Integrative somatic studies institute
Move ~ Breathe ~ Feel ~ Heal
Training Overview
Integrative Somatic Studies Institute offers continuing education and professional development in Integrative Somatic Therapy Practice (ISTP)™. Continuing Education Credits are available through the Canadian Counselling & Psychotherapy Association (CCPA). Our training engages multisensory learning to support adult education through the integration of visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile experience.
Integrative Somatic Therapy Practice (ISTP)™ is a body-centred, spiritually grounded psychotherapy approach for trauma healing. Rooted in humanistic, relational, and spiritual perspectives, it addresses both the emotional and psychological dimensions of recovery.
Informed by research, ISTP™ integrates a range of therapeutic practices to address emotional and physical pain. These include restorative postures and somatic bodywork, mindfulness, resilience-building, breathwork and Bioenergetic Unwinding™, sound healing, ceremony, ancestral reverence, processing and integration, and neuroscience. Through this comprehensive body-centred approach, students learn skills that support trauma recovery, emotional regulation, resilience, and greater personal and relational well-being.
Enhance your practice by learning how to apply ISTP™ skills to support clients in regulating emotional distress, managing physiological symptoms, strengthening self-efficacy, and building resilience. Certification is completed within 18 months to 2 years.
The institute offers intimate training circles of 10 to 14 participants, creating a supportive and connected space for deeper learning.
ISTP™ CERTIFICATION CONSISTS OF 3 PROGESSIVE LEVELS:
LEVEL 1: Fundamentals of Trauma Recovery is a two-month online course offers a grounding in the essential teachings and guiding principles of trauma recovery and somatic psychotherapy. Designed as a self-paced journey, it serves as the prerequisite for Level 2 training and Level 3 ISTP™ certification. As an introductory level, it focuses on building a strong foundation rather than hands-on client recovery skills, which are cultivated more deeply in Levels 2 and 3. The Canadian Counselling & Psychotherapy Association (CCPA) awards 25 CE credits for completing Level 1. Tuition: CAD 545. For more information and admission details, view HERE.
LEVEL 2 (Components 1 & 2 ): Integrative Somatic Therapy Practice is a nine-month program that invites students into a deeper embodiment of ISTP™ through self-paced online study, five days of live interactive webinar training and mentorship, and five days of in-person immersion in Vancouver, BC, Canada. It is designed to cultivate the core competencies needed to bring ISTP™ skills into practice with greater presence, sensitivity, and integration. The training also includes 40 hours of documented practicum experience. CCPA awards 130 CE credits for this program. Enrollment is limited to 10 to 14 students per year. Tuition for online training CAD $2,850. Tuition for immersion training CAD $3,850. Accommodation and meals are not included in tuition fees. For more information and registration, view HERE.
LEVEL 2 (Component 3): Integrative Somatic Bodywork 150-H is a six month somatic bodywork training to be completed alongside Component 2 and offers a deeper journey into touch as a sacred, skillful support within somatic psychotherapy and trauma recovery. It invites students to cultivate embodied presence, sensitivity, and integrity in the therapeutic use of touch. Because of the program’s specific integrative requirements, exemptions are not available for students with prior yoga or bodywork training. The program includes online course study and three days of in-person immersion training. This 150-hour training may count toward registration as a Bodywork Practitioner with Namasta (USA) or NHPC (Canada). After completing Components 1, 2, & 3, you may refer to yourself as ISTP™ Trained or Trained in ISTP™. Full tuition: CAD 4,095.00. For more information and registration, view HERE.
LEVEL 3: Integrative Somatic Breathwork is a five-month journey centered on an intensive seven-day in-person immersive retreat training on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. This training invites students into a deeper exploration of breath as a pathway for healing, embodiment, and transformation. It includes online course study, seven days of experiential in-person training, at least 50 hours of documented practice, and five group clinical consultation and mentorship sessions. Enrollment is limited to 12 students. Tuition: CAD 4,326. Accommodation and meals are not included in tuition fee. For more information and registration, view HERE.
Training Suitable for
- Counsellors, Psychotherapists, Social Workers
- Personal Coaches, Nurse Practitioners
- Mental Health Workers, Holistic Practitioners
- Yoga Therapists, Registered Bodyworkers
- First Responders, Energy Healers
REFUND POLICY: Integrative Somatic Studies Institute does not issue refund for online materials once course is purchased. All rights reserved
Trauma disrupts the body’s natural instincts—our innate responses to threat and danger. In ISTP™, healing begins with a return to these primal instincts. Recovery is a process of reclaiming the body’s organic impulses and the authentic human needs that restore wholeness
What Gives ISTP™ Its Unique Healing Essence?
ISTP™ weaves together nine trauma-informed, bottom-up healing practices into one integrated path of somatic transformation. These include:
- Mindfulness as sacred presence
- Breathwork as a gateway to healing
- Somatic Bodywork as embodied support
- Embodied Resilience as inner steadiness
- Sound Healing as vibrational restoration
- Ceremony as intentional practice
- Ancestral Reverence as connection to lineage
- Bioenergetic Unwinding as energetic release
- Processing and Integration as grounded transformation
The institute offers intimate training circles of 10 to 14 participants, creating a supportive and connected space for deeper learning.
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.
ADMISSION CRITERIA: Integrative Somatic Studies Institute is not a licensing or accrediting body. For this reason, ISTP™ training is offered as continuing education for those who are already rooted in the mental health or wellness fields, rather than as entry-level preparation. These programs are intended to deepen, refine, and build upon existing knowledge and clinical skills, offering advanced training than foundation instruction. Many of our students are established clinicians, coaches, and mental health practitioners who feel called to weave ISTP™ into the scope of their existing professional practice.
ISTP™ Levels 1, 2, and 3 are designed to support mental health and wellness professionals—including personal coaches, yoga therapists, and registered bodyworkers—in deepening the specialized skills needed to bring ISTP™ into their work with greater presence, care, and integrity. Our intention is to support the ethical, legal, and professionally aligned application of ISTP™ in practice.
Admission to ISTP™ Training: Our admissions policy reflects our role as a provider of specialized continuing education. These trainings are intended for individuals who are qualified and legally credentialed to practice in mental health, health, or wellness professions. Students who enrolled in Level 1 before March 2025 are grandfathered into the program and remain eligible to apply for admission.
This policy offers clear guidance for admission into ISTP™ training and helps uphold the ethical integrity of those we serve. It is rooted in the program’s learning intentions and in the professional standards that support responsible clinical and mental health practice within the ISTP™ model.
join us On Youtube
View HERE
Faculty Trainers & Clinical Consultants
Our faculty trainers and clinical consultants bring together a rich tapestry of professional and educational backgrounds, including registered clinical counsellors, social worker, yoga therapist, and bodyworkers.
Arshdeep Sandhu
MCP, RSW
Myrika Gonnard
Pilates Instructor, C-ISTP™
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