Trauma is held in body and mind alike, so somatic approaches are central to deep, lasting healing. This workshop gives mental health professionals a broad understanding of how to bring body-based interventions into trauma therapy.
Participants study how trauma and the nervous system work together, learning how trauma upsets physiological regulation and how somatic work restores balance. The course introduces key evidence-based somatic approaches: Somatic Experiencing (SE), Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, applications of Polyvagal Theory and breathwork. Hands-on exercises, case studies and group discussion give clinicians practical skills for adding somatic healing to practice and helping trauma survivors reach regulation, resilience and integration.
Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to
- Explain the impact of trauma on the body and nervous system regulation.
- Identify common somatic symptoms of trauma and their connection to autonomic dysregulation.
- Utilize body-based interventions such as grounding, breathwork, movement, and interoceptive awareness to support trauma recovery.
- Apply principles of Polyvagal Theory to help clients move from survival states to safety and connection.
Syllabus:
Introduction
Objective #1: Explain trauma’s impact on the nervous system
- Overview of trauma and the autonomic hierarchy (sympathetic, dorsal, and ventral states)
- Understanding the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex in trauma processing
- Neuroception and the body’s detection of safety or threat (Porges, 2018)
- Recognizing somatic manifestations: chronic tension, GI distress, shallow breathing, and dissociation
- Experiential: Body Scan Awareness Exercise
Objective #2: Identify somatic symptoms of trauma and autonomic dysregulation
- Signs of hyperarousal vs. hypoarousal in clinical presentation
- Mapping the autonomic ladder and “window of tolerance”
- Differentiating body-based flashbacks from cognitive rumination
- Assessing cues of safety vs. cues of threat
- Experiential: Polyvagal Breathing and Regulation Practice
Objective #3: Utilize body-based interventions to support trauma regulation
- Introduction to core somatic models: Somatic Experiencing (Levine, 2015), Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (Ogden & Fisher, 2019), and Hakomi principles
- Working with pendulation, titration, and interoception/exteroception
- Guided grounding and movement interventions
- Boundary repair and empowerment exercises (e.g., arm press, rooting through feet)
- Clinical vignette – Using micro-movement and breath to restore presence
Objective #4: Apply Polyvagal principles and co regulation in clinical practice
- Co-regulation as precursor to self-regulation
- The therapist’s nervous system as a regulatory model
- Incorporating breathwork, posture, and voice tone in session pacing
- Ethical considerations: consent, touch, and cultural sensitivity
- Experiential: Guided Roots of Safety Visualization
Objective #5: Integrate somatic and cognitive modalities in trauma treatment
- Combining CBT, EMDR, and hypnosis with somatic tracking
- Using body metaphors (waves, armor, roots) to translate sensation into meaning
- Incorporating movement and bilateral stimulation for emotional flow
- Case vignette – Reconnecting with body awareness before trauma narrative
Summary/Q&A
Social workers completing this course receive 3 Clinical asynchronous continuing education credits.
For other board approvals, this course qualifies for 3 Clinical continuing education training.
Instructor: Samantha Silverberg-Stout, M.A., L.P.C.
Recording Date: November 1, 2025
CEUS On-Demand, LLC, provider #2274, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 08/7/2026 - 08/6/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 3hrs Clinical continuing education credits.
CEUs On-Demand, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7091. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CEUs On-Demand, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
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Request for Special Accommodations: Learners can request special accommodations by contacting the administrative team at admin@ceus-ondemand.com