Lesson 1Resource and baseline assessment: internal resources, grounding anchors, social supports, body literacyThis section focuses on assessing internal and external resources, grounding capacity, social supports, and body literacy, establishing a baseline of resilience that informs pacing, titration, and choice of psychocorporal techniques.
Identifying internal strengths and coping skillsAssessing grounding and orienting capacityMapping social and community supportsEvaluating body awareness and interoceptionDetermining pacing and window of toleranceLesson 2Explaining psychocorporal therapy to clients: simple language, session flow, aims, expected sensationsThis section offers clear ways to explain psychocorporal therapy in simple language, including session flow, aims, likely sensations, and how clients can give feedback, reducing anxiety and fostering collaborative engagement.
Describing psychocorporal therapy in plain termsOutlining typical session structure and pacingNormalizing bodily sensations and emotionsClarifying roles, responsibilities, and limitsInviting questions and ongoing feedbackLesson 3Mapping somatic complaints: pain, tension patterns, breathing, posture, movement limitationsThis section teaches how to map somatic complaints in detail, including pain, tension, breathing, posture, and movement limits, to build a nuanced body profile that guides safe, targeted psychocorporal interventions.
Pain mapping and intensity tracking toolsIdentifying chronic tension and holding patternsAssessing breathing style and restrictionsObserving posture and alignment habitsTesting range of motion and movement limitsLesson 4Practical session agreements: clothing, private space, breaks, safe words/signals, session terminationThis section clarifies practical agreements that create safety and predictability in body-based sessions, including clothing choices, privacy, breaks, safe signals, and how to collaboratively pause or end sessions when needed.
Negotiating clothing and use of blanketsSetting up a private, interruption-free spacePlanning breaks and hydration pausesEstablishing safe words and nonverbal signalsCollaborative criteria for pausing or endingLesson 5Boundaries and consent for touch and body interventions: types of touch, explicit consent process, opt-out statements, consent documentationThis section defines ethical boundaries and consent for touch and body interventions, detailing types of touch, explicit consent procedures, opt-out language, documentation, and how to repair ruptures when boundaries feel strained.
Clarifying scope and limits of touchExplaining each proposed touch interventionUsing explicit consent and opt-out phrasesOngoing check-ins and micro-consentDocumenting consent and boundary incidentsLesson 6Intake structure for 1–2 sessions: consent, rapport, presenting problems, somatic symptomsThis section outlines a focused intake structure for the first one to two sessions, integrating consent, rapport building, presenting problems, and systematic exploration of somatic symptoms relevant to psychocorporal treatment planning.
Opening the session and informed consentBuilding rapport and therapeutic allianceClarifying presenting problems and goalsExploring somatic symptoms and body historyPrioritizing focus for early interventionsLesson 7Risk screening protocols: suicidal ideation, self-harm, dissociation, medical red flags and referral criteriaThis section presents structured screening for suicide risk, self-harm, dissociation, and medical red flags, and clarifies when and how to pause body work, seek consultation, or refer clients for higher levels of care.
Suicidal ideation and self-harm questionsScreening for dissociation and psychosisIdentifying medical and neurological red flagsUsing structured risk scales and checklistsReferral pathways and emergency planningLesson 8Confidentiality, mandatory reporting, and coordination with other providersThis section explains how to uphold confidentiality while honouring legal duties for mandatory reporting, and how to coordinate ethically with other providers through releases, shared plans, and clear communication boundaries.
Explaining confidentiality and its limitsMandatory reporting laws and thresholdsObtaining and documenting client releasesCoordinating with medical and mental health teamsSharing information while minimizing intrusionLesson 9Comprehensive history collection: developmental, attachment, trauma, medical, sleep, substance use, medicationsThis section guides comprehensive history taking, covering developmental, attachment, trauma, medical, sleep, and substance use factors, to understand how life events shape current body patterns and inform treatment planning.
Developmental and family-of-origin historyAttachment patterns and key relationshipsTrauma exposure and protective factorsMedical, sleep, and medication overviewSubstance use and behavioral risk review
