Holding from the Body

Somatic Tools for Psychedelic Facilitators
- November 6th | 9:30 - 14:30
- BMED Global
- Place: Surfing Colors (Corralejo)
- Facilitator: Karina Bertolotto (psychologist, body therapist, art therapist, and university lecturer)
Duration: 5h – 5h30
Main Objectives
Understand trauma from a somatic perspective and how it manifests in expanded states of consciousness.
Acquire bodily, emotional, and relational tools to safely support psychedelic experiences.
Recognize and accompany traumatic imprints, both implicit and explicit.
Strengthen therapeutic presence through an embodied ethical approach.
What will you learn?
To recognize the bodily signs of trauma and accompany them with sensitivity.
To use your own body as a tool for self-regulation and co-regulation.
To create a safe environment rooted in embodied ethics.
To integrate gestures, breath, and spontaneous movement as therapeutic resources.
To listen to the body’s narrative and use it in psychedelic preparation and integration.
Who is this workshop for?
This workshop is especially designed for:
Therapists, facilitators, and guides of psychedelic processes.
Mental health and bodywork professionals interested in the somatic approach.
Individuals in training within the field of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy.
📚 Workshop Structure and Content
Introduction to the somatic approach to trauma (45 min)
Defining trauma from the perspective of the body and the nervous system.
Differences from the cognitive approach.
Opportunities and risks of trauma in non-ordinary states.
Activity: Dyad work exploring the bodily experience of trauma.
Manifestations of trauma in psychedelic experiences (1h)
Identification of somatic and emotional signs.
Dissociation, freezing, and survival responses.
The importance of interoception and body memory.
The role of the facilitator: regulation, ethics, and presence (45 min)
Practices for self-regulation and co-regulation.
Creating a safe space through rhythm, boundaries, and trust.
Addressing relational trauma and emotional repair.
Break (30 min)
Somatic practices for preparation (45 min)
Using the body in psychedelic preparation: breath, gestures, spontaneous movement.
Listening to the body’s narrative.
The spiritual dimension: the body as an anchor for insight.
Somatic practices for integration (45 min)
Repetition and deepening of post-experience practices.
Accompanying the body’s narrative.
Integration activity (15–25 min)
Group work with clinical case analysis.
Closing circle (10–20 min)
Sharing experiences, learnings, and commitments.
📂 Supplementary Materials
A folder will be provided with:
Protocols for somatic presence and emotional containment.
A guide of body-based practices for preparation and integration.
Articles on trauma, the body, and psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy.
This is a unique workshop to deepen into the body’s wisdom as a therapeutic resource.
Limited spots available. Registration now open.