BREATHWORK & MOVEMENT THERAPY FOR TRAUMA HEALING
PROGRAM AT-A-GLANCE
UNLOCK THE POWER OF THE BODY TO HEAL TRAUMA
Are you ready to help clients break free from trauma patterns, restore vitality, and experience deep healing through somatic breathwork and movement therapy? Learn powerful breath & body-based healing techniques with world-leading faculty!
Trauma isn’t just a story the mind remembers—it’s an imprint the body carries. To truly heal and transform trauma, we must speak the body’s primal language: sensation, movement, and breath. Through integrative breathwork and movement practices, you'll learn to help clients release held patterns, regulate their nervous system, and facilitate powerful changes that goes far beyond conventional trauma treatment approaches.
This cutting-edge certificate program is designed for practitioners, therapists, educators, and individuals who want to master the most effective and science-backed breathwork and somatic movement techniques for trauma healing.
You’ll learn to guide clients:
✔ From disconnection to embodiment
✔ From rigidity to fluidity
✔ From numbness to vibrant aliveness
Join us and discover how breathwork and movement therapy can guide the journey from trauma to embodied wholeness for yourself and your clients.
LEARN MORE WITH OUR
FREE ONLINE INFORMATION SESSION
FREE, LIVE & ONLINE:
Sunday, March 30th, 2025 from 2 - 3:30pm ET
We will also send out the recordings to those unable to join live.
MEET YOUR INSTRUCTORS
Internationally recognized leaders bring to life a holistic and unified somatic trauma healing curriculum.
DR. AMBER ELIZABETH GRAY
ROSARIO SAMMARTINO
DR. SCOTT LYONS
DR. ANGELA GRAYSON
DR. ARIELLE SCHWARTZ
KAI CHENG THOM
MANUELA MISCHKE-REEDS, MA, LMFT
DR. RAE JOHNSON
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
LEARN EVIDENCE-BASED TOOLS TO GUIDE THE JOURNEY FROM ANXIETY TO EMBODIED EASE!
This unique 10-week online certificate program is designed for individuals, practitioners, and educators who want to discover how breathwork and movement practices can…..
Join us and learn evidence-based effective and science-backed breathwork and somatic movement techniques for trauma healing.
You’ll learn to guide clients:
✔ From disconnection to embodiment
✔ From rigidity to fluidity
✔ From numbness to vibrant aliveness
You’ll discover how to guide gentle movements and offer breath work and body awareness practices to help your clients shift from fight-flight-freeze into states of safety, groundedness, and inner peace.
You'll benefit from interactive learning, practical exercises, and peer support as you develop these transformative skills.
Why This Certificate?
Traditional talk therapy alone often falls short when it comes to trauma resolution. That’s because trauma lives in the nervous system, not just the mind. This program gives you the tools to help clients regulate, release, and rewire their body’s trauma responses for deep, lasting transformation.
✔ Evidence-Based Approach – Learn scientifically backed breath and movement techniques that address trauma at its physiological and emotional roots.
✔ Transformational Skillset – Gain confidence in guiding clients through breathwork, movement, and nervous system regulation for profound healing.
✔ Embodied Learning – Experience the practices firsthand through interactive training, experiential exercises, and peer support.
✔ World-Leading Faculty – Train with renowned experts in somatics, breathwork, and trauma healing.
✔ Fully Online & Flexible – Study at your own pace with a structured curriculum and live support, plus you’ll receive life-time access to the recordings at no extra cost!
This program is more than a breathwork or movement training. Taught by world-leading faculty, this program will equip you to facilitate lasting transformation and offer your clients a holistic, accessible, body-based approach to trauma healing that works.
Help Clients Shift from:
❌ Overwhelm → Grounded Presence
❌ Stuck Patterns → Ease & Flow
❌ Fight/Flight/Freeze → Safety & Embodiment
By the end of this program, you’ll be equipped to facilitate lasting transformation and offer your clients a holistic, body-based approach to trauma healing that works.
Ready to Become a Trauma-Informed Breath & Movement Practitioner? Join us today and step into the next level of your healing practice. Your clients are waiting—and so is your own transformation.
SOMATICS HELP HEAL
‘Soma’ is a Greek word for ‘the living body known from within’, or known to the Self. This ‘knowing’ signifies wholeness. Somatic therapy is an experiential approach towards mindbody integration. The pain, overwhelm, and coping responses manifested by trauma take us away from feeling at home in our body, and as a result there is often a split within ourselves.
Somatic Therapy helps:
Restore the body as a place of safety while helping to expand the capacity to process body (preverbal and nonverbal) memory
Metabolize unprocessed emotions
Complete thwarted (incomplete) stress responses
Restore our optimal relationship to our self and the world around us
Somatic therapy offers techniques for clients to sense and regulate their own physiology and states of being. This includes building more internal and external resources, building trusting and co-regulatory relationships, learning to turn inward with compassion, being invited deeper in the body, and being given time and space to process the trauma. These somatic techniques unwind trauma and restore well-being.
WHAT IS TRAUMA
A holistic approach to trauma defines trauma not as an event, but rather as a disruption and overwhelm to our body-mind’s capacity to adapt, thrive, and flourish.
Trauma can occur when:
There is too much too soon
There is too much for too long
There is not enough for too long
Power and agency have been taken away from the person or collective
The stressors outweigh the resources available to navigate them
When our primal protective instincts, intuitions, and responses are thwarted
There is not enough time, space, or permission to heal
It is essential that we consider social, developmental, and cultural factors when reflecting on a client’s trauma history. By not acknowledging these contextual factors we do the individual a disservice.
The symptoms of trauma may occur immediately or emerge over time from the compounding stress and challenges of processing and adapting to the experiences of life. Symptoms of trauma emerge as the body and mind attempt to cope with and resolve the stressors.
Trauma can lead to feelings of powerlessness, helplessness, and groundlessness. It interferes with our ability to feel real in body and mind, it disrupts our very sense of existence, and takes us away from the present moment. However, as Dr. Peter Levine, creator of Somatic Experiencing says “Trauma is a fact of life. It does not have to be a life sentence.”
Symptoms are the gateway to healing trauma. Our job as practitioners and educators is to listen and hear the messages and wisdom encoded in the body.
“Healing is never complete until we have been truly heard. May the universe send you someone who will sincerely care to listen.”
- ANTHON ST. MAARTEN
“Healing is like an onion. As you process through one layer of trauma to release the pain and heal, a new layer will surface. One layer after another layer will bring up new issues to focus on. Pace yourself. Only focus on one layer at a time.”
- DANA ARCURI
“The body stores the trauma of our lives in muscular rigidity, thereby keeping us stuck in the past. When we release the tension in the body and align ourselves with gravity, we take a new stand in life. This allows us to be at ease with ourselves and in harmony in our relationship to others and to our planet.”
- JOSEPH HELLER
“Sometimes the people around you won't understand your journey. They don't need to, it's not for them.”
- JOUBERT BOTHA
WHAT IS BREATHWORK?
Breathwork is a therapeutic practice that utilizes intentional breathing techniques to support the healing of trauma and its psychological and physiological effects. By consciously regulating breath patterns, individuals can calm the nervous system, release stored tension, and process unresolved emotions associated with traumatic experiences. Trauma-informed breathwork may include deep diaphragmatic breathing, rhythmic patterns, cellular breathing, or guided techniques designed to regulate the autonomic nervous system, helping individuals move from a state of hyperarousal or dissociation to a sense of safety and grounding.
These practices can facilitate the somatic release of trauma by accessing and integrating suppressed emotions stored in the body, reducing symptoms of PTSD such as hypervigilance, dissociation, and emotional numbness. Trauma-informed breathwork engages the body's innate healing mechanisms, helping individuals safely discharge survival energy trapped in the nervous system. By promoting co-regulation and self-regulation, breathwork supports the recalibration of an overactive stress response, fostering resilience and restoring a felt sense of safety. Through intentional breathing, individuals can reconnect with bodily sensations, process traumatic imprints without overwhelm, and gradually rebuild trust in their physical and emotional experiences.
WHAT IS MOVEMENT THERAPY?
Somatic Movement therapy is a healing approach that uses intentional physical movement to process and release trauma stored in the body. By engaging in guided exercises, rhythmic movement, and expressive mobilization, individuals can safely access and discharge trapped survival energy, reducing symptoms of hyperarousal, dissociation, and emotional constriction. This trauma-informed practice fosters a deeper connection to bodily sensations, helping individuals regain a sense of agency and restore trust in their physical and emotional experiences. Movement therapy encourages self-expression through embodied practice, allowing clients to explore and integrate traumatic memories without relying solely on verbal processing. Somatic Movement Therapy supports nervous system regulation, emotional resilience, and a renewed sense of safety and presence in the body.
In this program, we’ll explore many tools and techniques to help clients shift from:
❌ Overwhelm → Grounded Presence
❌ Stuck Patterns → Ease & Flow
❌ Fight/Flight/Freeze → Safety & Embodiment
CURRICULUM
This 60-hour certificate program consists of a Student Orientation session on Friday, May 9, 2025 followed by 20 three-hour sessions offered over 14 weeks from Saturday, May 10th to Sunday, August 17th, 2025. Classes are on Saturdays and Sundays. The program also includes optional Community Connection Sessions.
MODULE 1 - Introduction to Breathwork
Introduction to Fundamental Principles and Approach to Breath and Movement Trauma Therapy
Movement, Breath, and the Cultural Body
Foundational Techniques for Movement and Breath Trauma Therapy: Part 1
Foundational Techniques for Movement and Breath Trauma Therapy: Part 2
MODULE 2 - Breathing Techniques for Various Trauma Responses
Introduction to Breathwork and Trauma
Soothing, Resourcing & Grounding Practices For Breathwork & Trauma Healing
Breathwork, Emotional Release & Psychosomatic Opening
Dynamic Session Work & Integration in Breathwork for Trauma
MODULE 3 - Introduction to Movement
Movement Therapy and Trauma
Completing The Incomplete Trauma Responses
Expressive Arts for Trauma Resolution
Development Movement & Trauma
MODULE 4 - Movement Techniques for Various Trauma Responses
Movement and Non-Verbal Communication
Somatic Processing Skills
Trauma and Meaning-Making
Working with Shame and Pain
MODULE 5 - Breath as Movement
Integration of the Cultural Body
Practitioner Skills
Integration
WHO IS THIS PROGRAM FOR?
• Social Workers
• Mental Health & Pastoral Counselors
• Yoga Therapists / Yoga Teachers
• Movement Therapists
• Physicians (MD, DO, ND, DC & others) & Physician Assistants
• Coaches
• Nurses & Nurse Practitioners
• Psychologists
• Emergency Medical Personnel
• Meditation Teachers
• Massage Therapists & Body Workers
• Educators
• Acupuncturists
• Hypnotherapists
• Kinesiologists
• Complementary & Alternative Medicine Professionals
• Clergy & Religious Leaders
• Other Wellness Professionals
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
Assessing for readiness to engage in breath and movement work
Reading body cues for activation, deactivation and recuperation
Working with kinesthetic empathy
Identifying trauma breath patterns, including hyper and hypoventilation
Using breathwork for emotional access and release
Working with intrinsic movement impulses and patterns
Facilitating expressive movement in the context of trauma work
Identifying traumatic developmental gaps through movement
Understanding cultural movement patterns, norms, and taboos
Working with movement constriction as a trauma response
Identifying somatic transference and countertransference
PROGRAM DETAILS
PROGRAM SCHEDULE
This 60 hour certificate program will run live from Friday, May 9th to Sunday, August 17th, 2025. A detailed schedule will be provided when registering. All live sessions will be recorded and students may watch in their own time:
STUDENT ORIENTATION: Friday, May 9th, 2025 from 5 - 6:30pm ET
WEEKLY CLASSES: Saturday, May 10th through Sunday, August 17th, 2025. All weekly classes are on:
Saturdays from 10am - 1pm ET and 2 - 5 pm ET
Sundays from 10am - 1pm ET and 2 - 5 pm ET
OPTIONAL COMMUNITY CONNECTION SESSIONS:
Wednesday, May 28th, 2025 from 2:30 - 4pm ET
Wednesday, June 11th, 2025 from 1 - 2:30pm ET
Because of the complexities with international time zones, we have only listed Eastern Time (ET) above. Please check how this translates into your local Time Zone here.
HOMEWORK
There are no homework assignments during the program. Please see Certificate of Completion below for more information.
LEARNING PLATFORM FORMAT
ZOOM: The live portion of the certificate program will be offered online using the video conferencing platform Zoom, in meeting format, to allow instructors and students to interact, ask questions and participate in breakout sessions.
ONLINE LEARNING PLATFORM: The online learning platform will host all the information about the course including:
Detailed schedule and reminder emails of upcoming sessions
How to access via Zoom
All recordings will be available within 48 hours of the end of the live event.
Supporting materials such as PDFs of the reading material and presentations
ACCESSIBILITY
VIDEO / AUDIO: Within the online learning platform, students may watch the video within their online library or download the video or audio to their computer. They will have lifetime access to the content.
LIVE CAPTIONING / TRANSCRIPTS: Captioning during live sessions and transcripts will be offered in English.
READING LISTS: Each instructor will provide required or recommended readings.
Required readings will be available freely online or in PDF format.
Recommended readings are optional and for futher exploration. They may include books, online articles etc.
PDFs of the instructor’s presentation will also be provided.
CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION
Below are the requirements to receive the Certificate of Completion:
Attend the live sessions or watch the recordings
Complete the Self Evaluation
Submit full payment
REGISTRATION / ENROLLMENT / TUITION
Enroll for the certificate program by choosing one of the two payment options— full payment, or a two-month payment plan. A scaled pricing structure starting from $1027 for the Supported Plan to $1527 for the Rebalancing Plan.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
+ Who is this program designed for?
This program is a certification process that distills an educational methodology to integrate into a variety of modalities such as:
Social Workers, Mental Health & Pastoral Counselors, Yoga Therapists / Yoga Teachers, Movement Therapists, Coaches, Physicians (MD, DO, ND, DC & others) & Physician Assistants, Nurses & Nurse Practitioners, Psychologists, Emergency Medical Personnel, Meditation Teachers, Educators, Massage Therapists, Acupuncturists & Body Workers, Hypnotherapists, Kinesiologists, Complementary & Alternative Medicine Professionals, Clergy & Religious Leaders, other Wellness Professionals.
This is an education program and not a licenser program.
+ What are the dates, schedule and time commitment?
This 60-hour certificate program consists of of a Student Orientation session on Friday, May 9, 2025 followed by 20 three-hour sessions offered over 14 weeks from Saturday, May 10th to Sunday, August 17th, 2025. Classes are on Saturdays and Sundays. The program also includes optional Community Connections. A detailed schedule will be provided when registering.
STUDENT ORIENTATION
Friday, May 9th, 2025 from 5 - 6:30pm ET
WEEKLY CLASSES
Saturday, May 10th through Sunday, August 17th, 2025. All weekly classes are on:
- Saturdays from 10am - 1pm ET and 2 - 5 pm ET
- Sundays from 10am - 1pm ET and 2 - 5 pm ET
2 OPTIONAL COMMUNITY CONNECTION SESSIONS
- Wednesday, May 28th, 2025 from 2:30 - 4pm ET
- Wednesday, June 11th, 2025 from 1 - 2:30pm ET
+ Will there be an orientation session?
Yes, there will be an orientation session on Friday, May 9th, 2025 from 5 - 6:30pm ET.
+ Do I need to attend live or am I able to watch recordings?
All live sessions will also be recorded and students may watch in their own time (more information below). Please note, captioning is only available during live sessions.
+ How can I interact with the instructors? Will I receive guidance?
During each of the live sessions, the instructors will have a Q&A period where you may ask questions. Two community connections will also be offered with the faculty. A private online community forum will be provided for the certificate.
+ What are the homework requirements?
There are no homework assignments during the program.
+ Do you offer scholarships?
For every 200 enrolled students, we are able to offer:
- 10 Full Scholarships (100%)
- 10 Partial Scholarships (50%)
How to Apply:
- Please apply by end of day (11:59pm PT) on Friday, April 18th, 2025 by completing this Google form: https://forms.gle/G4aTezur4RhCXJT27
- For those who submit by the due date, scholarships will be communicated end of day (11:59pm PT) on Saturday, April 26th, 2025.
+ Is there a deadline for registration?
Registration is open until the day before the student orientation. Please enroll by Thursday, May 8th, 2025.
+ Do you offer refunds?
We offer a Registration Guarantee which means that if you register but decide the course isn’t right for you, we’ll refund your course fee - no questions asked - up to 48 hours before the course start date.
+ How can I access the online course and recordings?
ZOOM FOR LIVE SESSIONS: The live portion of the certificate program will be offered online using the video conferencing platform Zoom, in meeting format, to allow instructors and students to interact, ask questions and participate in breakout sessions.
ONLINE LEARNING PLATFORM: Once you register, you will receive access to our online learning platform which will include all the information about the certificate, including:
- Detailed schedules
- How to access the live sessions via Zoom
- Recordings of all live sessions uploaded within 48 hours of the end of the live session
- Supporting materials provided by your instructors
ACCESSIBILITY | Video / Audio: Within our online learning platform, you may watch the video within your online library or download the video or audio to your computer. You will have lifetime access to the content.
ACCESSIBILITY | Live Captioning / Transcripts: Captioning during live sessions and transcripts will be offered in English.
ACCESSIBILITY | Reading Lists: The reading list will include items available at the public library or will be provided as a PDF where possible. PDFs of the instructor’s presentation will also be provided.
+ Is this a summit?
No, this is an integrated curriculum co-created by the faculty. The faculty are colleagues in this program. They are working together to make sure each individual module is cohesive with the entire curriculum. Every teacher is informed about what is coming before and what is coming after and integrating their curriculum based on that information.
+ Is this a theoretical or practical (experiential) program?
While some theory will be presented to support the learning, the primary focus of the practice is experiential, giving practical tools for the participants.
+ Will I receive a certificate?
All students who complete the requirements below will receive a Certificate of Completion for the SOMATIC EMDR THERAPY program from The Embody Lab. The requirements to receive the Certificate are:
- Attend the live sessions or watch the recordings.
- Complete the Self Evaluation after each module.
- Dates to complete by November 17th, 2025 (3 months after the last live session).
- Submit full payment.
+ Will Continuing Education Units (CEUs) be offered?
CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
More information will be provided on the number of CEs available for this program and how to register. Please note - Live attendance is required.
To register your interest for CE credits for this program and more detailed information, please visit this link: https://forms.gle/76mwhjgG5vnzVw9BA
Below is more information on the health professionals which may be eligible for CEs through the Spiritual Competency Academy (SCA) which is co-sponsoring this program.
- CE credits for psychologists are provided by the Spiritual Competency Academy (SCA) which is sponsoring this program. The Spiritual Competency Academy is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Spiritual Competency Academy maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
- The California Board of Behavioral Sciences accepts CE credits for LCSW, LPCC, LEP, and LMFT license renewal for programs offered by sponsors of CE who are approved by the American Psychological Association.
- LCSW, LPCC, LEP and LMFTs, and other professionals from outside of California need to check with their state licensing board as to whether or not they accept credits from programs offered by approved sponsors of CE by the American Psychological Association.
- SCA is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN Provider CEP16887) for licensed nurses in California. RNs must retain their certificate of attendance for 4 years after the course concludes. Nurses outside of California must confirm acceptance with their licensing boards.
- For questions about your certificate or the content, logistics, or other support issues regarding this course, please contact The Embody Lab at info@theembodylab.com.
- For questions about whether APA CE is valid for you, contact your licensing board directly.
- For general questions about APA CE, contact SCA at ce@spiritualcompetencyacademy.com.
FROM A DIFFERENT STATE OR COUNTRY?
Health professionals from a state or country outside of California need to check with their licensing boards as to whether or not they accept programs offered by approved sponsors of Continuing Education by the American Psychological Association (APA).
DIFFERENT CREDENTIAL?
If your credential is not listed, please check with your licensing board as to whether or not they accept programs offered by approved sponsors of Continuing Education by the American Psychological Association (APA).
The SCA and The Embody Lab are not able to determine your eligibility.
YOUR
BONUS OFFER ✨
Register by March 30th to receive your bonus package valued at $494 for free!
PROGRAM REGISTRATION
THE PROGRAM BEGINS FRIDAY, MAY 9TH, 2025
CHOOSE YOUR PAYMENT OPTION BELOWWith great appreciation for Reverend angel Kyodo Williams who created this format of the sliding scale in the Embodied Social Justice Certificate program, we are continuing to offer a scaled pricing structure for this program.
The scaled pricing offers three options rather than one fixed price. This structure makes it possible for more people to access the program, supported by the community and those who have access to more resources. Your enrollment also helps us to add more scholarships. Please choose the option that feels appropriate to you and your circumstances.
Upon registration, you will receive a welcome email with details on how to access the program.
REBALANCING ACCESS
For those with more than enough financial resources and a desire to support access for others to help rebalance systemic inequity.
$1527 USD
TWO PAYMENTS OF $763.50
FAIR ACCESS
For those with sufficient financial resources and who can pay fair value for the experience.
$1227 USD
TWO PAYMENTS OF $613.50
SUPPORTED ACCESS
For those with currently limited financial resources who will benefit from access supplemented by the community.
$1027 USD
TWO PAYMENTS OF $513.50
BECOME A MEMBER OF THE EMBODY LAB FOR FREE & SAVE $50
Why wait for the information session? Our registration guarantee means that if you register but decide the course isn’t for you, we’ll refund you - no questions asked - up to 48 hours before the course start date.
