Trainings

Join us for grief and trauma-informed somatic trainings.

2024-2025 Trainings

Growing & Moving With Our Grief

20-Hour Somatic Healing Training: Growing with our Grief

October 3 - 6, October 16, 2024

Virtual on Zoom: Link will be provided after registration

View & download the training flyer here!

Join The LIGHT Movement for our grief and trauma-informed training, led by grief psychotherapist with 25+ years of experience and yoga teacher, Amy Pickett-Williams; trauma-sensitive yoga facilitator, Allie McDonald; author, psychotherapist, and yoga teacher/therapist of 40+years, Joann Lutz. This 20-hour training is for people interested in learning about the science and tools of somatic (mind-body) healing from trauma and grief.
Though this will be supportive for individuals of all professions, it is our understanding that this training will count as CE (continuing education) credits for licensed counselors, marriage & family therapists, educators, teachers, occupational therapists, and physical therapists. All participants will receive a certificate. We are offering CEs for psychologists and social workers for an additional $100. If you’re in need of CEs, we recommend double-checking with your board to ensure you receive credits. Yoga teachers can also receive credit through Yoga Alliance.

Information on Continuing Education Credit for Health Professionals

CE credits for psychologists are provided by the Spiritual Competency Academy (SCA) which is co-sponsoring this program. The Spiritual Competency Academy is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Spiritual Competency Academy maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
The California Board of Behavioral Sciences accepts CE credits for LCSW, LPCC, LEP, and LMFT license renewal for programs offered by sponsors of CE who are approved by the American Psychological Association.
LCSW, LPCC, LEP and LMFTs, and other professionals from outside of California need to check with their state licensing board as to whether or not they accept credits from programs offered by approved sponsors of CE by the American Psychological Association.
SCA is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN Provider CEP16887) for licensed nurses in California. RNs must retain their certificate of attendance for 4 years after the course concludes. Nurses outside of California must confirm acceptance with their licensing boards.
For questions about your certificate or the content, logistics, or other support issues regarding this course, please contact Amy Pickett-Williams at apwcounseling@gmail.com.
For questions about whether APA CE is valid for you, contact your licensing board directly.
For general questions about APA CE, contact SCA at info@spiritualcompetencyacademy.com.

Objectives

Learn the Science of Grief and Trauma.

Gain a comprehensive overview of the physiological impacts of grief and trauma. Students will explore systems and theories derived from Western and Eastern medicine, including an understanding of the central and autonomic nervous system, the endocrine system, and chakras.
Learn how the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems work, focusing in-depth on the polyvagal window of tolerance and its interaction with grief theories. This knowledge provides a foundation for helping people experiencing grief and trauma understand and interface with their physiological responses in order to heal.

Introduction and Application of Somatic Tools.

Learn practical somatic tools, including breath techniques, gentle yoga movements, sound vibration, and acupressure points. These skills equip participants to support their clients, patients, students, and employees in returning to parasympathetic states for healing and growth during grief and trauma recovery. These tools are applicable to all ages, children through older adults.

Integration of Social Justice into Somatic Practices.

Participate in facilitated discussions to learn practical applications for integrating somatic care with social justice work, emphasizing individual well-being and systemic change.
Examine how various social locations may influence the experience of grief and trauma in the healing process. This will support participants in cultivating critical consciousness to more justly serve diverse communities.

Schedule

Thursday 10/3, 7:00 - 9:00 PM MST (2 hours: starts after sunset MST to honor Jewish holidays)

Introduction to grief and trauma; experiential
Physiology of grief and trauma; lecture & practice

Friday 10/4, 6:00 - 9:00 PM MST (3 hours)

Understanding grief theories and exploring the importance of somatic healing
Understanding the vagus nerve, endocrine system, and chakras; lecture & practice

Saturday 10/5, 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM MST (7.5 hours with 1 hour break for lunch)

Learn tools including gentle movement, breath, sound/vibration, mindfulness
Additional somatic tools including acupressure points, aromatherapy, & Intro to Reiki; experiential
Guest Lecturers:
- Dr. Sakshi Mears (acupressure points)
- Beth Irtz, RN (aromatherapy)
- Joann Lutz (yoga therapy)

Sunday 10/6, 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM MST (7.5 hours with 1 hour break for lunch)

Trauma-sensitive language for all professions - Allie McDonald
- Intersectionality & Oppression
  - Calling in vs. calling out
  - Cultural humility & awareness
  - Social-Cultural Identities
  - Intersectionality & Social Trauma
  - Social-Cultural Oppression
  - Social Power & Privilege
  - Layers of Oppression
  - Oppressors and the Oppressed
  - Cultivating an Anti-Oppressive Lens
- Trauma-Sensitive Language
Integrating Social Justice into all we do

Wednesday 10/16, 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM MST

Bonus: Meet the authors! Q & A: Joann Lutz, Dr. Arielle Schwartz and Amy Weintraub

Please have a 12 pack of Crayola markers and white paper

Meet Your Instructors

Amy Pickett-Williams, LCSW, RYT-200, has been providing grief psychotherapy for over 25 years, working with all types of loss, including parents who have experienced the death of a child. She brings a somatic-based (mind-body-spirit) perspective to her practice. As a yoga teacher, she believes these tools need to be accessible to all people to support healing and growth from their grief and trauma. Try out one of her donation-based LIGHT yoga classes!

Allie McDonald, RYT-500, TCTSY-F, Army veteran, and MSW student, has been a yoga teacher for seven years and a trauma sensitive yoga facilitator (TCTSY-F) since 2023. Allie brings a trauma-sensitive approach to her practice, and believes that reconnecting with the body is the path toward empowerment; not just on an individual level, but on a global level. She focuses on helping practitioners use intentional, non-coercive language to support their clients/students/participants.

Joann Lutz, LICSW, C-IAYT, E-RYT, YACEP, author, psychotherapist, and yoga therapist/teacher, is a pioneer in the application of nervous-system informed, trauma-sensitive yoga to mental health care. Her book, Trauma Healing in the Yoga Zone, is being praised by international leaders in yoga therapy and trauma studies. She brings over forty years of yoga teaching experience to the program.

Meet Your Instructors

Watch Amy's intro video

Watch Allie's intro video

Cost & Booking

20-Hour Somatic Healing Training: Growing with our Grief

$500 | Tier 1: no volunteering OR option to volunteer while paying the full price to pay it forward to a scholarship student
$400 | Tier 2: if you agree to volunteer with LIGHT for 8 hours over the course of a year
$300 | Tier 3: if you agree to volunteer with LIGHT for 16 hours over the course of a year
Cost for CE Credits | Continuing Education Credit for Health Professionals are an additional $100. Please choose the CE Credit Option when booking if you need these.
Discount for students! Please email us for the code: info@lightmvmt.com

Book the 20-hour training!

Cost & Booking

Reiki Training Offer

Reiki Level 1 & 2 Training Offer

Students who have booked their spot in our 20 or 40-hour training will receive a discount for Reiki Level 1 & 2 with Spiritual Educator, Lisa Guyman. This training will occur virtually on November 15th from 4:30 - 8:30 PM MST and November 16th from 9:30 AM - 6:30 PM MST.

In this Reiki 1 and 2 online workshop, students will learn:

Foundations of Reiki
Self-Reiki
Remote Reiki
How to give hands on Reiki

After booking a spot in one of the 20 or 40-hour trainings, you will receive an email containing the password to access this page to book your Reiki training. Please contact info@lightmvmt.com for additional assistance.

40-Hour Embodied Yoga Training: Moving with our Grief

Postponed to Spring 2025

Virtual

Our 40-hour, Yoga Alliance-certified training will be offered in two parts:

Part 1: 20-Hour Somatic Healing Training: Growing with our Grief (above)
Part 2: 20-Hour Embodied Yoga Training: Moving with our Grief

This 40-hour training is for certified yoga teachers with a desire to explore grief and trauma-informed approaches to movement. The final 20 hours will include asanas, readings, student teaching, and lectures that prepare participants to teach classes and lead yoga workshops from a grief and trauma-informed lens.

Objectives

Learn, Practice, and Facilitate Grief-Sensitive and Trauma-Informed Yoga.

Yoga teachers receive specific guidance on incorporating asanas and yoga practices into their classes to support individuals to grow with their grief healing from trauma.
Learn grief-sensitive and trauma-informed approaches to teaching asana, ensuring they can create a safe and supportive environment for their students.
Apply the objectives of part one of this training, 20-Hour Somatic Healing Training: Growing with our Grief, to your personal yoga practice and teaching.

Application of Grief-Sensitive and Trauma-informed Language.

Learn to create a safe and supportive environment by encouraging autonomy through the use of invitational language.

Schedule (subject to change)

Part 1 of this 40-Hour Training schedule is above in the 20-Hour Somatic Healing Training section.

Wednesday 10/16, 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM MST (Zoom only)

Bonus: Meet the authors! Q & A: Joann Lutz, Dr. Arielle Schwartz and Amy Weintraub

Topics covered:

TCTSY Practice led by Allie
The intersection of Grief and Trauma
Group TCTSY practice led by Allie
Interoception and Present Moment Experience
Group Sharing & Reflection
Attachment Theory
Neuroscience and Nervous System States
Trauma-Informed Language and Choice Making
Outline your Series
Group Reflection & Sharing
Shared Authentic Experience
Yogic Application of Trauma-informed Care
Self, Community, & Collective Care
Challenges of Trauma-informed and Grief-sensitive facilitation
Practice in Breakout Groups
Principles of a combined trauma and grief-informed yoga class, including language, poses, and boundaries; lecture & practice
Building an 8-week series to support students experiencing grief and/or trauma utilizing the polyvagal theory, chakras and endocrine system as it relates to grief and trauma; lecture & practice

Please have a 12 pack of Crayola markers and white paper

Trainings

2024-2025 Trainings

20-Hour Somatic Healing Training: Growing with our Grief

Meet Your Instructors

Cost & Booking

​

Reiki Level 1 & 2 Training Offer

40-Hour Embodied Yoga Training: Moving with our Grief

Postponed to Spring 2025​

Postponed to Spring 2025