Introduction to Somatic Experiencing®
Basic Principles of a Nervous System–Based Approach to Trauma and Stress
Much of human behaviour, stress, and suffering is shaped by unconscious nervous system patterns formed in response to overwhelm. Somatic Experiencing® training invites professionals to slow down, attune to the body’s signals, and learn how regulation, safety, and choice can be restored through physiological awareness.
PREPARATION FOR:
Introduction to Somatic Experiencing®
This introductory course offers a clear and accessible entry point into Somatic Experiencing® (SE), a body-based approach to understanding and working with trauma and chronic stress. It is suitable for professionals and interested individuals who want to learn how trauma affects the nervous system and how regulation supports healing.
Completion of this introductory course is required for entry into the Somatic Experiencing® Professional Training. It provides the foundational context needed to make an informed decision about continuing into the multi-year training program.
Duration: 2 Days
- May 23-24, 2026
- November 14-15, 2026
This course is delivered online as a live, interactive learning experience, combining teaching, demonstration, and experiential participation. Emphasis is placed on embodied understanding rather than intellectual knowledge alone.
The learning environment is supportive, inclusive, and appropriate for participants with varying levels of prior experience.
By participating in this introductory program, you will:
- Gain an overview of the foundational concepts that inform Somatic Experiencing® and its professional training pathway
- Develop an understanding of how the nervous system responds to stress and overwhelming experiences
- Learn a simple, practical SE-based exercise that can be applied immediately
- Observe live demonstrations and engage in guided experiential exercises
- Receive clear information about the structure, requirements, and progression of the full SE Professional Training
This introductory course is suitable for:
- Therapists, counsellors, and mental health professionals
- Coaches, educators, and helping professionals
- Healthcare and wellness practitioners
- Individuals interested in trauma-informed, body-based approaches
- No prior experience with Somatic Experiencing® is required.
This introductory offering provides a foundation in Somatic Experiencing® and serves as the entry point to the professional training pathway.
Trauma is not what happens to us, but what we hold inside in the absence of an empathetic witness.
Peter A. Levine
Somatic Experiencing ®
Faculty
Mahshid F. Hager
Over the past 10 years, I have assisted SE trainings at all levels with several faculty members as well as multiple post-advanced Master Classes with Dr. Peter Levine. This has deepened my understanding of the SE frame work and has prepared me well for my role as a teacher and for creating a classroom that is inclusive and welcoming to all students.
My professional career has spanned 20+ years and included working for various non-profit organizations, offering therapeutic services to school aged children and their families, providing trauma healing treatment to clients from all walks of life in my private practice, and volunteering for non-profit organizations in San Diego that offer resources to incoming refugees. I am originally from Tehran, Iran and the plight of the refugee population is near and dear to my heart. My family fled to Germany after the Iranian Revolution and a few years into the Iran/Iraq war. After high school, I immigrated to San Diego, where I now reside with my husband and two sons.
Pedro Prado
Pedro Prado is a Brazilian native. He graduated with a degree in clinical psychology in 1971 and worked and taught body oriented psychotherapy, in a neo-Reichian somatic approach. In 1981 he got trained as a Rolfer and added the Structural Integration perspective into his practice. He was the first Rolfer® in Brazil and dedicated himself to making Rolfing® available in his country. Pedro founded the Brazilian Association of Rolfers, and became an Advanced Rolfing and Rolf Movement Instructor for the Rolf® Institute, in Boulder Colorado (USA), where he has been teaching since 1991.
In 2000 the Brazilian Association of Rolfers hosted Peter A. Levine and Pedro followed his inquires into the somatic dimension of the psyche, incorporating SE into his practice, and eventually becoming an faculty member for Somatic Experiencing International, where he’s been teaching Beginning and Intermediate levels since 2005. Pedro developed a methodology named “Structural Stretches” that integrates the Structural work and the SE approach. Pedro currently maintains a private clinical practice and teaches SE and Rolfing. In 2006 Pedro received a PhD in Psychosomatics.
Reserve your spot today
If you are interested in developing a deeper, nervous system–informed approach to working with trauma and stress, this training will guide that process.
Whether you are exploring whether Somatic Experiencing® is the right fit for your work, seeking clarity about the training pathway, or ready to begin the program, we are here to assist you. Please complete the form below and a member of our team will be in touch to share further details, respond to your questions, and support you in taking the next step.