Diploma in Integrative Embodied Somatic Therapy

The following outlines the structure of the 1-Year Professional Certificate in Somatic Trauma Therapy:

• Weekly online sessions
  Mondays, 6:30–9:30pm
  21st September 2026 – 21st June 2027

• Opening weekend retreat (accommodation & food separate - venue to be confirmed Hidden Gem Retreat Centre.*)
  3rd–4th October 2026

• Peer Practice
  20 hours of peer-to-peer somatic therapy practice (giving and receiving)

• Peer Support Groups
  Weekly small group meetings to reflect, discuss, and integrate learning

• Client Practice & Case Studies
  Work with 5 clients (4–6 sessions each) and complete written case studies

• Reading & Reflection
  Three book reviews based on the recommended course material

• Closing retreat
  29th- 30th May 2027

• Final submission of all materials
  9th September 2027

* Accommodation can be sourced near Lahinch, or a camping option is available. For food, either bring your own lunch or chef Suzy Blue will create a delicious meal for €18 each day

** Accommodation onsite at Spanish Point Spirituality Centre €65 per. night & food by Suzy  Blue €95  x 2 days. Arrival Friday 4pm and depart Sunday 4pm

1.1 – Ethical Practice & Scope

Establish the foundations of ethical somatic practice, including boundaries, scope of practice, and a trauma-informed relational approach.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand ethical considerations specific to somatic work

• Identify appropriate scope of practice and referral pathways

• Develop awareness of boundaries in relational and body-based work

1.2 – Introduction to Somatic Therapy

Understand the origins, history, and key principles of somatic therapy.

Learning Outcomes:

• Describe the difference between top-down and bottom-up approaches

• Understand core somatic therapy principles

• Recognise the role of the body in trauma and healing

1.3 – Nervous System Foundations

Learn the language of the nervous system and how to map states through a polyvagal-informed lens.

Learning Outcomes:

• Identify key autonomic nervous system states

• Map activation, regulation, and shutdown responses

• Apply nervous system awareness to client work

1.4 – Survival Physiology & Creating Safety

Explore stress and survival responses and how to cultivate safety through embodied practices.

Learning Outcomes:

• Recognise fight, flight, freeze, and appease responses

• Understand the concept of safety in somatic work

• Apply basic regulation tools to support safety

1.5 – Interoception & Tracking

Develop interoceptive awareness and the ability to track internal experience.

Learning Outcomes:

• Differentiate between sensation, emotion, and thought

• Support clients in tracking internal states

• Develop language for describing embodied experience

1.6 – Introduction to Embodiment

Explore the principles of embodiment and what it means to work as a somatic practitioner.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand embodiment as a therapeutic foundation

• Develop awareness of personal somatic experience

• Begin cultivating an embodied practitioner presence

2.1 – Somatic Attunement: Regulation & Co-Regulation

Learn how to support regulation through relational attunement, presence, and co-regulation.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the role of co-regulation in nervous system healing

• Develop attunement skills through presence, pacing, and observation

• Cultivate awareness of your own nervous system while working with others

2.2 – Resourcing (Core Skill)

Develop internal, external, and relational resources to support regulation and safety.

Learning Outcomes:

• Identify and build a range of somatic resources

• Support clients in differentiating between story and sensation

• Apply practices such as breath, imagery, and orientation to strengthen regulation

2.3 – Pendulation, Titration & Pacing

Learn how to support clients in moving between activation and safety without overwhelm.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the principles of pendulation and titration

• Recognise signs of overwhelm and under-engagement

• Guide clients safely between states of activation and regulation

2.4 – Activation & Completion of Survival Responses

Understand activation and how to support the safe completion of thwarted survival responses.

Learning Outcomes:

• Recognise incomplete defensive responses in the body

• Support safe expression through movement, sound, and physical engagement

• Apply gentle completion practices without retraumatisation

3.1 – Foundations of Somatic Processing

Understand the principles of somatic processing, including pacing, tracking, and integration.

Learning Outcomes:

• Identify when to regulate versus when to process

• Apply the arc of somatic processing in practice

• Support integration through awareness and embodied experience

3.2 – Working with Survival Responses (Fight, Flight, Freeze, Appease)

Recognise and work with adaptive survival responses as they show up in the body.

Learning Outcomes:

• Differentiate between survival responses and their functions

• Support safe expression of activation (e.g. anger, movement, impulse)

• Work with appeasement patterns and relational safety

3.3 – Working with Freeze & Dissociation

Develop skills to work gently with freeze and dissociation.

Learning Outcomes:

• Recognise signs of dissociation and collapse

• Apply micro-movements, orientation, and sensory awareness

• Support gradual re-engagement without overwhelm

3.4 – Developmental Trauma & Attachment (Somatic Lens)

Explore how early relational experiences shape the nervous system.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand attachment patterns through the body

• Recognise implicit relational memory in clients

• Apply somatic approaches to developmental trauma

3.5 – Working with Emotion: Anger, Anxiety, Shame & Grief

Support clients in accessing and integrating emotional experience.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand emotions as embodied processes

• Support expression through breath, sound, and movement

• Work skilfully with shame and grief in a regulated way

3.6 – Parts & Inner Experience (Somatic Inner World)

Work with protective and adaptive parts as embodied states.

Learning Outcomes:

• Identify protective parts through somatic cues

• Support inner dialogue and integration

• Use self-touch and grounding practices to stabilise inner experience

3.7 – Repatterning, Trauma Types & Integration

Support integration and transformation through body-based processes.

Learning Outcomes:

• Differentiate between shock and complex trauma

• Support repatterning through embodied and imaginal processes

• Recognise and support moments of integration and change

4.1 – Relational Somatics & Working with Families

Apply somatic principles within relationships and family systems.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand nervous system interaction within relationships

• Support co-regulation and relational repair

• Apply somatic tools within family and parenting contexts

4.2 – Somatics in Groups, Conflict & High Activation

Learn how to facilitate somatic work in groups and high-intensity situations.

Learning Outcomes:

• Facilitate safe and contained somatic group practices

• Apply somatic awareness to conflict and de-escalation

• Track and regulate group nervous system dynamics

4.3 – Community, Systems & Collective Trauma

Explore trauma and healing within broader social and organisational systems.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand how trauma is held collectively

• Apply somatic principles within community and organisational settings

• Reflect on practitioner role within wider systems

5.1 – Embodied Practitioner Skills

Develop presence, self-awareness, and confidence in practice.

Learning Outcomes:

• Cultivate an embodied practitioner presence

• Develop attention, listening, and tracking skills

• Maintain self-regulation while working with clients

5.2 – Professional Practice, Ethics & Application

Learn how to bring somatic work into real-world practice.

Learning Outcomes:

• Structure somatic sessions effectively

• Work within ethical and professional boundaries

• Integrate somatic approaches into existing roles or practices

5.3 – Integration, Closure & Post-Traumatic Growth

Support integration of learning and practitioner identity.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand post-traumatic growth from a somatic perspective

• Support integration for self and clients

• Develop a pathway for ongoing practice and development

Peer Practice Playground

Engage in 20 hours of peer-to-peer somatic practice (20 hours giving and 20 hours receiving), providing a safe and supportive space to develop skills, experiment, and build confidence through experience.

Peer Support Groups

Participate in a weekly peer group (3–4 participants) to reflect on learning, discuss experiences, and support integration over the duration of the programme (1 hour per week).

Client Practice & Case Studies

Work with 5 clients for 4–6 sessions each, applying somatic principles in practice, and complete written case studies to support reflection and learning

Reading & Reflection

Complete three reflective book reviews based on recommended course texts, supporting deeper understanding and integration of key concepts.

Final Submission Date for all Materials 9th September 2027. 

Who This Programme Is For

This programme is designed for professionals who are working directly with people and want to deepen their capacity to support trauma, regulation, and embodied change.

It is particularly suited to:

• Counsellors, psychotherapists, and psychologists

• Youth workers and those working in community settings

• Coaches and wellbeing practitioners

• Health and allied professionals supporting emotional or psychological wellbeing

This training is most relevant for those who:

• are already working with clients or groups (or plan to)

• recognise the limitations of purely cognitive approaches

• want to integrate body-based, nervous system-informed practices into their work

Register Your Interest Here for Sept 2027

Early Bird Price €3000 (Available until September 1st)

Regular Price €3300 

A payment plan will be available with €1200 deposit, with 3 payments of €800 total cost €3600 

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need prior experience in somatic therapy to join?

No prior training in somatic therapy is required.

This programme is designed to support you from foundational principles through to more advanced application. What is important is that you are already working with people (or intend to), and are open to experiential learning and self-reflection.

Who is this training most suitable for?

This training is designed for professionals working directly with people, including:

• therapists and counsellors

• youth and community workers

• coaches and wellbeing practitioners

• health and allied professionals

It is particularly suited to those who want to integrate body-based and nervous system-informed approaches into their work.

Is this a therapy training or a personal development course?

This is a professional training.

While the programme includes experiential elements and personal reflection, the primary focus is on developing the skills, awareness, and confidence to apply somatic approaches in a professional context.

What level is this training?

This is an intermediate to advanced level training.

It is suitable for those with some experience of working with people, and who are ready to deepen their understanding of trauma, the nervous system, and embodied practice.

What is the time commitment?

Participants are expected to attend:

• weekly live sessions (3 hours)

In addition, you will engage in:

• peer practice (20 hours)

• weekly peer support groups (1 hour per week)

• client practice and case study write-ups

• reading and reflection

On average, this equates to approximately 5–7 hours per week.

What if I miss a session?

Sessions will be recorded where possible, so you can catch up.

However, as this is an experiential and relational training, live attendance is strongly encouraged to fully benefit from the learning process.

Will there be supervision and support during the programme?

Yes.

You will be supported through:

• facilitated group sessions

• peer support groups

• opportunities for discussion and reflection

You will not be expected to navigate this learning alone.

What kind of client work is required?

Participants are required to work with 5 clients for 4–6 sessions each.

This allows you to apply what you are learning in a practical setting. You will also complete written case studies to support reflection and integration.

Clear guidance will be provided to ensure this work is conducted ethically and within scope.

Do I need to already have clients?

Not necessarily—but you should have a pathway to working with clients during the course of the programme.

This might be through your current work, placement opportunities, or voluntary/pro bono practice.

Is there a retreat included?

Yes.

The programme includes:

• an opening weekend retreat (October 2026)

• a closing retreat (May 2027)

These retreats provide an opportunity for deeper experiential learning, connection, and integration.

How will I be assessed?

Assessment is designed to support your learning and development.

It includes:

• participation in sessions and peer work

• completion of practice hours

• written case studies

• reflective assignments (including book reviews)

The focus is on integration and application, rather than performance.

Will I receive a qualification?

Yes.

Participants who complete the programme requirements will receive a:

Professional Certificate in Somatic Trauma Therapy

Is this qualification accredited?

This is a professional training certificate. Accreditation will be through International Practitioners of Holistic Medicine (IPHM)

What happens after the programme?

Graduates will have the option to:

• continue into advanced training (e.g. Somatic EMDR integration)

• join an ongoing community of practice

• access to further supervision and professional development

Is there a payment plan available?

Yes.

Payment plans are available to support accessibility. Full details will be provided at the point of application.

How many places are available?

Places are limited to ensure a safe, supportive, and high-quality learning environment.

I’m interested but unsure if it’s the right fit—what should I do?

You are very welcome to:

• attend an information session

• get in touch with any questions

You can also apply, and we can explore together whether the programme is the right fit for you.

How do I apply?

You can apply by completing the application form below:

👉 Apply Now

You will then be contacted with next steps.