Certificate in Somatic Psychotherapy and Practices
Expanded training for experienced practitioners
Earn 30 CE Continuing Education through Antioch University’s Certificate in Somatic Psychotherapy and Practices. The demand is soaring for practitioners qualified in somatic therapeutic approaches that acknowledge the powerful body-mind connection for effective healing. In just three weekend residencies, earn 30 CEs (CEUs) and enhance your therapeutic skill set with Antioch University’s Somatic Psychotherapy Certification. AUSB offers a rare opportunity for experienced practitioners to integrate this leading-edge knowledge into their current practice, learning from renowned somatic experts.
This certificate is offered by Antioch University’s Santa Barbara Campus.
Why Somatic Therapy?
Somatic psychotherapy is a unique therapeutic approach that embraces the interconnection between the body, emotions, cognition, and sense of self. It is applied in the treatment of psychological and physical responses to trauma and post-traumatic stress disorders, as well as in responding to a vast range of life issues, including depression, anxiety, and attachment disorders. Somatic approaches draw from scientific evidence that feeling, sensation, expression, movement, and emotions are embodied through the course of development in patterns impacting how we function, including how we relate to ourselves and others. AUSB’s highly experiential learning environment offers specialized training in addressing trauma-related symptoms, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Interested in Learning More?
Somatic Psychotherapy Inquiry
Additional Information
The Certificate in Somatic Psychotherapy includes three (3) essential courses offered over three (3) months, totaling 30 Continuing Education units for LMFTs, LCSWs, and LPCCs. The Certificate in Somatic Psychotherapy and Practices now offers a full online training experience through three intensive modules over three online Residencies.
Fall 2024 Online Residency Dates
- Residency I – (F) October 4, 1:00-5:00 & (S) October 5, 9:00-4:00
- Residency II – (Sat) November 2, 9:00-4:00 & (Sun) November 3, 9:00 – 1:00
- Residency III – (F) December 6, 1:00-5:00 & (Sun) December 8, 9:00-4:00
Spring 2025 Online Residency Dates
- Residency I- April 4-5, 2025, Fri: 1:00–5:00 PM and Sat: 9:00 AM- 4:00 PM
- Residency II- May 3-4, 2025, Sat: 9:00 AM- 4:00 PM and Sun: 9:00 AM -1:00 PM
- Residency III- June 6 & June 8, 2025, Fri: 1:00- 5:00 PM and Sun: 9:00 AM- 4:00 PM
Please be aware that you are required to attend three modules of instruction in order to receive a Certificate of Completion and CE credit (partial credit is not offered and module meetings will not be recorded).
Attend all three (3) residency weekends as an active participant.
Coursework
In this course, students will offer an overview and framework of somatic psychotherapy, presenting historical theories of the body and mind in psychotherapy in connection with current theoretical models and techniques with specific reference to both developmental and cultural trauma treatment which includes causes, manifestations, effects, and the prevention and reduction of oppression (e.g., racism and antiracism, sexism, homophobia, ethnic conflicts, colonization, political persecution).
These theories will include psychodynamic, attachment, affect regulation and interpersonal neurobiology. Techniques discussed will include Somatic Experiencing, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Expressive Arts (movement, music, theatre, visual arts, and poetry), Mindfulness, guided imagery, and Polyvagal Theory.
The course will provide a basis for an interdisciplinary, holistic perspective which includes a diversity, equity, and inclusion and social justice mindset, informing the development of treatment planning skills, therapeutic orientation, and creative, compassionate intersubjective attunement with individuals, groups, children, and adolescents.
This highly experiential workshop is designed for active clinicians; psychotherapists, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, and allied professionals who want to learn about somatic approaches to trauma treatment.
This course will focus on recent advances in understanding the effects of trauma on the brain, mind, and body in general and concerning specific forms of complex trauma and PTSD. Major current theorists and practitioners in the field will be studied including Van der Kolk, Levine, Ogden, and Porges. Sensorimotor Psychotherapy will be centrally featured. Students will develop a solid theoretical understanding as well as training in specific treatment modalities and methods with practical application to veterans and other adult survivors of various forms of abuse and trauma. Building upon traditional psychotherapeutic techniques and principles, students will learn approaches viewing the body as central in the therapeutic treatment of trauma, differentiating from conventional “talk” therapies.
The Residency III Somatic Psychotherapy Module draws from elements of the expressive arts therapies, mindfulness practices, neurobiology, social justice, and somatic approaches when facilitating trauma recovery. Participants will learn about and experience expressive arts practices utilizing music, drama, art and movement; and focus on the practical application of various techniques within the context of their professional expertise. Mindfulness practices will be woven throughout the residency and will support the focus on present-moment somatic experience. Ethical considerations related to the use of culturally relevant treatment interventions will be integrated within the presented material to augment and expand upon the participant’s previous experience and the other offerings within the Somatic Certificate Program.
Expert Faculty
AUSB’s Somatic Psychotherapy programs are taught by faculty who are well-respected experts in the field of somatic therapy and other holistic therapeutic approaches. Students will learn from active professionals who are thought leaders, teachers, and practitioners with decades of experience. Some of the expert faculty who have taught in our Somatic Psychotherapy program include:
Consuelo V. Davis is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Board Certified Dance/Movement Therapist, Nationally Certified Anger Management Facilitator, and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional; who has worked in the mental health field since 1993. She has a BS in Dance Education from New York University, a MA in Dance/Movement Therapy from UCLA, and a MA in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University. Ms. Davis has worked in the Kaiser Permanente Departments of Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine for the last 20 years. She has a private practice in Inglewood, CA, and is a Teaching Faculty member in the Master of Psychology Department at Antioch University. Consuelo specializes in working with individuals, couples, families, and groups; and integrates aspects of cultural proficiency, neurobiology (mind/brain/body connection), and trauma-focused treatment interventions into the therapeutic process as needed. She utilizes various theoretical models to meet the unique needs of each client to assist them to enhance their quality of life in meaningful ways. These include: Attachment, Family Systems, DBT, DMT, Solution Focused, Mindfulness, Strength-based, and Psychodynamic treatment approaches.
Victoria Stevens, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist and IPA-certified psychoanalyst, as well as a classically trained cellist, singer, dancer, and actor. She is an adjunct faculty member of the doctoral program in the Department of Counseling, Clinical and School Psychology at University of California Santa Barbara, Pacifica Graduate Institute in the Clinical Psychology PsyD and PhD and Depth Integrative Healing PhD Programs, adjunct faculty for the Trauma Specialization Masters in Clinical Psychology Program at Antioch University Los Angeles, and an Assistant Professor for the Clinical Psychology Program at Antioch University at Santa Barbara where she co-created and is founding faculty for the Somatic Psychotherapy Certification Program with a focus on Trauma Treatment. She is on the faculty of the Occupational Studies Program in Mind-Body Psychology at HMI College of Hypnotherapy, a founding faculty member of the California Institute of the Arts Teaching Artist Training Program, and a clinical psychologist at the Sage Center for Gifted in Colorado and California, providing psychotherapy for gifted and twice-exceptional children, and educational curricula and support for students, teachers, and parents.
Clyde Blair, MA, LMFT, CSP is a licensed Marriage Family Therapist and Certified Sensorimotor Psychotherapist who has been practicing psychotherapy for over 20 years. He has extensive clinical experience in community, outpatient, and private practice settings with specialization in addictions, trauma, and coupl
Admissions
- Application Deadline
| Term | Final Deadline | Residencies |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | January 15 | April, May, and June |
| Fall | September 1 | October, November, and December |
Application Requirements
- Eligibility: Existing Master’s degree in psychology or related field.
- Brief essay: In less than one (1) double-spaced page, please respond to the question: How would you envision this training might impact your life (e.g. career, practice, awareness, personal growth, relationships) and what challenges might you encounter?
To apply, please email your resume and essay to [email protected]
Cost:
$1,950 Federal financial aid is not available for this program.
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Dates
Certification Requirements
Coursework
Introduction to Theories and Techniques of Somatic Psychotherapy and Trauma Treatment
In this course, students will critically examine seminal historical theories of the body and mind interconnection in psychotherapy with reference to current theoretical models and techniques. These theories will include psychodynamic (object relations, relational, intersubjective, depth analytic), attachment, affect regulation, and interpersonal neurobiology. The somatic focus and perspective will be integrated with other modalities of psychotherapeutic theory and treatment including CBT, DBT, Humanistic-Existential, Gestalt, and others to provide an understanding of bottom-up vs top-down psychotherapy, with a particular focus on trauma treatment. Techniques discussed will include Somatic Experiencing, Hakomi, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Expressive Arts (movement, music, theatre, visual arts, and poetry), Mindfulness, guided imagery, EMDR, and Yoga. The course will provide a basis for an interdisciplinary, holistic perspective that will inform case conceptualization, the development of treatment plans, clinical skills, choice of techniques, and therapeutic orientation with individuals, groups, children, and adolescents.
Somatic Approaches to Trauma and PTSD
This course will focus on recent advances in understanding the effects of trauma on the brain, mind, and body in general and with regard to specific forms of complex trauma and PTSD. Major current theorists and practitioners in the field will be studied in depth including Van der Kolk, Levine, Ogden, and Porges. Students will develop a solid theoretical understanding as well as training in specific treatment modalities and methods. Practical application to children, adolescents, veterans and other adult survivors of various forms of abuse and trauma will be addressed. Building upon traditional psychotherapeutic techniques and principles, students will learn approaches viewing the body as central in the therapeutic field of awareness, and includes observational skills, theories, and interventions not usually practiced in psychodynamic psychotherapy.
Movement, Mindfulness, and the Expressive Arts in Somatic Psychotherapy
This experiential course is grounded in somatic therapies’ principles and practices and will provide the student experience in integrating these practices with verbal psychotherapy. This course will draw from the field of dance/movement therapy, from mindfulness practices, and from the work of both Peter Levine and Pat Ogden. Elements of the expressive arts, with attention to present moment and body-centered experience, will be included in the course. Distinctions will be made between the expressive arts therapies and the clinician’s ability to utilize the arts as a tool in the course of therapy, without formal training in art, dance/movement, or music. This course will be experiential and will focus on practical application, as the student learns to integrate somatic tools in the here-and-now context of therapy, and to engage client collaboration with somatic and expressive interventions. Ethical considerations related to the use of touch and movement will be woven throughout the course. The course builds upon and expands upon the student’s previous clinical training, and on the theoretical information offered in additional somatic courses.
Expert Faculty
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