Somatic Movement Dance Therapy Training 2027 | Accredited Foundation Course UK
6th March 2027 @ 10:00 am - 24th June 2027 @ 5:00 pm
£995
Level 1: Accredited 100-Hour Hybrid Training | Online & In-Person Cornwall.
Certified by the International Practitioners of Holistic Medicine (IPHM) · In association with The Association for Somatic Movement Dance Therapies UK & Éire (UKSMDT)
This course can be taken as a standalone accredited training — or as the first step on a structured professional pathway to becoming a registered Somatic Movement Dance Therapist.
About this course
Are you ready to bring a deeper, more embodied approach to your therapeutic and creative work?
The Level 1 Foundation Course in Somatic Movement Dance Therapy is a 100-hour accredited professional training — certified by the International Practitioners of Holistic Medicine and in association with The Association for Somatic Movement Dance Therapies United Kingdom & Eire (UKSMDT), — designed for therapists, coaches, healers, movement practitioners, teachers and freelancers who want to integrate trauma-informed, evidence-based somatic movement principles into their work, or begin a formal qualification in somatic movement therapy.
Applied and adapted from the pioneering research and trainings of Dr. Amanda Williamson, founder of Somatic Movement Dance Therapy, and based on her book Somatic Movement Dance Therapy: The Healing Art of Self-Regulation & Co-Regulation, this foundation training introduces the core principles of bottom-up somatic healing: self-regulation, co-regulation, the nervous system, and the body's innate capacity to restore balance, connection, and wellbeing.
You will explore how life experiences — especially those that overwhelm safety, connection, or meaning — can become embedded in the tissues, rhythms, and subconscious patterning of the body. And you will begin to develop the skills to work with that embodied knowing: in yourself, and with those you support.
Through experiential learning, creative movement, and reflective practice, you will gain a solid foundation in working safely and ethically with the body's innate wisdom. You'll explore how somatic movement supports self-regulation, co-regulation, sensory awareness, interoception, and creative expression — recognising movement as a language of awareness and transformation that honours the body's natural intelligence.
By integrating somatic movement dance therapy principles, you will learn to facilitate embodied presence, foster attunement, and create effective conditions for ease, resilience, and self-connection. Rather than relying solely on verbal processing, this bottom-up, body-led approach deepens integration, balance, and authentic connection — both within yourself and in your professional work with others.
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What is Somatic Movement Dance Therapy?
Somatic Movement Dance Therapy (SMDT), coined and developed by Dr Amanda Williamson, is a creative, body-led, bottom-up therapy, rooted in the field of Somatics.
It offers pathways for self-regulation and co-regulation through embodied awareness, creative movement, sensory experience, and relational presence. As a bottom-up approach, SMDT works with the body's innate capacity for adaptation, resilience, healing, and connection.
Rooted in the somatic arts, SMDT integrates Polyvagal theory, experiential anatomy, somatic psychology, cranial-sacral movement, eco-somatics, Jungian psychology, authentic movement, movement meditation, improvisation, art therapy, somatic touch, and embodied spiritual inquiry into a coherent and integrative framework for practice.
Recognised as a distinct professional discipline, SMDT creates conditions for health and supports practitioners to work with nervous system regulation, trauma recovery, embodied self-awareness, creativity, chronic stress, chronic pain, and the restoration of connection to self, others, nature, and the deeper dimensions of human experience.
Is This Course Right For You?
This foundation training is designed for:
- Therapists, counsellors, and psychotherapists wishing to integrate somatic, body-based approaches
- Movement teachers, dance practitioners, and yoga teachers deepening into therapeutic application
- Coaches, facilitators, and holistic practitioners expanding their trauma-informed toolkit
- Healthcare professionals exploring embodied and integrative approaches
- Anyone drawn to somatic movement work who is ready to train formally and professionally
No prior somatic training is required for entry to Level 1. A genuine commitment to personal and professional development, an openness to experiential learning, and a willingness to engage with independent study are the primary prerequisites.
Although traditional academic qualifications are not required, this training is delivered at a professional level and is best suited to those who are comfortable engaging with theoretical concepts, reflective practice, reading, research, and embodied enquiry. Participants are expected to take an active role in their learning and to respect the high standards of education, practice, ethics, and professional responsibility that underpin the field of Somatic Movement Education and Therapy.
As this is an experiential and relational training, attendance forms an essential part of the learning process. Participants are expected to attend all live training sessions, engage fully with the learning process, and complete the required contact hours. Recorded sessions may be provided as a supplementary learning resource where appropriate, but they do not replace live participation and cannot be used to make up missed contact hours.
As this is an experiential and relational training, attendance forms an essential part of the learning process. Participants are expected to attend all live training sessions, engage fully with the learning process, and complete the required contact hours. Recorded sessions may be provided as a supplementary learning resource where appropriate, but they do not replace live participation and cannot be used to make up missed contact hours.
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Somatic Movement Dance Therapy Training: A Professional Pathway to Registration
The Level 1 Foundation Course is both a complete, accredited training in its own right and the first step of a structured 500-hour professional registration pathway leading to qualification as a registered Somatic Movement Dance Therapist.
As a standalone course, Level 1 offers 100 accredited hours of professional training in somatic movement dance therapy foundational principles and practice — valuable, immediately applicable CPD for existing practitioners, and a formally recognised qualification with IPHM certification.
As part of the full pathway, Level 1 opens the door to Level 2 (Intermediate, 100 hours) and Level 3 (Enhanced Practitioner, 300 hours). Students who complete all three levels — a total of 500 formal training hours — are eligible to apply for professional registration with UKSMDT and ISMETA, the leading UK and international regulatory bodies for somatic movement education and therapy.
The full pathway is structured in alignment with the professional registration requirements of both UKSMDT and ISMETA, including requirements for embodied learning, ethical practice, assessment, supervision, and hybrid delivery.
Level 1 Foundation Course Structure & Modules
The Level 1 Foundation Course is delivered as a hybrid learning journey — combining live interactive online training and a 7-day in-person residential intensive in Cornwall, supported by independent personal practice and reflective study.
This structure balances accessibility with the depth of embodied learning that somatic training requires.
25 independent practice hours, plus reading and practical assessments will be required.
Module 1: An introduction to Somatic Movement Dance Therapy
Curriculum Highlights
6th & 7th March 2027 Interactive Online Training
This introductory module covers the roots and foundations of somatic movement dance therapy, highlighting its core themes and practical applications. You will gain a lived experience of key concepts and tools, including grounding, self-regulation, and sensory-motor attunement, to deepen your personal embodiment and enhance your therapeutic practice. This hands-on experience will help you fully embody these concepts, cultivating connection, sensory-awareness, and presence for both yourself and your clients.
Module 2: The Roots of Regulation
Curriculum Highlights
24th & 25th April 2026 Interactive Online Training
Module 2 delves into the art and science of self-regulation and co-regulation, exploring the healing power of physiological, relational, and experiential anatomy. You will gain practical insights into nervous system states, brainwave patterns, and the application of Polyvagal Theory to create safety and connection in trauma healing.
Through experiential practices, you will receive a lived experience of anatomy, helping you understand its significance in fostering embodied self-regulation and enhancing therapeutic work. This hands-on approach will deepen your connection to the body, the vagus nerve, and resourcing tools like fulcrums of support to support both your healing and that of your clients.
Modules 3 & 4: Facilitation Skills, Embodied Practitioner skills & Assessments
Modules 3 & 4 — 7-Day In-Person Immersive Residential
Date: 18th-24th June 2027
Location: Rosehip Barn, St Clether, Launceston, Cornwall PL15 8QN
The seven-day residential forms the experiential heart of the Foundation Training. Set within the wild landscape of North Cornwall, this immersive week deepens and integrates learning from the online modules through sustained embodied practice, relational learning, facilitation training, reflection, and assessment.
The Facilitation Skills curriculum (Module 3) is integrated into the in-person residential, deepening your embodied facilitation practice. Participants will receive preparatory study materials and training notes before attending, enabling valuable in-person time to focus on experiential learning, practical application, peer facilitation, feedback, and embodied integration.
Throughout the week, participants will move, witness, facilitate, reflect, and develop confidence in applying Somatic Movement Dance Therapy principles within a supportive learning community.
(WE ADVISE BOOKING YOUR ACCOMMODATION WHEN YOU BOOK THE COURSE).
(Accommodation and meals are not included in the course fee. Details of nearby accommodation options will be shared on booking.)
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Module 3: Facilitation Skills
Module 3: Facilitation Skills
- The regulated facilitator as guide
- Attunement-led facilitation and creating regulatory experiences
- The healing power of voice, language, and presence
- Creating and embodying movement scripts
- Creating safe therapeutic and transpersonal containers
- Planning and structuring a Somatic Movement Dance Therapy session
- Working skilfully with nervous system states
- Using creativity and inspiration in facilitation
- Integration and reflective practice techniques
- An introduction to the healing power of the Witness
- Working with dyads and relational practice
Module 4: Embodied Practitioner Skills & Assessments
Module 4: Embodied Practitioner Skills & Integration
- Deep somatic movement practice and experiential anatomy
- Authentic Movement and the body as witness
- Somatic & Cranial Sacral Touch
- Embodied practitioner skills
- Peer facilitation practice
- Formative assessments
- Community and cohort building as a somatic practice
- Integration of learning across the Foundation Training
Accreditation & Professional Recognition
The Level 1 Foundation Course is:
- Certified by the International Practitioners of Holistic Medicine (IPHM)
- Offered in association with The Association for Somatic Movement Dance Therapies UK & Éire (UKSMDT)
- Structured in alignment with UKSMDT & ISMETA's international guidelines for somatic movement education and therapy training
On successful completion, students receive a Certificate of Completion (100 hours, Level 1 Foundation in Somatic Movement Dance Therapy), which can be used as evidence of CPD and as the formal entry qualification to Level 2 of this professional training pathway.
(Accommodation and meals are not included in the course fee. Details of nearby accommodation options will be shared on booking.)
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Meet Your Teacher & The Founder of the Somatic Movement Dance Therapy
Vanessa Tucker and Amanda Williamson set the intention to make Somatic Movement Dance Therapy more accessible, while maintaining a high professional standard.
In response to the growing demand for embodied, trauma-informed approaches, they recognised that most professional trainings span over two years and cost around £8,000 upwards, placing them out of reach for many. To address this, they developed a flexible three-level training pathway:
Level 1 (100 hours) be taken as a standalone course, or followed by Level 2 (100 hours) and Level 3 (300 hours), which completes the 500 hours required for professional registration. This structure ensures both accessibility and depth, making this vital work more available to those committed to healing and transformation in their communities.
Vanessa Tucker is a registered Somatic Movement Educator and Therapist (ISMETA) and a registered Somatic Movement Dance Therapist (UKSMDT) with over 30 years of experience in the healing arts. She created the 3 Level structure in Somatic Movement Dance Therapy, alongside Dr. Amanda Williamson, offering creative and transformative learning experiences for working with trauma, deepening practice, refining skills, reconnecting with the innate wisdom of the body and coming home to ourselves.
Through her courses, retreats, women's empowerment work and private healing practice, Vanessa has supported countless individuals on their journey toward health, wholeness and empowerment. Drawing from a rich background in expressive arts, education, psychology, theatre as therapy, meditation, energy healing, clinical hypnotherapy, NLP, therapeutic shamanism, trauma recovery, and somatic movement dance therapy, she brings an integrative and multidimensional approach to her healing, teaching and facilitation.
A lifelong artist of the soul, Vanessa is deeply devoted to the healing of the Earth and the awakening of the human spirit. Her work is rooted in a heartfelt commitment to meaningful healing, personal empowerment, and the creation of compassionate, interconnected communities—spaces where all of life is honoured, and every being has the chance to flourish.
Dr. Amanda Williamson is the founder of Somatic Movement Dance Therapy.
Amanda works with a wide range of people experiencing back pain, joint pain, grief, migraines, addiction, stress, anxiety and depression, as well as people with no specific conditions, but feeling isolated, low and disconnected.
She is one of the pioneers in the field of Somatic Movement Education & Therapy and works across continents supervising PhD. students. She is a ‘Master Somatic Movement Educator and Therapist’ (ISMETA) and registered ‘Somatic Movement Dance Therapist (UKSMDT).
Amanda publishes extensively through practice-as-research, traversing areas such as experiential anatomy and physiology, the spiritual elements in the healing process, socio-cultural theory. Amanda is an Honorary Professor at ‘The Centre for Dance Research (C-dare).
Her most recent book, of which this course is based upon, is Somatic Movement Dance Therapy: The Healing Art of Self-regulation and Co-regulation, Intellect.
Teaching Fees/Exchange/Investment
Option 1: Standalone Course Level 1 (100 Hours)
- Early Bird: £995 (book by 31 October 2026)
- Full Fee: £1,245 (from 1 November 2026)
- Secure your place with a £395 non-refundable deposit
The Level 1 course fee includes:
- All live online Zoom training sessions (Modules 1 & 2)
- The full 7-day in-person training at Rosehip Barn, Cornwall
- Detailed course notes and reading materials
- Access to the SMDT online learning community
- Certificate of Completion (100 hours, IPHM certified)
Accommodation and meals during the Cornwall intensive are not included. Details of local accommodation options are provided on booking
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Instalments & Refunds
Payment by instalment is available upon asking. A non-refundable deposit secures your place. Instalments must be paid in full before the courses commence.
Refund policy: Deposits are non-refundable. No refunds are given within ten weeks of the course start date. Full refunds are given in the event of course cancellation by the training provider.
For refund policies please see ‘terms and conditions’.
Option 2 : Year 1 Professional Training Pathway 2027 (Levels 1 & 2 200 Hours)
- £1,895 when booked together
- Secure your place with a £495 non-refundable deposit
For students wishing to commit to the first year of the professional training pathway, Level 1 (foundation) and Level 2 (intermediate) can be booked together at a reduced fee. This option provides a seamless progression through the Foundation and Intermediate stages of Somatic Movement Dance Therapy training, supporting the development of embodied knowledge, facilitation skills, and professional practice over 200 hours of study.
By securing both levels in advance, students benefit from continuity of learning, a cohesive training journey, and a saving compared to booking each level separately.
The Year 1 Professional Pathway fees for 2027 include:
- All live online Zoom training sessions for Levels 1 & 2 2027
- The full 7-day in-person training at Rosehip Barn, Cornwall for Levels 1 & 2 2027
- Detailed course notes and reading materials for Levels 1 & 2 2027
- Access to the SMDT online learning community
- Certificate of Completion (200 hours, IPHM certified) for Levels 1 & 2
Accommodation and meals during the Cornwall intensives are not included. Details of local accommodation options are provided on booking
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Explore the Professional Pathway Route in Somatic Movement Dance Therapy
