Join Acupuncturist and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner Alaine Duncan for a year-long exploration of her East-meets-West approach to restoring balance and regulation in survivors of traumatic stress.
- Integrate theoretical and clinical concepts from Western neuroscience with the Five Elements of Chinese Medicine.
- Learn interaction, observation, and body-informed clinical skills to support balance and regulation in trauma survivors.
- Receive in-depth didactic and hands-on instruction and practice to help trauma survivors through each phase the self-protective response.
- Acupuncturists, body-workers, medical providers and somatically-oriented mental health clinicians are welcome.
CEUs
This series has been approved as a Category 1 Course by the California Acupuncture Board, Provider number 1576, for 5 weekends of 14 hours each weekend of Live in person and Live webinar (via Zoom) continuing education.
70 NCCAOM PDA’s; 14 hours per module.
14 CEU’s per module approved for Metal and Water modules by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB). The Wood, Fire, and Earth modules are pending approval (still in review). Once approved, credits are retroactive to September 1, 2021.
Three Registration Options
**Covid Policy for In-Person cohorts: We will follow closely the advice of public health experts and move in-person classes to on-line as needed. When in-person classes resume, we will be asking students to show proof of vaccination and booster, provide rapid/antigen tests to be done daily before class, and agree to be masked.
#1: In Person in Silver Spring, Maryland
Crossings Healing and Wellness
8720 Georgia Avenue, Suite 300
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Schedule: Friday/Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time
| Metal | September 24 & 25, 2021 | as of 8/16 – class moved ONLINE |
| Water | December 10 & 11, 2021 | as of 11/16 – class moved ONLINE |
| Wood | March 11 & 12, 2022 | |
| Fire | June 17 & 18, 2022 | rescheduled from May 20 & 21 |
| Earth | August 19 & 20, 2022 |
#2: In Person in Ojai, California
Sane Living Center
316 East Matilijia Street
Ojai, CA 93023
Schedule: Saturday/Sunday 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time
| Metal | November 13 & 14, 2021 | as of 10/2 – class moved ONLINE |
| Water | January 15 & 16, 2022 | as of 11/25 – class moved ONLINE |
| Wood | class combined with Virtual 4/9&10 | |
| Fire | June 11 & 12, 2022 | |
| Earth | August 27 & 28, 2022 |
#3: Virtual Live-Stream – All of these classes will be held on-line via Zoom.
Schedule: Saturday/Sunday 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
Zoom link will be provided a week before class date.
| Metal | October 23 & 24, 2021 | |
| Water | January 8 & 9, 2022 | |
| Wood | April 9 & 10, 2022 | |
| Fire | May 14 & 15, 2022 | |
| Earth | August 6 & 7, 2022 | |
| Metal | September 18 & 19, 2022 | for those joining with Water module |
Fee Schedule
| Payment Due Dates (original) | Payment Due Dates (starting with Water module) | ||
| Early Bird | $1,700 | n/a | |
| Regular Fee | $1,900 | ||
| Two Installments | $1,000 each | ||
| Four Installments | $525 each |
In the spirit of cultural transformation through healing, if you are BIPOC, LGBTQ or a first-generation immigrant, you are welcome to take 25% off these fees.
Cancellations made 30 days prior to the first day of series will receive full refund, less $100 admin fee. Other cancellations will receive pro-rated credit towards a class held in the next 18 months.
Feedback from Former Students
“Thank you for making this an experience that was so rich with opportunities to learn, share ideas, and immediately practice.”
“The way Alaine explained anything was very clear, embodied, and relational — easy to understand intellectually and to absorb through the body. She cared about everyone.”
“I actually feel that this course has helped me become more compassionate. I am profoundly grateful to Alaine, the team and all participants. This was a life changing experience.”
“I was very surprised at the potency of using Zoom for this type of work. It is so valuable to be able to offer somatic work to clients unable to be present in person.”
“I absolutely love breaking out into dyads to work together. This is a true healing space as well as an expansive learning space.”
“I appreciated the option of being in small groups with queer and other people of color. It’s been a wonderful, enriching course.”
“I cannot believe that after two days of online learning, I feel completely energized and refreshed for the week/world ahead. The container felt so thoughtful and thorough and generative.”
More on Each Module
The Self-Protective Response begins and ends with somatic awareness, supported by the Metal Element.
Embodying successful survival leaves our interoceptive system available to provide clear and unencumbered information to awaken arousal to future risks.
Practice cultivating somatic mindfulness, touching the skin as a boundary organ, and restoring regulation in the diaphragms after global arousal.
More info: ToT-Autumn
The whole body is alarmed when the Water Element signals threat.
Explore the Kidney/Heart axis, the Polyvagal System, the impact of consuming fear on morbidity, mortality, and the inter-generational impact of traumatic stress.
Learn skills to restore a sense of safe container, build capacity in the Kidney/adrenal system, and re-establish regulation in the brain stem.
More info: ToT-Winter
The Wood Element mediates our fight or flight response.
Thwarted mobilization can result in chronic pain, lack of embodied awareness and challenges in orienting to safety and danger.
Learn skills to support proprioception in the sinews, capacity to orient to threats, and a return to benevolence in the Liver Blood.
More info: ToT-Spring
The Fire Element functions of relationship, connection and coherence are deeply impacted by trauma.
Profound vulnerability and shame require nuanced approaches to restore the Kidney/Heart axis, the pericardium’s capacity for connection, the Triple Burner’s infrastructure for connection and the Heart spirit’s gift of coherence, propriety and regulation.
Learn skills to restore the infrastructure and capacity for connection and whole-body regulation.
More info: ToT-Summer
The Earth Element is vulnerable to freeze/shutdown in trauma.
Explore the visceral brain and the impact of pre and peri-natal trauma on adult morbidity and mortality and community health.
Learn ways to help move memories out of muscle tissue, support restoration of the gut biome, help patients digest food and experiences, and find stability.
More info: ToT-LateSummer