Special Programs
The programs listed below are either part of an ongoing series, formatted unusually, or longer than the standard Esalen workshop.
28-Day Massage Practitioner Certification Training
November 15 - December 13, 2009
Perry Holloman & Deborah Anne Medow
March 5 - April 2, 2010
Char Pias & Oliver Bailey
This professional course provides a minimum of 150 hours training in a unique approach to massage. Esalen Massage is not only comprised of physical techniques, it is a way of being, a philosophy of touch. Classes include lectures and demonstrations of fundamental massage skills and supervised practice sessions. The teaching method is primarily experiential learning. Emphasis is on supporting students to develop a balance between technique, intuition, and creativity. Meditation is taught daily as a basis for centering and developing presence. A weekly group process class is included to explore communication skills. Optional yoga and movement classes are also available outside of the regular class schedule.
Following completion of the program, students wishing to fulfill certification requirements have six months to document thirty massage sessions. Upon payment of a $100 processing fee, a California state-approved certificate is issued.
This training is available to anyone with a genuine interest in Esalen Massage, whether for personal growth or for professional goals. Admission is by application. Please request an application form from the Esalen office by sending an e-mail to 28day@esalen.org or calling 831-667-3005. Applications are reviewed in the order received and preference is given to those who have previously completed an Esalen Massage workshop. Because class size is limited, early application is highly recommended.
Required reading: Biel, Trail Guide to the Body.
- CE credits available for nurses and bodyworkers.
- $10 materials fee paid directly to the leaders.
Esalen® Massage 500-hour Certification Program
Esalen's 500-hour Certification Program offers advanced studies to Esalen Massage Practitioner certified graduates. The focused coursework is carefully selected from the regular workshop schedule and encompasses a broad and specialized knowledge of bodywork, psychological and communication skills, awareness practices, and movement kinesthetic studies. This curriculum is tailored to each student’s schedule, ability, and professional goals. An on-site massage teacher/ advisor provides personal guidance and assessment throughout the program. The foundations of human anatomy and physiology are studied away from Esalen, at approved trainings near where students live. The course is designed to link body-mind-spirit in a professional bodywork study and practicum.
To be eligible, students must first complete an Esalen-approved certification program of at least 150 hours and must have earned their certificate. When students return to Esalen for their first post-certificate course, they select an advisor from the teaching staff, give the advisor an assessment massage, and draw up a study plan. The 500-hour program is approved by the California Board of Consumer Affairs (formerly the California BPPVE) and the NCBTMB.
Fees include the standard workshop fees (for example, ten 5-day courses), plus approximately $500 advisor and certification fees. For more details see the Esalen Massage and Bodywork Association website: http://webfm.esalen.org/sites/emba/.
The Coaches Training Institute
The Coaches Training Institute (CTI) is the largest in-person coach training school in the world. Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, CTI offers accredited coach training, comprehensive leadership training, professional coaching certification, and powerful coaching skills for people in any profession. CTI’s Co-Active Coach Training curriculum consists of five courses: Fundamentals, Fulfillment, Balance, Process, and In the Bones. More information at www.the coaches.com.
To register for a CTI course hosted by Esalen, please first contact CTI at registration@thecoaches. com or call 415-451-6000 ext. 701. Only after you have reserved a place in the course through CTI will you be able to reserve your accommodations with Esalen at 831-667-3005. (CTI receives course fees, Esalen receives accommodations fee.)
The CTI courses, dates, and instructors offered during this catalog period are: Coaches Training Institute: Co-Active Fundamentals, May 16-21, Athena Katsaros.
The Santa Barbara Graduate Institute (SBGI) Embodied Psychotherapy Certificate Program in Relational Somatic Psychology
The Certificate Program gives participants a foundation in the leading-edge field of somatic psychology. It is designed to meet the needs of professionals and practitioners (educators, healthcare professionals, therapists, psychologists) as well as individuals interested in learning an in-depth somatic/psychological perspective. The Santa Barbara Graduate Institute (SBGI) faculty or affiliates teach all courses. An approved application is required. Complete the application on the Internet at www.esalen.sbgi.edu and allow one week for processing and for you and Esalen to be informed of your status.
This certificate program is a series of courses inspired by the Santa Barbara Graduate Institute somatic psychology post-graduate academic curriculum. Completion of six segments qualifies one for a beginner’s certificate; ten segments qualifies for an intermediate certificate; fourteen qualifies for an advanced certificate. For complete program information, including a list of all segments, please visit www.esalen.sbgi.edu.
The program can also be taken as a more scholarly course of study which includes additional reading and writing for students who would like to earn graduate credit toward a doctoral degree program at Santa Barbara Graduate Institute. To use this training as credit toward a Ph.D. degree, students must first apply and be accepted in the Professional Specialty Ph.D. program at SBGI. Information on the Somatic Psychology Foundations Certificate and Ph.D. Professional Specialty Program is available at www.sbgi.edu. For information or to register, call 805-963-6896 or e-mail dharkin@sbgi.edu.
Please note: An approved application is required; contact Esalen for registration only after your application has been accepted by SBGI.
The SBGI courses, dates, and faculty offered during this catalog period are:
- Embodiment and Development: Foundations of Presence, Compassion, and Healing, January 31–February 5, Susan Aposhyan, M.A. & Dyrian Benz, PsyD.
- Character, Trauma, and Developmental Issues: The Somatic Experience in Psychotherapy, April 4-9, Diane Poole Heller, Ph.D.
- Body and Mind Integration: Effectively Integrating Breath and Somatic Awareness into Clinical Practice, May 16-21, Gabrielle Hoppe, M.A., Dyrian Benz, PsyD. & JoAnna Chartrand.
The Harvard Medical School Continuing Education Series
Esalen has been selected to host Continuing Education courses offered by Harvard Medical School (HMS) Department of Continuing Education. To reserve a space in any of these courses, you must first contact HMS at 617-384- 8607 or e-mail Emily_Cannon@hms.harvard.edu. Only after you have reserved your place in the course through Harvard will you be able to reserve your accommodations through Esalen at 831-667-3005 (course fees and accommodations are separate). The courses, dates, and instructors offered during this catalog period are:
- Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, February 7-12, John Ratey, M.D. www.cme.hms.harvard.edu/courses/brain
- Enhancement of Peak Performance in Sports, Performing Arts, and the Worksite, February 7-12, April 16-18, Daniel Brown, Ph.D. www.cme.hms.harvard.edu/courses/peakperformance.
- Relentless Hope: The Refusal to Grieve, April 30-May 2, Martha Stark, M.D. www.cme.hms.harvard.edu/courses/relentlesshope.
- Mood and Anxiety Disorders: Integrating Psychotherapy and Psychopharmacology in Clinical Practice, May 14-16, Russell Vasile, Ph.D. www.cme.hms.harvard.edu/courses/majordepression.
Harvard Medical School Accreditation
Physicians: Harvard Medical School is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Harvard Medical School designates the winter and weeklong Esalen seminars for a maximum of 15 and the weekend Esalen seminars for a maximum of 10 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Psychologists: The Massachusetts Mental Health Center is approved by the American Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. All weeklong programs offer 15 credit hours. The weekend seminars offer 10 credit hours. Massachusetts Mental Health Center maintains responsibility for the program.
Counselors: Massachusetts Mental Health Center is approved by the National Board of Certified Counselors to offer continuing education to participants. All weeklong programs meet the criteria for 15 credit hours. The weekend seminars meet the criteria for 10 credit hours.
Social Workers: For information on the status of the application to the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, please call 617-998-5028 or email: infocme@bidmc.harvard.edu.
Nurses: Massachusetts Mental Health Center is approved by the Arizona State Nurses Association to offer continuing education credits to participants. All weeklong programs meet the criteria for 18 contact hours. The weekend seminars meet the criteria for 12 contact hours.