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Integrative Somatic Therapy Practice, Component 2 with Stefani Wilton and Ratha Chek

TOUCH in an Integrative Somatic Therapy Practice (ISTP)™ is an important therapeutic tool in trauma work. We use touch as a resource and reparative process within a therapeutic relationship where touch has been withheld or used to violate. However, touch in trauma therapy is often hinged on one word: DON’T! More often than not, we are discouraged from touching our clients for fear of crossing boundaries, transference or countertransference, or allegations of wrongdoing (Older, 1977) and Wilson (1982). Research suggests that touch supports bonding and reduces the experience of pain. Positive physical aspects of touch include lifting mood in the treatment of depression, reducing anxiety, pain relief, reduction in muscle tension, decreasing raised blood pressure, enhancement of immune function, improving sleep, decreasing symptoms of sexual abuse, reducing aggression in adolescents, and improving weight gain in preterm neonates (Field, 2003; Westlanourd, 1993). Touch in a therapeutic relationship requires experiential training, skills applications based on a coherent theoretical perspective, and adequate supervision from someone who has had touch training. The challenge for therapists is that most do not have sufficient training in the specifics of touch in therapeutic practice. Additionally, touch in psychotherapy is not generally permitted under many licensing and regulatory bodies.

Benefits of this Training

Component Two of the Level 2 ISTP™ training through the Integrative Somatic Studies Institute of Vancouver, BC, Canada; Integrative Somatic Bodywork prepares our graduates to facilitate ISTP™ sessions that are impactful and transformative. Upon completion of your coursework, graduates earn:

  • ISTP Level 2 Certification >>> Opportunity for client referrals from the Somatic Studies Institute.

  • Integrative Somatic Bodywork Practitioner Certification >>> Opportunity to register with the NHPC (Canada) or Namasta (USA) at the 150-HR designation, which provides access to bodywork insurance and ability to bill to insurance companies in some States and Provinces.

  • Those who are yoga teachers or yoga therapists may apply their course credit hours with the following bodies: CYA, YA, Namasta, and IAYT.

  • Opportunity to upgrade this foundational certification post graduation by completing 50 Hour add on programs in Integrative Somatic Yoga and Integrative Thai Yoga Massage, which gives you the opportunity to register as a Certified Yoga Teacher or Thai Yoga Massage Practitioner. Speak with us to learn more.

This training is a collaborative offering made possible by the work of Ratha Chek (MC, CYT, RCC, Founder of Integrative Somatic Therapy Practice & Training) and Stefani Wilton (BA, RMT, C-IAYT, ISTP, E-RYT 500 YACEP, founder of the Mandorla Yoga Institute and creator of Somatic Embodiment Yoga & Somatic Yoga Therapy).

  • Detailed instructional videos that support the nuance of facilitating meaningful somatic practices through the stages of contraction, expansion, expression, reflection, integration, and celebration.

  • A thorough course manual with images and step by step directions that provides insight and honoring to the origins and wisdom practices that inform this work.

  • Transformative in-Person training with Ratha Chek and Stefani Wilton in the practice of Integrative Somatic Bodywork at the Bethlehem Spiritual Centre in Nanaimo, BC, Canada, the week of March 16 - 24, 2025.

Course curriculum

    1. Welcome Video

    2. Integrative Somatic Bodywork - Orientation and Course Overview

      FREE PREVIEW

    3. Resources that are needed for this training

    1. In-Person Training Dates, Time, and Location

    2. Preparing for in-person training: What to Expect, and What to Bring

    3. Integrative Somatic Bodywork Practice Manual

    1. Integrative Somatic Bodywork Learning Pathway and Ethics

    2. STEP 1: Photo and Video Release

    3. STEP 2: Intake Form and Welcome Letter

    4. STEP 3: Bodywork Documentation - SUBMIT HERE WHEN COMPLETE

    5. STEP 4: Supervision

    6. STEP 5: Documentation of Requisites and Request for Certification

    7. Sample Thai Massage Letter for Clients to Request Coverage from Insurance Company

    8. Insurance Company Coverage for the Practice of Thai Yoga Massage in Canada

    1. Bhavana Meditation

    2. Bhavana Meditation

    3. Touch in Body Psychotherapy

    4. Origins of Integrative Somatic Bodywork: Yoga's History, Philosophy, and Restorative Practices

    5. Origins of Integrative Somatic Bodywork: Thai Yoga Massage

    6. Sen Sumana

    7. Sen Kalathari

    8. Sen Ulangka and Sen Lawusang

    9. Sen Sahatsarangsi and Sen Thawari

    10. Sen Ittha and Sen Pingkhala

    1. 1: Contraindications: When not to do this work

    2. 2: Vulnerable Structures and Areas of Endangerment

    3. Vulnerable Structures in the Neck

    4. Vulnerable Structures in the Hip

    5. 3: Landmarks and Bony Prominences

    6. Movement Practice with Exploration of Important Landmarks

    7. 3a: Anatomy of the Spine

    8. 4: How the Body Moves

    9. 5: Where the Body Moves

    10. 6: Where the Body Doesn't Move

    11. 7: Alignment Principles via the Loops and Spirals

    12. Supporting Alignment and Deepening the Practice

    13. 7a: Alignment of the Lower Body

    14. 7b: Alignment of the Mid-Body

    15. 7c: Alignment of the Upper Body

    16. 7d: Observing and Responding to Alignment

    17. 8: Pain and the Nervous System

    18. Pain, the Nervous System, Myofascia, and Facilitating Breathing in ISTP

    19. 8a: Trauma and the Deep Front Line of Myofascia

    20. 8b: Functional Anatomy of Breathing

    21. Supporting the Lower Body

    22. 9: Injuries and Health Conditions: Feet and Ankles

    23. 9a: Adaptations: Feet and Ankles

    24. 10: Injuries and Health Conditions: Knees and Thighs

    25. 11: Adaptations: Knees and Thighs

    26. 12: Injuries, Health Conditions, and Adaptations: Hips

    27. 13: Injuries, Health Conditions, and Adaptations: Back

    28. 14: Injuries, Health Conditions, and Adaptations: Shoulders

    29. 15: Injuries, Health Conditions, and Adaptations: Neck & Head

    30. 16: Injuries, Health Conditions, and Adaptations: Arms and Wrists

    31. 17: Need-to-Know Health Conditions

    32. Q&A Supporting Clients with Sciatica

    33. Functional Anatomy Open Book Quiz

    1. How we Invite these Practices

    2. Body Language and Sensory Modulation within Integrative Somatic Bodywork

    3. Attunement, Coregulation, and Following the Nervous System

    4. Observing and Responding to the Body

    5. Responding to the Body's Held Pattern and Rhythm

    6. Finetuning the Session

    7. How we use Restorative Practices as a tool for Embodiment in Integrative Somatic Bodywork

    8. The Art of Listening and Adaptation

    9. Supporting with Props

    10. The Ayurvedic Perspective and Response

    11. Language and Breath

    12. Samskara, Resource, and Bhavana

    13. Tools for Dissociation

    14. Practices for Closing Sessions and Sealing Energy

About this course

  • Honoring the roots of Embodiment Yoga, Integrative Thai Yoga Massage, Neuroscience, and Ayurveda.

Video

Touch is a physical act, yet appropriate within the psychotherapy room only if the act of touching engages or interacts with therapy in a way that improves mental health and well-being.

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                             Ratha Chek, Creator of Integrative Somatic Therapy Practice              

Accreditation

This training is accredited with the following bodies: