European Integral Somatic Psychology (ISP) Online Training Module 3

Embodied emotions can improve outcomes in all therapy modalities

Research shows that emotions, when more fully embodied, can improve not only emotional but also cognitive and behavioral outcomes in therapy. Integral Somatic Psychology (ISP) offers therapists in all therapeutic modalities methods for improving cognitive, emotional, behavioral, relational, as well as physical, energetic, and spiritual outcomes through greater embodiment of emotions.

Striking a balance between emotional regulation and physiological regulation

Integral Somatic Psychology uses the science of the physiology of emotions, attachment, resonance, relationship, cognition, behavior, stress, and trauma and a simple model of regulation of the physiology for deepening emotions in the body and for regulating the body at the same time. This is to ensure that emotions are not destroyed by excessive physiological regulation on one hand and that emotions do not dysregualte the body and cause psychophysiological symptoms on the other.

Working with all types of emotions for more complete embodiment of emotions

In order to work more completely with emotions, ISP works not only with primary emotions such as happiness and sadness and their combinations (secondary emotions) but also with the more common sensorimotor emotions such as attraction and aversion, emotions often overlooked in therapy which can be easily destroyed in a practice focused on tracking body sensations or breaking down body defenses. In order to work more effectively with emotions, ISP also includes in its curriculum theories of affect development and strategies for supporting all levels of an emotional experience.

Understanding how to work with the physical body to better embody emotions

ISP uses detailed knowledge of how emotions are generated as well as defended in each layer of the physical body (muscle, organ, and nervous system) and of how to work with such somatic defenses to access, embody, and develop a greater capacity for emotions with simple tools such as awareness, intent, breath, movement, and self-touch, tools that are easy to incorporate into diverse psychotherapy settings.

Understanding how to work with the individual energy body as well as the collective physical and energy bodies in working with emotions and other and other experiences

In addition to the work at the level of the physical body, ISP, using Eastern and Western models of energy psychology, works with the energy body, its role in generating as well as defending against all psychological experiences, and the connections between the individual level physical and energy bodies and the collective physical and energy bodies they derive from in order to further improve diverse outcomes in all therapeutic modalities.

Who will benefit the most from Integral Somatic Psychology?

Integral Somatic Psychology (ISP) provides a complementary body psychotherapy modality for further improving physical, energetic, cognitive, affective, behavioral, relational, and spiritual outcomes in all therapeutic approaches including other body psychotherapy modalities. Those who already work with body or energy to some extent when they are facilitating psychological work would find the ISP training most useful, as it is a master training.

How is the training structured?

Taught in three four-day modules, the training consists of lectures, demonstrations, and practice sessions on a daily basis. Those interested but unsure can take the first module on a trial basis before committing to modules two and three. Also, those interested in joining the training from the second module can take the first module on video.

Those who complete all three modules of the training and get four hours of personal therapy and six hours of supervision will receive the certificate of completion of the Integral Somatic Psychology (ISP) Professional training.

Who is the trainer and what is his background?

Raja Selvam, PhD, is a senior trainer in Peter Levine’s Somatic Experiencing (SE) professional trauma trainings and the developer of Integral Somatic Psychology (ISP). ISP is currently offered in over a dozen countries around the world, in North and South Americas, Asia, Europe, and Australia. Dr. Selvam’s work draws from bodywork systems of Postural Integration, Biodynamic Cranio-Sacral Therapy, and Polarity Therapy, body psychotherapy systems of Reichian Therapy, Bioenergetics, Bodynamic Analysis, Jungian and Archetypal psychologies, psychoanalytic schools of Object Relations and Inter-Subjectivity, Somatic Experiencing (SE), Affective Neuroscience, Quantum Physics, Yoga, and Advaita Vedanta.

Module dates:

• 20. - 23. November 2025

Training times are from 10 a.m. till 6 p.m. CET.