Becoming mBODYed Certification

Professional Standards Of Practice
Somatic Coach & Practitioner Certification

Introduction

The Becoming mBODYed Certification prepares practitioners to teach the Alexander Technique while broadening their work through Body Mapping, experiential anatomy, nervous system education, and trauma-informed somatic coaching. This manual outlines the standards, ethics, scope, competencies, and pathways that define what it means to be a Becoming mBODYed Certified Somatic Coach & Practitioner.

Our work is grounded in present-moment experience, relational curiosity, and respect for each person’s embodied history without interpreting or analyzing it. The certification is educational and experiential. It is not clinical, and therapeutic claims or trauma treatment fall outside its scope unless a practitioner holds a separate license.

These standards protect the integrity of the mBODYed pedagogy, the public, and the practitioners who carry this work forward.


Our Policies

  • To ensure clarity and consistency, the following language defines how the certification is represented publicly.

    Become a Becoming mBODYed Certified Somatic Coach & Practitioner.
    A comprehensive training for those who want to teach the Alexander Technique with accuracy, dignity, and attuned presence, and who wish to broaden their work through Body Mapping, nervous system education, and trauma-informed somatic coaching.

    Full Certification Description

    The Becoming mBODYed Certification prepares educators, artists, coaches, and leaders to teach the Alexander Technique and integrate it with Body Mapping, experiential anatomy, and somatic coaching. Practitioners learn to guide embodied change through movement exploration, relational inquiry, and nervous system education grounded in consent and present-moment awareness.

    Graduates learn to:

    • teach the Alexander Technique with clarity and sensitivity

    • offer Body Mapping and accurate functional anatomy

    • support students in noticing movement habits without interpretation

    • invite present-moment awareness and new possibilities

    • use hands-on guidance with expressed permission and continued consent

    • coach clients through identity, agency, and creative patterns without entering therapeutic territory

    • create inclusive, relationally attuned, trauma-informed learning environments

    • distinguish clearly between teaching, coaching, and therapy

    Practitioners work with what is happening now, not with interpretations of past events. This distinction protects the integrity of the work and ensures a clear, safe scope of practice.

    Certification renews every three years through continuing education that supports the practitioner’s evolving depth and clarity. Annual workshops and 1:1 mentoring help maintain alignment and attunement in a living, evolving profession.


  • Becoming mBODYed practitioners are teachers of the Alexander Technique who broaden their work through educational somatic modalities.

    Practitioners guide students to:

    • explore coordination, ease, and movement patterns

    • understand functional anatomy and accurate Body Mapping

    • engage experiential nervous system education

    • discover new pathways of expression, artistry, and presence

    • explore identity and behavior through somatic coaching

    • welcome awareness without interpreting internal experience

    Teaching, Coaching, and Therapy

    Teaching is instructional and experiential. Teachers present information, guide movement, and support embodied learning without analyzing emotional content.

    Coaching is relational, reflective, and forward-moving. Coaches ask open questions and support awareness without interpreting or diagnosing.

    Therapy is clinical and beyond mBODYed’s scope unless a practitioner holds a separate license. Therapy involves diagnosis, trauma processing, treatment plans, or psychological analysis.

    Activities That May Look Therapeutic

    Some activities may resemble therapeutic tools, but mBODYed practitioners maintain:

    • present-moment focus

    • non-interpretive guidance

    • educational intention

    • contextual clarity

    • consent-driven choice

    Practitioners do not:

    • diagnose physical or mental health conditions

    • provide psychotherapy or trauma treatment

    • interpret emotional or psychological meaning

    • process historical or traumatic memory

    • prescribe therapeutic interventions or protocols

    • guarantee or promise outcomes

  • A. Consent & Professional Boundaries

    • Hands-on work occurs only with express permission and continued consent.

    • Practitioners maintain clear relational and professional boundaries.

    • Student agency guides every interaction.

    B. Trauma-Informed Awareness

    • Practitioners remain attentive to pacing, identity, and lived experience.

    • Awareness is welcomed without interpretation or psychological meaning-making.

    • No trauma treatment is attempted within mBODYed work.

    C. Professional Integrity

    • Practitioners understand the roots and lineages of the work they offer and can clearly articulate when a principle or practice arises from the Alexander Technique, Body Mapping, trauma-informed somatic education, or the integrative mBODYed framework. In practice, these modalities are blended fluidly to support embodied learning, while maintaining clarity about scope, intention, and ethical boundaries. Practitioners represent their training honestly, give credit where it is due, and communicate their work in ways that honor both the traditions they carry and the unique synthesis of the mBODYed approach.

    • Qualifications are represented truthfully.

    • Credit is given appropriately.

    • Exaggerated claims or promises of outcomes are avoided.

    D. Scope Integrity

    • Practitioners remain within educational and coaching scope.

    • Experiential learning is clearly distinguished from therapeutic activity.

    • Referrals are made when needs exceed training.

    E. Confidentiality

    • Personal information is protected.

    • Records are kept securely for three years.

    • Examples used in supervision are anonymized.

    F. Inclusion & Cultural Respect

    • Practitioners honor diverse embodied experiences.

    • Discrimination is not tolerated.

    • Cultural, historical, and identity-based influences on movement and safety are acknowledged.

    G. Collegial Relationships

    • Practitioners communicate directly and respectfully.

    • Concerns are addressed without defamation.

    • Professional collaboration is encouraged.

    H. Ongoing Development

    • Practitioners engage in continuing education and reflective practice.

    • Supervision is sought as needed.

    • Research and somatic understanding are continually integrated.

  • A. Teaching Competence

    Practitioners can:

    • teach AT principles with clarity and presence

    • guide Body Mapping sequences

    • lead experiential anatomy and nervous system explorations

    • observe coordination patterns without interpretive overlay

    • support ease, curiosity, and embodied choice

    B. Coaching Competence

    Practitioners can:

    • create relational learning environments

    • ask reflective, forward-moving questions

    • support identity and behavioral explorations without diagnosing

    • remain grounded in present-moment experience

    C. Touch Standards

    Practitioners:

    • request explicit permission before touch

    • reaffirm consent throughout the session

    • use attentive, non-invasive, educational touch

    • prioritize student comfort, agency, and choice

    D. Communication Standards

    Practitioners:

    • communicate with clarity and warmth

    • avoid interpretive or clinical language

    • tailor explanations to individual students

    • name boundaries and scope transparently

    E. Record Keeping

    Practitioners:

    • conduct an intake process

    • maintain secure, confidential records

    • store notes for a minimum of three years

  • Certification Renewal

    Certification renews every 3 years, supporting a living, evolving profession.

    30 Continuing Education Hours

    CE must support the practitioner’s growth in areas such as AT, Body Mapping, somatic education, movement science, trauma-informed pedagogy, embodiment, or related disciplines.

    Annual Graduate Workshop

    A 2–3 hour training focusing on:

    • pedagogical updates

    • new research

    • ethical and boundary refinements

    • teaching and coaching development

    Annual 1:1 Review

    A relational conversation supporting:

    • CE documentation

    • reflective growth

    • pedagogical clarity

    • alignment with mBODYed standards

  • A. Filing a Grievance

    • Complaints must be submitted in writing.

    • Both parties receive written notice and the full grievance procedure.

    B. Impartial Review Panel

    A three-person panel is convened. Panelists must:

    • have no prior relationship with any named party

    • not have taught or supervised the practitioner

    • sign a Conflict of Interest Declaration

    • commit to confidentiality and neutrality

    Panelists may include AT teachers, Body Mapping educators, somatic movement professionals, or allied practitioners who meet impartiality criteria.

    C. Review

    The panel evaluates the case solely through the lens of this manual, requesting clarification as needed.

    D. Outcomes

    Possible findings:

    • no breach

    • minor breach with remediation

    • suspension

    • revocation

    E. Communication

    Both parties receive written findings and next steps. All documents are stored securely.


Pathways for Certified Alexander Technique Teachers

For somatic educators who have trained in ways outside of mBODYed but are interested in becoming part of the mBODYed Teaching Community.

  • This pathway welcomes colleagues who have completed Alexander Technique teacher training, including those:

    • certified through ATI, STAT, AmSAT, or international equivalents

    • or who are graduates of a teacher training course, even if they are not members of ATI or a STAT-affiliated organization

    The purpose is integration, not repetition. mBODYed Certified teachers integrate AT, Body Mapping, experiential anatomy, nervous system education, somatic coaching, and trauma-informed pedagogy.

  • Applicants must:

    • hold a recognized AT teaching certificate or be a graduate of a reputable AT teacher training program

    • be actively teaching or have taught within three years

    • agree to the mBODYed scope, ethics, and present-moment educational approach

    • demonstrate willingness to integrate mBODYed principles

    Embodiment, Culture, and Privilege Awareness

    As part of the Becoming mBODYed certification process, all AT-trained applicants must demonstrate a developing understanding that embodiment is culturally shaped, access-dependent, and influenced by privilege, power, and systemic forces. Applicants must be able to articulate, either in writing or in conversation during the interview, how cultural frameworks, identity, and lived experience affect:

    • the way people sense and inhabit their bodies

    • who feels welcome or unwelcome in somatic spaces

    • whose embodiment has historically been privileged, centered, or protected

    • how the Alexander Technique and Body Mapping traditions have benefited from cultural, socioeconomic, and institutional privilege

    • how somatic learning can reproduce or dismantle patterns of exclusion

    Applicants should be able to engage with questions such as:

    • How has my own access to embodiment been supported or restricted by culture, identity, and systemic conditions?

    • In what ways have I benefited from the cultural positioning of AT training?

    • How does privilege show up in somatic pedagogy, and how might I unknowingly perpetuate it?

    • How do I understand embodiment as relational, contextual, and not universally accessible in the same way to all people?

    This requirement does not assume mastery. It asks for:

    • openness

    • self-reflection

    • humility

    • a willingness to question inherited assumptions

    • a readiness to participate in ongoing learning

    This awareness is essential for mBODYed practitioners, whose work centers relational safety, cultural attunement, and the recognition that embodied freedom is not evenly distributed.


  • Step 1: Written Application

    Applicants submit:

    • brief professional biography

    • description of current AT teaching practice

    • statement of intention

    • acknowledgment of Scope & Ethics

    Step 2: Interview

    A relational conversation exploring:

    • teaching values

    • familiarity with embodied learning

    • alignment with mBODYed pedagogy

    • readiness for trauma-informed and coaching-based integration

    This determines placement into the Bridge Track or Full Cohort Track.


  • TRACK A: Bridge Track (Abbreviated Pathway)

    For AT teachers already familiar with Body Mapping, somatic pedagogy, trauma-informed approaches, or experiential coaching.

    Requirements

    • condensed coursework in mBODYed principles

    • teaching demonstrations (AT, Body Mapping, coaching)

    • 5–10 hours supervised practicum

    • annual workshop + annual 1:1 review

    • CE hours every three years

    Estimated Timeline

    3–6 months.

    TRACK B: Full Cohort Track

    For AT teachers new to Body Mapping, somatic coaching, or trauma-informed education.

    Requirements

    • full mBODYed certification coursework

    • multiple teaching demonstrations

    • 10–20 hours supervised practicum

    • final integration review

    • annual workshop + annual 1:1 review

    • CE hours every three years

    Estimated Timeline

    9–12 months.


  • Regardless of track, applicants must demonstrate:

    Teaching & Movement

    • clear, accurate, and modernized AT teaching

    • ability to lead Body Mapping explorations

    • experiential functional anatomy

    • pattern observation without interpretation

    Coaching Presence

    • forward-moving, reflective questions

    • agency-centered support

    • present-moment orientation

    • strong professional boundaries

    Trauma-Informed Practice

    • responsive pacing

    • non-interpretive guidance

    • consent-based exploration

    • clarity about experiential vs therapeutic

    Hands-On Standards

    • expressed and ongoing consent
    • attuned, educational touch

    Relational and Culturally-Aware Use of Traditional AT Teaching Tools

    Becoming mBODYed practitioners understand that traditional Alexander Technique teaching procedures were developed within cultural frameworks that centered certain bodies, identities, and movement histories. These procedures, while valuable, can unintentionally flatten individuality, reduce relational nuance, or override the student’s lived experience when applied without context.

    Practitioners are therefore required to demonstrate the ability to use traditional AT tools—such as chair work, table work, hands-on guidance, inhibition, and direction—in a way that is:

    Relational

    • grounded in mutual awareness rather than teacher-driven correction

    • responsive to the student’s history, body, and present-moment cues

    • oriented toward curiosity rather than compliance

    Culturally Attuned

    • aware that embodiment is shaped by culture, access, identity, and systemic forces

    • sensitive to how different bodies experience safety, exposure, and gaze in somatic spaces

    • mindful of how traditional AT procedures have historically privileged certain embodiments over others

    Non-Overriding

    • avoids imposing direction or ease as a universal goal

    • protects a student’s agency and pacing

    • recognizes that patterns arise from protection as much as from habit

    Present-Moment and Non-Formulaic

    • uses procedures as frameworks, not prescriptions

    • follows the student’s unfolding experience rather than a predetermined sequence

    • honors differences in learning, neurodiversity, capacity, and cultural background

    Updated in Light of Nervous System Understanding

    • integrates polyvagal-informed pacing and responsiveness

    • understands that “letting go,” “releasing,” and “undoing” can be unsafe or inaccessible to many

    • prioritizes orientation, consent, and co-regulation rather than traditional notions of “head-neck-back alignment” or universal direction

    Explicitly Connected Rather Than Technically Correct

    Practitioners guide movement in a way that invites:

    • connection, not performance

    • awareness, not correction

    • relational presence, not hierarchical dominance

    The purpose is not to discard traditional AT procedures, but to recontextualize them.

    The tools remain.

    The way we use them changes.

    This requirement ensures that mBODYed practitioners can honor the lineage of the Alexander Technique while teaching it through a lens that is embodied, relational, culturally aware, and aligned with contemporary understanding of the nervous system and social context.


  • All AT applicants must complete:

    A. Ethics & Scope Training

    • present-moment work
    • coaching vs teaching vs therapy
    • consent and boundaries
    • confidentiality
    • grievance procedure

    B. Practicum & Demonstrations

    To ensure alignment with mBODYed principles.

    C. Written Reflections

    Integration essays on:

    • AT within mBODYed pedagogy

    • Body Mapping integration

    • trauma-informed distinctions

    D. Annual Requirements After Certification

    • annual workshop

    • annual 1:1 review

    • CE hours every three years

  • Upon completion, practitioners receive:

    Becoming mBODYed Certified Somatic Coach & Practitioner and are listed on the mBODYed practitioner directory.

    Renewal every three years requires:

    • CE verification

    • annual workshop attendance

    • annual 1:1 review

    • adherence to scope, standards, and ethics

    • no unresolved grievances