Somatic Attachment Psychotherapy Trainings
We are currently in a period of thoughtful re-visioning.
Our trainings continue to evolve…stay tuned for our next offerings.
About SAP Trainings
Early relational experiences forge a neurophysiological and psychological template of self, often creating insecure attachment which distorts the development of self, and impacts relational functioning throughout the lifespan. Corresponding affect management strategies and attachment patterns, accompanied by dysregulation of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), impact one’s self perceptions, world, and identity. This legacy of trauma deeply impacts the integrity of the self, creating a split between psyche, body, and spirit. Therapists are called to facilitate shifting of affect management strategies, attachment patterning, and support the maturation and development of complex right brain functioning to heal relational trauma, including insecure attachment, PTSD, and chronic shame, rather than merely working with symptom reduction.
Somatic Attachment Psychotherapy teachings weave the interconnected realms of embodied and imaginal somatic and interpersonal/relational psychodynamic principles and practices; clinical understandings and application of attachment research, specifically from the Adult Attachment Interview; emergent neuroscience research; trauma studies; embodiment studies and practices, and; earth-based wisdoms.
Materials are presented using interactive lecture, discussions, demonstrations, experiential exercises, and coached practice sessions where participants will have opportunities to embody the material into practice in a supported learning environment.
Our offerings require a graduate degree in a clinical mental health discipline. They are rigorous in both academic and experiential learning.
The Evolution of our Programming
Somatic Attachment Psychotherapy is a living orientation focused on the reparation of insecure attachment. We are ever-expanding our understanding of human suffering and human healing, and are always looking for a bigger canvas on which to practice the art of psychotherapy. To this end, we are taking some time to re-vision many of our offerings….stay tuned.
The Heart of the SAP Trainings…
At their core, Somatic Attachment Psychotherapy trainings offer therapists an expansive and depthful learning experience within a culture of inclusivity, kindness and rigorous clinical considerations. Our work is sophisticated and nuanced and attends to the complex reparation of insecure attachment through the integration of somatic therapy, attachment theory, and relational psychodynamic practice.
Somatic Attachment Psychotherapy creatively weaves together somatic therapy, attachment theory and application to practice, and relational psychodynamic practice, all of which makes this orientation distinctly bold and unequalled for the reparation of early attachment injuries and insecure attachment.
Somatic Therapy Trainings FAQ
What is somatic therapy?
Somatic therapy attends to body and both right and left hemispheres to attend to injuries of the body and mind. It has various applications, is profoundly potent in treating trauma – relational, incident, and complex.
How does this orientation differ from Somatic Experiencing (SE)?
The heart of Somatic Attachment Psychotherapy (SAP) is the reparation of attachment injuries. SAP uniquely weaves somatic psychotherapy with attachment theory and application to practice through a psychodynamic, relational lens. In this way, the SAP orientation is distinct from Somatic Experiencing (SE) and other body-based modalities.
Who are these courses intended for?
These courses are intended for psychotherapists seeking to advance and deepen their clinical practice. Participants need a graduate degree in a clinical mental health discipline.
How is this orientation grounded in evidence-based practice?
Somatic Attachment Psychotherapy draws upon diverse research in neuroscience, attachment theory and research, trauma studies, Polyvagal Theory, and Interpersonal Neurobiology. It also draws on the rich psychoanalytic lineage arcing over the past century. Our curriculums integrate these frameworks into clinical application.
What’s the difference between somatic therapy and traditional talk therapy?
Talk therapy primarily engages cognitive and left-hemisphere processes whereas somatic attachment psychotherapy, integrates both right and left hemispheric processes, working directly with the autonomic nervous system, attachment patterning and relational dynamics, affect regulation, mentalization, and embodiment for the reparation of trauma, specifically relational/attachment trauma.
Can I become a somatic therapist through your offerings?
No. Our offerings are for clinicians who have a graduate degree in a clinical mental health discipline. They provide sophisticated and nuanced theoretical, conceptual and application to practice in the areas of somatic practice, attachment repair, and relational practice. Our work is uniquely embodied and relational.