Trauma Aware and Empowered Massage Therapy

Trauma Aware and Empowered Massage Therapy is a comprehensive, 24-hour continuing education course designed for massage therapists who seek to deepen their trauma-informed care skills through neuroscience, somatic awareness, therapeutic presence, and compassionate communication. As trauma increasingly becomes recognized as a public health issue, massage therapists are uniquely positioned to offer healing support—when equipped with the appropriate understanding, boundaries, and skills.

This training integrates the latest research in trauma theory (including the Polyvagal Theory and the ACES study) with experiential exercises, bodywork demos, and hands-on practice. Participants will explore the 4 F’s of trauma response (fight, flight, freeze, fawn), how trauma can manifest in the body through both proprioceptive and interoceptive disturbances, and how to respond skillfully to emotional releases or nervous system dysregulation during sessions.

Through interactive somatic games, demonstrations, guided meditations, and partnered practices, massage therapists will learn to attune to their own nervous system states, develop therapeutic presence, and enhance their intake process with trauma-aware language. This course also emphasizes the importance of “set and setting”, cultivating a sensory-safe treatment space, and offering meaningful aftercare that supports client empowerment beyond the table.

Whether you’re working with clients who have named trauma histories or simply want to offer care that is rooted in sensitivity, choice, and embodied safety, this course will help you provide massage therapy that honors the full complexity of the human experience.

Date: 4/17/26 – 4/19/26
Times: 9am – 6pm
CE Hours: 24
Cost: $456

Instructor: Lauren Higdon

Lauren Higdon, LMT, CYT, SOMATIC COACH & Founder of Centered Holistic Health
An educator with 25 years of experience in somatic holistic healing, Lauren brings a deep wealth of knowledge and compassion to the classroom. She holds her private practice in Lexington, KY, and is a longtime faculty member at Lexington Healing Arts Academy and an Advanced Group Leader for the Somatica Institute. Specializing in nervous system regulation through her BreathTouch™ modality, she integrates her background as a somatic relationship coach, birth doula, and breathwork practitioner to create empowered, trauma-aware spaces. Her courses help us to move beyond basic technique into more resourced bodywork, benefiting both client and practitioner by facilitating deeper healing through empathy, vulnerability, and nervous system support. Lauren is dedicated to elevating trauma-aware care within the massage industry by teaching LMT’s how to cultivate co-regulation and somatic awareness.