023 from 11am - 12:30pm PT / 2 - 3:30pm ET

WEEKLY CLASSES: September 27th through December 15th, 2023. All weekly classes are on:

— Mondays from 4 - 6pm PT / 7 - 9pm ET
— Wednesdays from 9 - 11am PT / 12 - 2pm ET
Because of the complexities with international time zones, we have only listed Pacific Time (PT) and Eastern Time (ET) above. Please check how this translates into your local Time Zone here.

2 INTEGRATION SESSIONS WITH CO-DIRECTORS:

— Tuesday, November 7, 2023 from 1 - 3pm ET
— Friday, December 15, 2023 from 7 - 9pm ET

COMMUNITY SESSIONS: Two types of community connections will be offered:

• After each module - Option to stay 30 minutes after the class ends to connect with students and discuss the class in small breakout rooms. Breakout rooms will include: BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, General / All Students and others.
• Community Connections with Directors - General/All Students, BIPOC and WhiteBodied.

HOMEWORK  

There are no homework assignments during the program. Please see Certificate of Completion below for more information.

LEARNING PLATFORM FORMAT

ZOOM: The live portion of the certificate program will be offered online using the video conferencing platform Zoom, in meeting format, to allow instructors and students to interact, ask questions and participate in breakout sessions.

ONLINE LEARNING PLATFORM: The online learning platform will host all the information about the course including:

• Detailed schedule and reminder emails of upcoming sessions
• How to access via Zoom
• Monday recordings will be made available 24 hours before Wednesday's session. All other recordings will be available within 48 hours of the end of the live event.
• Supporting materials such as PDFs of the reading material and presentations

ACCESSIBILITY

VIDEO / AUDIO: Within the online learning platform, students may watch the video within their online library or download the video or audio to their computer. They will have lifetime access to the content.

LIVE CAPTIONING / TRANSCRIPTS: Captioning during live sessions and transcripts will be offered in English.

READING LISTS: Each instructor will provide required or recommended readings.
• Required readings will be available freely online or in PDF format.
• Recommended readings are optional and for futher exploration. They may include books, online articles etc.
• PDFs of the instructor’s presentation will also be provided.

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION

Below are the requirements to receive the Certificate of Completion:
• Attend the live sessions or watch the recordings
• Final Integration Activity (Optional)
• Complete the Self Evaluation

REGISTRATION / ENROLLMENT / TUITION

Enroll for the certificate program by choosing one of the two payment options— full payment, or a two-month payment plan. A scaled pricing structure starting from $987 for the Supported Plan to $1487 for the Rebalancing Plan.


 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 

+ Who is this program designed for?


This program is a certification process that distills an educational methodology to integrate into a variety of modalities such as: Social Workers, Mental Health & Pastoral Counselors, Yoga Therapists / Yoga Teachers, Movement Therapists, Coaches, Physicians (MD, DO, ND, DC & others) & Physician Assistants, Nurses & Nurse Practitioners, Psychologists, Emergency Medical Personnel, Meditation Teachers, Educators, Massage Therapists, Acupuncturists & Body Workers, Hypnotherapists, Kinesiologists, Complementary & Alternative Medicine Professionals, Clergy & Religious Leaders, other Wellness Professionals.

This is an education program and not a licenser program.

+ What are the dates, schedule and time commitment?


This 60-hour certificate program ran live from September 26th to December 15th, 2023. The program included 27 two-hour modules offered over 12 weeks. A detailed schedule was provided upon registration.

STUDENT ORIENTATION
Tuesday, September 26, 2023 from 2 - 3:30pm ET

WEEKLY CLASSES
September 27th through December 15th, 2023

  • Mondays from 4 - 6pm PT / 7 - 9pm ET
  • Wednesdays from 9 - 11am PT / 12 - 2pm ET

2 INTEGRATION SESSIONS w/ Co-Directors

  • Friday, December 1, 2023 from 3 - 5pm ET
  • Friday, December 15, 2023 from 7 - 9pm ET

+ Will there be an orientation session?


Yes, there will be an orientation session on Tuesday, September 26, 2023 from 2 - 3:30pm ET.

+ Do I need to attend live or am I able to watch recordings?


All live sessions will also be recorded and students may watch in their own time (more information below). Please note, captioning is only available during live sessions.

+ How can I interact with the instructors? Will I receive guidance?


During each of the live sessions, the instructors will have a Q&A period where you may ask questions. Three community connections will also be offered with one of the co-directors of the program and special guests. A private online community forum will be provided for the certificate.

+ What are the homework requirements?


There are no homework assignments during the program.

+ Do you offer scholarships?


For every 200 enrolled students, we are able to offer: Please note that scholarship applications have now closed and we are unable to accept late applications.

  • 10 Full Scholarships (100%)
  • 10 Partial Scholarships (50%)

How to Apply:

  • SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED. Unfortunately we are unable to accept late applications.
  • Scholarships will be communicated by end of day Tuesday, September 19, 2023.

+ Is there a deadline for registration?


Registration is open until the day before the student orientation. Please enroll by September 25th, 2023.

+ Do you offer refunds?


We offer a Registration Guarantee which means that if you register but decide the course isn’t right for you, we’ll refund your course fee - no questions asked - up to 48 hours before the course start date.

+ How can I access the online course and recordings?


ZOOM FOR LIVE SESSIONS: The live portion of the certificate program will be offered online using the video conferencing platform Zoom, in meeting format, to allow instructors and students to interact, ask questions and participate in breakout sessions.

ONLINE LEARNING PLATFORM: Once you register, you will receive access to our online learning platform which will include all the information about the certificate, including:

  • Detailed schedules
  • How to access the live sessions via Zoom
  • Recordings of all live sessions uploaded within 48 hours of the end of the live session
  • Supporting materials provided by your instructors

ACCESSIBILITY | Video / Audio: Within our online learning platform, you may watch the video within your online library or download the video or audio to your computer. You will have lifetime access to the content.

ACCESSIBILITY | Live Captioning / Transcripts: Captioning during live sessions and transcripts will be offered in English.

ACCESSIBILITY | Reading Lists: The reading list will include items available at the public library or will be provided as a PDF where possible. PDFs of the instructor’s presentation will also be provided.

+ Is this a summit?


No, this is an integrated curriculum co-created by the faculty. The faculty are colleagues in this program. They are working together to make sure each individual module is cohesive with the entire curriculum. Every teacher is informed about what is coming before and what is coming after and integrating their curriculum based on that information.

+ Is this a theoretical or practical (experiential) program?


While some theory will be presented to support the learning, the primary focus of the practice is experiential, giving practical tools for the participants.

+ Will I receive a certificate?


You’ll receive a certificate of completion once you have completed attending the live sessions or watching the recordings, and full payment has been received.

+ Will Continuing Education Units (CEUs) be offered?


CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

More information will be provided on the number of CEs available for this program and how to register. Please note - Live attendance is required.

*To register your interest for CE credits for this program and more detailed information, please visit this link: https://forms.gle/76mwhjgG5vnzVw9BA

Below is more information on the health professionals which may be eligible for CEs through the Spiritual Competency Academy (SCA) which is co-sponsoring this program.

  • CE credits for psychologists are provided by the Spiritual Competency Academy (SCA) which is co-sponsoring this program. The Spiritual Competency Academy is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Spiritual Competency Academy maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

  • The California Board of Behavioral Sciences accepts CE credits for LCSW, LPCC, LEP, and LMFT license renewal for programs offered by approved sponsors of CE by the American Psychological Association.

  • SCA is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN Provider CEP16887) for licensed nurses in California. RNs must retain this document for 4 years after the course concludes.

FROM A DIFFERENT STATE OR COUNTRY?

Health professionals from a state or country outside of California need to check with their licensing boards as to whether or not they accept programs offered by approved sponsors of Continuing Education by the American Psychological Association (APA).

DIFFERENT CREDENTIAL?

If your credential is not listed, please check with your licensing board as to whether or not they accept programs offered by approved sponsors of Continuing Education by the American Psychological Association (APA).

The SCA and The Embody Lab are not able to determine your eligibility.

 
 

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST FOR THE 2024 PROGRAM

Enter your details below to be the first to hear about the next Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy Certificate program.