This introductory course provides licensed mental health professionals and pre-licensed clinicians with foundational training in Somatic Inner Relationship Focusing (S/IRF), an experiential, parts-informed, and body-oriented approach to clinical practice. Participants will learn to cultivate Self-in-Presence, track somatic cues, and support clients in meeting internal experience with compassion and curiosity. Instruction includes lecture, live demonstration, guided experiential exercises, and structured dyad practice to support the development of applied clinical skills.

The course emphasizes trauma-informed pacing and the therapeutic use of presence in individual therapy settings. This training establishes the groundwork for continued study in S/IRF and prepares participants to integrate core skills into their existing clinical practice to enhance regulation, emotional differentiation, and client self-attunement.

Social Workers, MFTs, Counselors, Substance Abuse Counselors, Occupational Therapists, Nurses, Psychologists, Psychoanalysts, Psychiatrists

Describe and apply the core principles of Somatic Inner Relationship Focusing (S/IRF) to support clients in developing a compassionate relationship with internal experience.

Use attuned, somatically grounded language to invite and track a client’s felt sense in a manner that supports nonjudgmental awareness.

Demonstrate strategies for cultivating Self-in-Presence in themselves and apply techniques to support clients in accessing a grounded, relational internal stance.

Guide clients in shifting from identification to differentiation (e.g., from “I am…” to “Something in me…”) to enhance emotional safety and reduce reactivity.

Identify and track somatic indicators of activation, protection, or emotional emergence using body-based observation skills during clinical sessions.

Apply reflective listening and presence-based communication skills to strengthen therapeutic attunement and support client self-regulation.

Identify and respond to protective parts (e.g., inner critics, overwhelm, shutdown responses) using curiosity and respect rather than corrective or overriding interventions.

Facilitate a basic S/IRF session structure, including presence check-in, felt sensing, reflective language, and session closure.

Support clients in exploring unclear or emerging internal experiences (“the edge”) through non-directive, invitational language that promotes psychological safety.

Implement trauma-informed pacing and titration strategies to prevent client overwhelm and maintain regulation within the window of tolerance

Guide clients in developing internal holding environments that support emotional safety, internal attachment, and resilience.

Recognize common obstacles to felt sensing (e.g., intellectualization, urgency, self-criticism) and apply grounding or compassionate interventions to address them.

Demonstrate the ability to facilitate Focusing partnership practice, including timekeeping, reflective presence, and non-leading support.

Apply S/IRF interventions to enhance emotional differentiation, assisting clients in distinguishing among multiple internal parts or layers of experience.

Evaluate client progress and therapeutic change using observable indicators such as increased self-regulation, inner compassion, and clarity of felt sense articulation.

SESSION 1 — Introduction to S/IRF & Sensing Freshly (2 hours)
12:00–12:15 — Welcome, Orientation, and Topic Introduction
12:15–12:45 — Topic Lecture: Foundations of S/IRF
12:45–1:15 — Live Demonstration
1:15–1:45 — Guided Dyad Practice
1:45–2:00 — Group Debrief & Q&A

SESSION 2 — Changing by Not Trying (2 hours)
12:00–12:15 — Arrival & Intro to the concept of Changing by Not Trying
12:15–12:45 — Lecture: The Paradox of Change
12:45–1:15 — Demonstration
1:15–1:45 — Dyad Practice
1:45–2:00 — Group Reflection & Q&A

SESSION 3 — The Power of Not Knowing (2 hours)
12:00–12:15 — Arrival & Intro to the concept of the Power of Not Knowing
12:15–12:45 — Lecture: Staying With the Unclear Edge
12:45–1:15 — Demonstration
1:15–1:45 — Dyad Practice
1:45–2:00 — Q&A & Integration

SESSION 4 — The Flow of a Session (2 hours)
12:00–12:15 — Opening Presence Practice
12:15–12:45 — Lecture: Stages of an S/IRF Session
12:45–1:15 — Demonstration: Full Mini-Session
1:15–1:45 — Dyad Practice (Full Flow)
1:45–2:00 — Review & Q&A

SESSION 5 — Creating an Environment for Change (2 hours)
12:00–12:15 — Arrival & Somatic Settling
12:15–12:45 — Lecture: Conditions That Support Change
12:45–1:15 — Demonstration
1:15–1:45 — Dyad Practice
1:45–2:00 — Q&A & Integration

SESSION 6 — The Art of Listening (2 hours)
12:00–12:15 — Warm-Up: Attuned Presence
12:15–12:45 — Lecture: Listening from Presence
12:45–1:15 — Demonstration
1:15–1:45 — Dyad Practice
1:45–2:00 — Debrief

SESSION 7 — Invitations, Suggestions & Reminders (2 hours)
12:00–12:15 — Presence & Check-In
12:15–12:45 — Lecture: Skillful Language in S/IRF
12:45–1:15 — Demonstration
1:15–1:45 — Dyad Practice
1:45–2:00 — Q&A

SESSION 8 — Deeper Invitations & The Bottle Model (2 hours)
12:00–12:15 — Arrival & Grounding
12:15–1245 — Lecture: Navigating Stuck Points
12:45–1:15 — Demonstration
1:15–1:45 — Dyad Practice
1:45–2:00 — Reflection & Q&A

SESSION 9 — What Parts Need in Order to Shift & Integration (2 hours)
12:00–12:15 — Opening Presence Practice
12:15–12:45 — Lecture: Facilitating Transformation with Invitations
12:45–1:15 — Demonstration
1:15–1:45 — Dyad Practice
1:45–2:00 — Final Q&A & Course Closing

Live, on Zoom. 
Interactive presentation with each session including group discussion and Q&A.

The cost for 18 Continuing Education (CE) credits will be $40. An email from Credits.Education will be sent to all participants who complete the course.

First day of course

Participants must have paid tuition fee, signed in, attended the entire seminar, completed an evaluation, and signed out in order to receive a certificate. Failure to sign in or out will result in forfeiture of credit for the entire course. No exceptions will be made. Partial credit is not available. Certificates available after satisfactory course completion at credits.education

Credits.Education, #1032827, is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and LEPs. Credits.Education maintains responsibility for this program/course and its content.  Course meets the qualifications for 18 hours of continuing education credits for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.

 

All Other States: Many states accept CAMFT approved courses for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and LEPs.  Check with your state board.