Graduation Requirements

To graduate, students must successfully complete all coursework (classroom and homework), fulfill all financial obligations and merit a testimony of character and skill from the director, faculty and peers. Graduates sign a contract with GRDGS promising to stay in contact once yearly to update their listing on the Directory, to join one professional organization which offers ethical guidelines for practice and to use the appropriate language for Global Somatics™ in all their publicity.

Competency Demonstration

For certification as a practitioner of Global Somatics™, students must demonstrate competency in the following areas:

1. Experiential Anatomy of Global Somatics™ based in the maps and approaches of several somatic modalities, primarily the Body-Mind Centering® Approach

• Understand the anatomy and physiology of the Body Systems: Skeletal, Organ, Fluids, Ligamentous, Muscle, Endocrine, Nervous, Vocal, Cellular and Energy
• Embodiment of the body’s systems and their interrelationships through vibration, breath, movement, touch, sound, art, ceremony and psychophysical awareness
• Understand the Vibrational Aspects™ model of the Subtle Energy Bodies and Chakra System
• Embodiment of the Vibrational Aspects through vibration, breath, movement, touch, sound, art, ceremony and psychophysical awareness

2. Movement Education

• Ability to perceive and initiate movement from all of the body’s systems
• Understanding of the Developmental Movement Patterns and their corresponding Reflexes, Righting Reactions and Equilibrium Responses
• Ability to perform the Developmental Movement Patterns with support from different body systems in formal sequences and improvised movement
• Application of the Developmental Movement Patterns and Body Systems to movement modalities including but not limited to Authentic Movement, Laban Movement Analysis, Contact Improvisation, Modern Dance, Yoga and Sports

3. Movement Repatterning

• Understand the theory and process of movement repatterning.
• Ability to facilitate movement repatterning based on embodiment of the Body’s Systems and Developmental Movement Patterns
• Ability to use one’s body as a grounded, self-referring and transformative instrument while facilitating repatterning Ability to use touch, demonstration, movement, active perception, voice, energy work and verbal dialogue in movement repatterning
• Ability to create appropriate movement exercises for specific training

4. Intentional Touch and Repatterning

• Understand the theory and process of Intentional Touch
• Embody authenticity as a practitioner – demonstrating presence, resonance, intuition, knowledge and experience
• Ability to apply principles and techniques that express the functioning of each particular body system, the developmental movement patterns and the vibrational field
• Ability to analyze a syndrome or health difficulty in the language of experiential anatomy
• Ability to use one’s body as a grounding, self-referring and transformative instrument while touching
• Ability to create safe space and clear boundaries

5. Vocalization and Verbal Communication

• Embodiment of the voice with ability to initiate sound from all of the body systems and to listen to both tone and silence
• Practice of aligning verbal communication with non-verbal, cellular dialogue
• Practice of the ongoing dialogue with respect, permission and ongoing articulation of the Global Somatics™ process
• Exposure to a variety of counseling methods including Active Listening, the Option Method™, LearningMethods™ and community council

6. Expressive Arts and Ceremony

• Understanding of the appropriate use of the expressive arts (visual art, singing, writing, theatre and dance) and ceremony to facilitate the psychophysical process
• Practice in authentic visual art, singing, writing, performance and ceremony as keys to the perceptual process

7. Assessment Skills

• Understand and explore the purpose and process of assessment for self, in personal relationships, with clients and students
• Practice assessments from a multi-systems and developmental perspective
• Practice assessment using the reference of the Natural Body, the Perceptual-Response Cycle, Expressive/Shadow systems and Vibrational Aspects™ listening

8. Professionalism

• Understand and demonstrate the ethics and responsibilities of being a professional in somatic education and therapy
• Demonstrate the ability to create records, write case studies and plan classes
• Introduction to business management to advance personal career in the field of Somatics