Integrative somatic studies institute
Move ~ Breathe ~ Feel ~ Heal ~ Learn
Training Overview
Integrative Somatic Studies Institute offers continuing education and professional development training in Integrative Somatic Therapy Practice (ISTP)™. Continuing Education Credits are offered through the Canadian Counselling & Psychotherapy Association, CCPA. Our training is designed to engage multisensory learning to enhance the learning process of adults. Learning involves integration of visual, auditory, kinesthetic and tactile experiences; attuning to different parts of the brain that are beneficial for adults with unique learning experiences.
Integrative Somatic Therapy Practice (ISTP)™ is a body-centered soul-based Psychotherapy model for healing trauma. This approach to healing is grounded in a humanistic and relational insight to recovery with an understanding of both the emotional and psychological aspects of human behavious. Informed by research, ISTP™ integrates innovations in Yoga & Bodywork, Mindfulness Practice, Embody Resilience, Breathwork, Sound Healing, Ceremony, Bioenergetic Unwinding™, Ancestral Medicine, Somatic Processing/ Integration, and neuroscience. Through a comprehensive and integrative approach to body-inclusive healing, our students learn skills applications aim at reducing PTSD-anxiety symptoms, promote body-mind-emotion self regulation and integration for optimal personal, relational health and well-being. Come and enhance your clinical practice by learning to apply skills used in an Integrative Somatic Therapy Practice (ISTP)™ to help clients self-regulate emotional distress, manage physiological symptoms, experience self-efficacy, and build resilience. Certification is completed within 15 months.
ISTP™ CERTIFICATION CONSISTS OF 3 PROGESSIVE LEVELS:
LEVEL 1: Fundamentals of Trauma Recovery: A two month online Course Study on theories and fundamentals of trauma recovery and somatic psychotherapeutic approaches. This foundational self-study course is the prerequisite for Level 2 training and level 3 certification in ISTP™. As a foundational course, Level 1 does not provide students with practical skills to support client’s recovery. Skills-based practice is reserved for Levels 2 and 3 trainings. A 25 CE Credit is provided by the Canadian Counselling & Psychotherapy Association (CCPA) for level 1 course study. TUITION $545.00 CAD. For more information & Registration, view HERE
LEVEL 2 (Component 1): Integrative Somatic Therapy Practice : A 6-month training consisting of online course study and 5 days experiential training [2 days online through live webinar + 3 days in-person] in Vancouver, BC Canada. Level 2 provides students with competencies to apply core skills used in ISTP™. Level 2 training also includes a minimum 22 hours to maximum 44-hours of documented practice (practicum) + 6 clinical group consultations and mentorships. A 130 CE Credit is provided through CCPA. Accepting 10 to maximum 14 students/year. TUITION $2,701.13 CAD. Fees for group mentorship and accommodations for the 3 days in person training are not included in tuition. For more information & Registration view HERE
LEVEL 2 (Component 2): Integrative Somatic Bodywork 150-HR. A 6-month Training in Somatic Bodywork to be taken in tandem with component 1 training. This training is essential in learning how to integrate touch skills in somatic psychotherapy as best practice in trauma recovery. thus, there will be no exemptions given to students with previous trainings in yoga and bodywork. This training includes online course study + 3 days in person training. A 150-Hrs training in component 2 can be applied towards Registrations as a Bodywork Practitioner with Namasta (USA), or NHPC (Canada). Upon completion of components 1 and 2, you may refer yourself as Trained in ISTP™ OR ISTP™ Trained. Full Tuition $4095.00 CAD. For more information & Registration, view HERE. Level 2 Certification requires completion of both Component 1 and Component 2.
LEVEL 3: Integrative Somatic Breathwork A 5-month training in Integrative Somatic Breathwork. This is in an intensive 7-day in person training retreat on Vancouver Island, BC Canada. This experiential training consist of online Course Study + 7 days in person experiential training, a minimum of 50-HR of Documented Practice and 5 group clinical supervision with Ratha Chek. Accepting maximum 12 students. TUITION $4,216 CAD. Accommodation and meals not included in tuition fee. For more information & Registration view HERE
REFUND POLICY: Integrative Somatic Studies Institute does not issue refund for online materials once course is purchased. All rights reserved
CEREMONY is an essential part of Integrative Somatic Therapy Practice. We believe that physical and spiritual health are intimately connected: Body and spirit must heal together. Traditional healing ceremonies promote wellness by reflecting on ancient cultural conceptions of Spirit, Creator, and the Universe. They can include prayer, chants, drumming, songs, stories, and the use of a variety of sacred objects. To begin with, ceremonies or rituals connect us to the past and provide stability for the future. As we remember what has gone before, we are comforted by those memories to strengthen our present. In our trainings, a ceremony is offered to gather students together in community. We come together, support each other, and embrace unity in healing & learning.
Training Suitable for
- Counsellors, Psychotherapists, Social Workers
- Psychologists, Nurse Practitioners
- Mental Health Workers, Holistic Practitioners
- Yoga Therapists, Registered Bodyworkers
- First Responders, Personal coaches
NEW ADMISSION CRITERIA 2026
Integrative Somatic Studies Institute does not serve as a licensing or accrediting body thus, trainings in Integrative Somatic Therapy Practice are intended for continuing education and are not designed as entry-level education for those new to the mental health field or whose professional focus may not be mental health. Our trainings build on existing knowledge and skills in mental health care thus, providing advanced education rather than foundational training. Many of our students are existing clinicians and practitioners in mental health who integrate ISTP™ into their current professional practice.
ISTP™ Level 1, 2, and 3 Trainings are specifically designed to prepare mental health professionals and wellness practitioners (personal coaches, yoga therapists, registered bodyworkers) with specialized skills required to competently apply ISTP™ in their professional practices. Our priority is to ensure that ISTP™ is practiced within legal and regulatory guidelines for mental health professionals.
Admission to ISTP™ Training
Our admissions policy reinforces our role in providing specialized continuing education. Trainings are designed for those who qualified and legally credentialed to work in a mental health, health and wellness professions. Those enrolled in level 1 prior to March 2025 are grandfathered into the program and encouraged to apply for admission.
Our admissions policy clarifies requirements of ISTP™ training and supports the ethical practice of those we train. This new requirement aligns with the specific learning objectives and professional standards required for clinical and mental health practice using the ISTP™ model.
Diversity/Inclusion
We are a Pro-Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion by providing both payment plans and scholarships (based on financial needs). Additionally, trainings in ISTP™ are eligible for the CANADA JOB GRANT which covers up to 80% of tuition for students living in Vancouver British Columbia, Canada.
Trauma impedes instincts; innate human responses to threat and danger. Foundational to the healing of trauma in ISTP™ is a return to primal instincts. Healing & Recovery therefore requires a returning a reclamation of organic impulses; AUTHENTIC HUMAN NEEDS THAT MAKE US WHOLE! .
WHAT MAKES ISTP™ Unique Compared to Other Somatic Therapy Practices?
ISTP™ integrates top-down approach with 8 trauma-informed bottom-up practices into one cohesive whole for healing trauma. These practices include:
- MINDFULNESS,
- BREATHWORK
- YOGA & SOMATIC BODYWORK
- EMBODIED RESILIENCE
- SOUND HEALING
- CEREMONY
- BIOENERGETIC UNWINDING
- ANCESTRAL MEDECINE
- PROCESSING & INTEGRATION
The institute offers small and intimate training groups with a a minimum of 12 to maximum 20 participants.
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Faculty Trainers & Clinical Supervisors
Our Faculty Trainers & Clinical Supervisors come from diverse professional and educational backgrounds including Registered Clinical Counsellors Social Workers, Psychotherapist, Yoga Therapist and Bodyworker.
Arshdeep Sandhu
MCP, RSW
Myrika Gonnard
Pilates Instructor, C-ISTP™
Nicole James
BSW, RSW
Louise McCormick, BSW
Level 1 Student Academic Support
In ISTP™, we work with repressed emotions.
The more we move, the more we breathe, the more we breathe, the more we FEEL Dance is one way of releasing feelings of shame ~ Ratha Chek