12 day Somatic Trauma Therapy Training with Babette Rothschild

Part 1: October 17 – 20 2024;
Part 2: May 15 – 18 2025;
Part 3: October 16 – 19 2025.

These are all Thursday to Sunday, 3pm to 10pm, Online via Zoom

A 12-day in-depth course developed and led by Babette Rothschild, author of the bestselling The Body Remembers: The Psychophysiology of Trauma and Trauma Treatment

This training is open to psychotherapists, psychologists, counselors and other mental health professionals. Training modules are conducted with a combination of lectures, discussions, film, exercises, video and live demonstrations, role-played therapy practices and client consultations.

This training embraces three major goals: First, to make a relevant bridge between trauma theory and trauma therapy practice; Second, to make non-touch somatic tools available to the trauma practitioner; Third, to equip therapists to distinguish and help clients who 1) are not good candidates for processing trauma memories and 2) those who are good candidates for processing trauma memories. These goals underlie the principles addressed in both Volumes 1 and 2 of The Body Remembers, putting into direct practice the principles, theory and tools presented in those books as well as many others.

This training is grounded in the belief that the therapist working with trauma must become familiar with many theories, techniques and treatment models to ensure that therapy will always be tailored to the needs of the individual client. Therefore the training is designed to enhance, not replace, skills and knowledge already held by the professional participants. In the past practitioners from many disciplines – psychoanalysis, psychodynamic, EMDR, cognitive behavioral, mindfulness, hypnosis, gestalt, body psychotherapy and TA among others – have all found this training to be a complement not a conflict.

Workshop modules are conducted with a combination of lectures, discussions, film, exercises, video and live demonstrations, role-played therapy practices and client consultations. Relevant handouts supplementing the required texts will be provided as well as a Certificate of Attendance for a total of 84 hours.

A second year, for those wishing to become Certified in Somatic Trauma Therapy, is available by application.

These three 4-day workshops will review both traditional and alternative theories of PTSD including (but not limited to) those developed by: Bessel van der Kolk, Judith Herman, M.D. at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA; the Bodynamic Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark; and Peter Levine, Ph.D., Ergos Institute, Boulder, Colorado, USA.

Part 1 :

Focuses on stabilisation and safety. Theoretical material includes: treatment planning, psychology of stress and trauma (including the role of dissociation); physiology of stress and trauma (including how to facilitate clear thinking and integration); autonomic and sensory nervous system branches and their application to principles of stabilisation; defining types of trauma clients; “putting on the brakes” for containment and safety; applications of mindfulness and regulating hyperarousal. Experience with basic body awareness, mindfulness, muscle toning, boundaries and the use of resources will provide the basis for direct practice during this module.

Part 2:

Peter Levine’s SIBAM model is featured as a multifaceted tool that can be used to enhance stabilisation as well as to increase association and resolution of trauma memories. The model will be taught in steps, culminating in practice sessions with role-played clients. Addressing issues of self-care, including avoiding risks of vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue and learning to consciously adjust resonance and empathy will round out these 4 days.

Part 3:

The Bodynamic “running technique” will be introduced as an imaginal, mind/body integrative procedure for reawakening the flight reflex and reducing hyperarousal. Graduated training in the model will make it accessible to therapists for their clients with applications in both Phase 1 and Phase 2. Participants will also be supervised in making relevant choices of techniques both during triad role-plays and during client consultation. Integration of both theoretical and practical material from all three workshops will be included, reinforcing the bridge between theory and practice, training and actual work place situations. Treatment planning will be further discussed and practiced.

Fees

The fee for this course is £2,000 for self-funded participants and £2,200 for employer-funded participants. In order to book your place, you need to pay a deposit of £500.

Please note:

• The training course will take place LIVE on Zoom. We will not record the course and participants need to be online at the set times. We can now offer subtitles (closed captions) in a range of languages other than English. The range is given by current options available on Zoom.

• Participants are encouraged NOT to work on their own material.