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CAREER COUNSELOR
Somatic psychotherapist
Question: I am a great listener and think I give good advice to friends, so I have considered becoming a psychotherapist. Also, I have been doing yoga for the last five years, and have come to believe there is a very strong mind-body connection. I am interested in pursuing a career in therapy using this mind-body perspective, and was told that I should consider somatic psychology. Can you tell me more about what somatic psychology is and what somatic psychologists do as well as what training I would need?
— Emma
Response: If you are interested in helping others by doing therapy using the mind-body connection, then somatic psychology could be a good fit for you. It is seen as an alternative to traditional talk therapy. With the rise in interest in fitness and health, this modality is becoming more popular.
Essential to the field of somatic psychology is the assumption that both health and illness are unified states within us, and that our health and happiness occur when our thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations all work together to shape our behavior.
The field of somatic psychology is varied. Practitioners are often trained in movement or dance therapy, bodywork, physical or occupational therapy, martial arts, and other movement therapies before they take on the rigorous training of becoming a body-centered psychotherapist.
The somatic psychology curriculum emphasizes study and research within fields of biopsychology, and psycho-neurobiology, energy medicine, and prenatal and perinatal psychology. It is useful for prospective students to have some experience with such somatic methods as Feldenkrais, Alexander Technique, bioenergetics, Rolfing, Shiatsu massage, acupuncture, martial arts, dance, yoga or meditation.
To practice as a somatic psychotherapist in California, you will first need to complete a Master's degree in psychology or marriage and family therapy. While engaging in the clinical supervised hours to become licensed as a Marriage Family Therapist (MFT), you can complete a certificate program that is specific to somatic psychotherapy.
For more information on licensing requirements and MFT training programs, refer to my May 6, 2005 article on Marriage and Family Therapists.
Master's Degree Program
The master's program includes 88 total units of coursework, 150 hours of clinical training, and takes approximately two years to complete. By the end of the first year all somatic psychology graduate students must have completed a certificate in massage therapy or other course of study that includes education in human anatomy, physiology and the quality of touch. The cost of tuition is $13,400 per year for the Clinical Psychology M.A.
Certificate Programs in Somatic Psychology
The program is derived from graduate-level classes and provides experiential learning, current theory, and practical applications. To enroll you must first complete the online application. In addition to the class tuition paid to Esalen, a certificate fee of $70 per course is payable to SBGI on the first day of each course segment.
The program is composed of six five-day courses (Sunday evening 8:30 p.m. to Friday 11:30 a.m. for a total of 25 instructional hours) at Esalen. The cost for each five-day workshop is $585. The total cost of this certificate program would be approximately $3,930. The segments are offered approximately every four months with the entire program being presented in approximately two years.
Professionals can be awarded the IBP Certified Teacher designation by completing an additional 400 teacher training hours. An IBP Certificate of Completion is awarded allied professionals who complete 200 training hours plus 50 hours of IBP psychotherapy with a Certified IBP Training Practitioner.
The fee is $3,400 per year, plus $100 deposit is required with application and is applied to tuition. This certificate program takes three years to complete, and costs approximately $10,000
Professional Association
Student membership is $50 per year. Affiliate membership is $75 per year for those interested in body psychotherapy that are not practitioners. Associate membership is $125 per year. Clinical membership is $150 per year.
Earnings
Entry-level clinical therapists, such as somatic psychotherapists, in the Los Angeles area earn from $32,00 to $42,000 per year.
Susan W. Miller, M.A., is a National Certified Career Counselor, a Certified Vocational Evaluation Specialist and holds diplomate status on the American Board of Vocational Experts. She heads California Career Services, a private practice career counseling firm in Los Angeles.
E-mail career questions you'd like answered in this column to info@californiacareerservices.com or visit California Career Services at www.californiacareerservices.com.
— Emma
Response: If you are interested in helping others by doing therapy using the mind-body connection, then somatic psychology could be a good fit for you. It is seen as an alternative to traditional talk therapy. With the rise in interest in fitness and health, this modality is becoming more popular.
Essential to the field of somatic psychology is the assumption that both health and illness are unified states within us, and that our health and happiness occur when our thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations all work together to shape our behavior.
The field of somatic psychology is varied. Practitioners are often trained in movement or dance therapy, bodywork, physical or occupational therapy, martial arts, and other movement therapies before they take on the rigorous training of becoming a body-centered psychotherapist.
The somatic psychology curriculum emphasizes study and research within fields of biopsychology, and psycho-neurobiology, energy medicine, and prenatal and perinatal psychology. It is useful for prospective students to have some experience with such somatic methods as Feldenkrais, Alexander Technique, bioenergetics, Rolfing, Shiatsu massage, acupuncture, martial arts, dance, yoga or meditation.
To practice as a somatic psychotherapist in California, you will first need to complete a Master's degree in psychology or marriage and family therapy. While engaging in the clinical supervised hours to become licensed as a Marriage Family Therapist (MFT), you can complete a certificate program that is specific to somatic psychotherapy.
For more information on licensing requirements and MFT training programs, refer to my May 6, 2005 article on Marriage and Family Therapists.
Master's Degree Program
- Santa Barbara Graduate Institute (SBGI)
- Phone: 805-963-6896
- Fax: 805-965-7010
- 525 E. Micheltorena St., Suite 205
- Santa Barbara, CA 93103
- www.sbgi.edu
- Fax: 805-965-7010
The master's program includes 88 total units of coursework, 150 hours of clinical training, and takes approximately two years to complete. By the end of the first year all somatic psychology graduate students must have completed a certificate in massage therapy or other course of study that includes education in human anatomy, physiology and the quality of touch. The cost of tuition is $13,400 per year for the Clinical Psychology M.A.
Certificate Programs in Somatic Psychology
- Santa Barbara Graduate Institute (SBGI)
- Phone: 805-963-6896
- Fax: 805-965-7010
- 525 E. Micheltorena St., Suite 205
- Santa Barbara, CA 93103
- www.sbgi.edu
- Fax: 805-965-7010
The program is derived from graduate-level classes and provides experiential learning, current theory, and practical applications. To enroll you must first complete the online application. In addition to the class tuition paid to Esalen, a certificate fee of $70 per course is payable to SBGI on the first day of each course segment.
The program is composed of six five-day courses (Sunday evening 8:30 p.m. to Friday 11:30 a.m. for a total of 25 instructional hours) at Esalen. The cost for each five-day workshop is $585. The total cost of this certificate program would be approximately $3,930. The segments are offered approximately every four months with the entire program being presented in approximately two years.
- Rosenberg's Integrative Body Psychotherapy (IBP) Central Institute
- 1551 Ocean Ave., #230
- Santa Monica, CA 90401
- Phone: (310) 395-2117
- Fax: (310) 395-1313
- email: info@ibponline.com
- Santa Monica, CA 90401
Professionals can be awarded the IBP Certified Teacher designation by completing an additional 400 teacher training hours. An IBP Certificate of Completion is awarded allied professionals who complete 200 training hours plus 50 hours of IBP psychotherapy with a Certified IBP Training Practitioner.
The fee is $3,400 per year, plus $100 deposit is required with application and is applied to tuition. This certificate program takes three years to complete, and costs approximately $10,000
Professional Association
- United States Association for Body Psychotherapy
- www.usabp.org
- usabp@usabp.org
Student membership is $50 per year. Affiliate membership is $75 per year for those interested in body psychotherapy that are not practitioners. Associate membership is $125 per year. Clinical membership is $150 per year.
Earnings
Entry-level clinical therapists, such as somatic psychotherapists, in the Los Angeles area earn from $32,00 to $42,000 per year.
— • —
Susan W. Miller, M.A., is a National Certified Career Counselor, a Certified Vocational Evaluation Specialist and holds diplomate status on the American Board of Vocational Experts. She heads California Career Services, a private practice career counseling firm in Los Angeles.
E-mail career questions you'd like answered in this column to info@californiacareerservices.com or visit California Career Services at www.californiacareerservices.com.
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