PSYCHOTACTILE THERAPY | 2-DAY TRAUMA-INFORMED WORKSHOP
Bringing Trauma, Neuroscience and Touch Together
Psychotactile Therapy is a trauma-informed approach that brings together contemporary neuroscience, somatic understanding and safe, ethical touch within psychological practice.
This two-day experiential workshop introduces therapists to the foundational principles of Psychotactile Therapy and explores how structured, clothed touch protocols may support nervous system regulation, interoceptive awareness and trauma-informed therapeutic work.
A Trauma-Informed Introduction for Therapists
Over the past two decades, advances in neuroscience and trauma theory have changed how many practitioners understand trauma, the body and the nervous system.
Concepts such as nervous system regulation, implicit memory, interoception and embodied experience are now central to contemporary trauma practice. What remains less widely explored is the therapeutic role that safe, ethical and neurobiologically informed touch can play in trauma treatment.
Developed by Gerry Pyves through more than forty years of full-time clinical practice, Psychotactile Therapy offers a bridge between talk therapy and bodywork. This introductory workshop gives therapists the opportunity to explore the foundational ideas, ethical considerations and practical touch protocols that sit behind this approach.
What You Will Explore
This workshop introduces key ideas and experiences that help therapists understand the emerging role of touch in trauma-informed practice.
Outcomes and Further Training
A Psychotactile Approach to Trauma introduces therapists to the foundational principles of Psychotactile Therapy and provides a pathway into further specialist training. This workshop includes:
This means the workshop can stand alone as a valuable introduction, while also providing the first step for therapists who may wish to continue into more advanced Psychotactile Therapy training.
About the Diploma Pathway
TA Academy offers a one-year, 124-hour Diploma in Psychotactile Therapy for therapists wishing to develop advanced competency in the ethical and clinical use of touch in trauma treatment.
The pathway includes three progressive five-day modules: The Foundations of Psychotactile Therapy, The Primal Touch Instructor Training and the Psychotactile Intensive. Attendance at A Psychotactile Approach to Trauma is required before beginning the Diploma pathway.
How Psychotactile Therapy Fits with TA Academy
TA Academy’s core training pathway remains grounded in Transactional Analysis. Psychotactile Therapy sits alongside this pathway as a specialist training stream for practitioners working in trauma-informed fields.
For therapists and mental health professionals, Psychotactile Therapy offers an opportunity to explore how TA, neuroscience, somatic understanding and safe therapeutic touch can be brought together in a thoughtful and ethical way.
Practitioners who are also interested in integrating Transactional Analysis into their existing clinical work may wish to explore TA Foundations and TA in Practice, which together offer a practical introduction to the core models of TA and their application with clients.
Who This Training Is For
This workshop is designed for therapists and psychological professionals who are curious about the emerging role of safe, ethical touch within trauma-informed practice.
It is especially relevant for:
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Psychotherapists
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Counsellors
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Psychologists
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Mental health professionals
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Trainee therapists
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Psychological professionals working with trauma
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No prior bodywork training is required.
Entry Requirements
This workshop is intended for people who already work, or are training to work, in therapeutic or psychologically informed settings.
Participants should be willing to explore the ethical, relational and professional implications of touch in trauma-informed practice. The workshop includes experiential learning, reflective discussion and simple clothed touch protocols.
If you are unsure whether this workshop is suitable for your background, please contact TA Academy before booking.
Learning Resources
Psychotactile Therapy is connected to Gerry Pyves’ long-standing clinical work, writing and research into trauma, touch and psychotherapy.
Common Questions
If you’re considering Psychotactile Therapy and want to know whether the workshop is right for your background and practice, these common questions explain what to expect.
Upcoming Psychotactile Therapy Courses
Take the Next Step with Psychotactile Therapy
If you work with trauma and are interested in the relationship between neuroscience, the body and therapeutic touch, A Psychotactile Approach to Trauma offers a practical introduction to this specialist field.
This two-day workshop gives you the opportunity to explore the foundational principles of Psychotactile Therapy, experience simple clothed touch protocols and consider how safe, ethical touch may have a place within trauma-informed psychological practice.