Our Journey Here is a postgraduate training for practitioners wishing to extend their therapeutic practice or deepen their understanding of pre- and perinatal psychology and therapy approaches. The training will cover important developmental concepts including early pre- and perinatal memory, learning and intelligence, significant embryological events and their psychological correlates, and essential skills in identifying, being present with and resolving primal trauma.
The course is highly experiential, with somatic explorations grounded in relational, heart-centred, mindfulness and inspired by the work of pre- and perinatal pioneers Ray Castellino and William Emerson, as well as somatic practices like Body-Mind Centering (BMC) and Continuum. Participants are encouraged to investigate their own early life experience.
A major intention is to practice recognizing early trauma and being able to orient to the original potential the trauma may have occluded, both in oneself and in one’s clientele. This training is open to accredited psychotherapists, craniosacral therapists and other complementary and orthodox health professionals. The curriculum is covered in six three-day seminars offered online via Zoom.
A major premise for the curriculum is that we are most able to be present with our clients’ early material when we have worked through our own. This training is designed to enhance awareness of and ability to be with pre- and perinatal issues and to support yourself and your clients in bringing mindful presence to your experience.
The Course Includes:
6 live interactive 3-day seminars online via Zoom
Lifetime access to the video recordings of presentations and demonstrations from each class
Guided experiential explorations in triads supported by an assistant within Zoom break-out rooms
Somatic movement explorations within the group
PDFs of PowerPoint presentations from each class that you can print or download
Handouts and readings between each seminar
Recommended reading and reference list for further study and exploration
Specific assignments between seminars including a final essay on a relevant topic of your choice to be reviewed with feedback from Cherionna
Certificate of completion
Dates:
Seminar 1. May 28 – 30, 2021
Seminar 2. July 30- Aug 1, 2021
Seminar 3. September 17 – 19, 2021
Seminar 4. November 5 – 7, 2021
Seminar 5. January 14 – 16, 2022
Seminar 6. March 25 – 27, 2022
Program Schedule
The course has been adapted to an online format of six three-day seminars, Friday – Sunday, starting in May 2021.
We will meet 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. UK time each day with a 2-hour lunch break and shorter breaks as needed.
Between each seminar you will have assignments to complete as a way to further explore and integrate the material.
Please do not purchase the course until you have been accepted to the training. Payments by PayPal will incur an additional 4% charge to cover PayPal fees. You will be given options to pay by BACS or TransferWise. You can pay the full £1600 tuition or choose a payment plan outlined on the application form – £275 non-refundable deposit followed by £275 payment before each seminar. The final seminar is prepaid via the deposit.
Please note that some materials are available before the course begins. More may be added after you have registered. Please check back to this page to view any additional preparation materials you may have missed. It can be helpful to practice the meditations provided before the course begins. Once the course starts, more materials will be added to each module. There will also be useful announcements emailed to you from time to time. Some people have trouble receiving these emails. If you haven’t received any, we recommend checking the “announcements” tab below, as all announcements will also be posted there, visible only to those registered for the course.
Course Features
Lectures8
Quizzes0
Skill levelAll levels
LanguageEnglish
Students4
CertificateNo
AssessmentsYes
Curriculum
Curriculum
Seminar 1: Journey to the Womb 1 – Pre-Conception
Establishing the field: introductions, intentions, introduction to the Castellino principles Introduction to clarifying intention as initiating our journey here, Present-time heart-centred, embodied exploration, Introduction to pre- and perinatal trauma, healing and potential with essential trauma skills; Pre-conception: sperm and egg journey presentation and exploration
Seminar 2: Journey to the Womb 2 - Conception and Implantation Journey
Further arriving into our field, Conception and implantation journey presentation and exploration, introduction to double bind concept, differentiation, preverbal memory, learning and intelligence
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Seminar 3: Life in the Womb 1 – Implantation and Umbilical Affect
Establishing layers of support, effects of stress and support for mother and baby, communicating with baby, Implantation and umbilical affect presentation and explorations
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Seminar 4: Life in the Womb 2 - Discovery and Prenatal bonding
Introduction to twin dynamics, haunted womb, reviewing double bind dynamics; Discovery and prenatal bonding presentation and explorations
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Seminar 5: Passing Through the Portal - Birth Dynamics
The blue print – “normal” natural birth, Common challenges and medical interventions, presentations and explorations including creative opposition and birth forces
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Seminar 6: Beyond the Portal – Birth, Bonding and Beyond
Supporting bonding before, during and after birth: Birth language, somatic expressions, creative expressions – myth, art, dance, ritual – birth, initiation, death, presentations and explorations. Completion celebration!
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General Course Resources
These are general resources to support you in your journey through this training and beyond. Please peruse and use as is helpful to you.
Cherionna Menzam-Sills is a prenatal and birth therapist, movement therapist and Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapist. Drawing on 40 years experience, her background includes an M.A. in Somatic Psychology (Dance/Movement Therapy) and a Ph.D. in Pre- and Perinatal Psychology, as well as Occupational Therapy, Massage Therapy, intensive study of BMC and Body-Mind Psychotherapy with Susan Aposhyan and 10 years intensive study with prenatal and birth psychotherapy pioneers, William Emerson and Ray Castellino. She worked intensively with founder of Continuum, Emilie Conrad for the last decade of her life. Emilie authorized her to teach Continuum in 2007. Her work is further informed by years of intensive Vipassana meditation practice and other mindfulness practices.