Institute for Integrative Bodywork & Movement Therapy

The Institute for Integrative Bodywork & Movement Therapy (IBMT) offers training in Somatic Movement Therapy & Education, and supports the practice, research and professional development of its students and graduates.

The four module Diploma Programme integrates three main areas of study into a Holistic Approach to Somatic Practice:

• An in-depth experiential and theoretical study of Infant Movement Development, Embodied Anatomy, and Touch & Movement Re-patterning, originated from the principles of Body-Mind Centering®.
• The study and practice of Authentic Movement & Therapeutic Presence, exploring the cultivation of the Inner Witness and developing skills to support Presence and the holding of a client’s process.
• A theoretical and experiential study of Somatic Psychology, including Psychological Models to orientate and contextualise Somatic Work, and an understanding of the central importance of Embodied Relationship between client and practitioner. 

Training is designed to support personal growth and develop skills with which to facilitate the unfolding of process through the body, in professional practice as Educator, Therapist or Artist. This includes:

• awakening awareness in the body and learning methods to facilitate the integration of mind and body in movement,
• witnessing through touch, moving and seeing another move, cultivating an attitude of non-judgmental acceptance and compassion.
• supporting exploration and integration of personal material which may emerge in somatic practice.

The IBMT Diploma consists of four Modules:

Module 1 – Infant Movement Development

Module 2 – Authentic Movement & Therapeutic Presence

Module 3 – Embodied Anatomy & Movement Re-patterning: Body Systems

Module 4 – Somatic Psychology

Some Modules can be taken independently as Professional Development for those working in related fields of practice.

Full details of course content, dates, venue, schedule and current fees can be found on the website: www.ibmt.co.uk

The Institute is an Approved Training Member Organisation of ISMETA (International Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Association). We recommend you join as a student member and Graduates of the Diploma can be fast tracked in their application for Registration as a Somatic Movement Educator and/or Therapist, with no application fee to pay. Information can be obtained at www.ismeta.org 

ISMETA is our regulatory body and all graduates abide by their Scope of Practice, Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics. https://ismeta.org/about-the-profession

To embody the work fully, and develop the skills to practise professionally, you are asked to make regular time for the following during each Module:

Please email an electronic copy of both your Written Paper and Record Sheet to Jane Okondo at info@ibmt.co.uk who will send them to the Teacher who is to read your work. A copy of your essays and record sheets will be held on file for reference during the Final Assessment process. Please make sure you also keep copies of all work submitted.

Submission Dates: The electronic versions of your written paper and record sheet should be sent by the last day of the final seminar of each year. The Case Study and Film Session can be submitted by 1^st May and 1^st October within the 2 years after you have completed all modules.

Please type your paper using an 11-12 point font size and 1.5 line spacing, keep within the word limit, and add a Word Count at the end. Papers that are too long or too short may be returned for Re-submission. Artwork or Photographs may be included if you wish.

You are asked to use the Harvard Referencing System to reference any quotations and works cited in your paper. A Bibliography of these and other relevant literature, properly referenced, should be included at the end. (Some examples are given below; you can also Google ‘Harvard Referencing System’ for more information.)

If you have specific difficulties in writing (eg. dyslexia) you should inform one of the Teachers early in your Training, so that a creative way of approaching the written requirements can be explored together.

If English is not your first language, you might prefer to write in your own language then ask someone to translate your paper for you. Minor grammatical or spelling errors will be accepted, providing your work is readable and understandable.

If you have general difficulties in putting your thoughts into written form, we strongly recommend taking a Session with someone who can help you to explore and find solutions to your ‘writer’s block’. Some of the Teachers or Assistants may be willing to do this – please ask – or your personal therapist might be able to help.

Your Written Paper should be completed DURING the Teaching Year and emailed to the Student Co-ordinator at info@ibmt.co.uk by the last day of the final seminar.

If exceptional circumstances arise and you realise you are going to miss this deadline, you must tell the Teacher who will be reading your paper BEFORE this date.

Should you fail to submit your Paper by the Final Seminar, there will be a late submission fee of £30.00 to pay. Before the end of the Year you will negotiate with the Student Co-ordinator a realistic Final Submission Date, which cannot be later than the beginning of the next module of study.

Failure to meet this Late Submission Date may result in a Referral.

You will be given a Certificate of Attendance at the end of each Module or Module series. Please keep these, as they will help you to complete your Annual and Final Record Sheets. They can also be used as CPD Certificates if you are a member of a Registering Body that requires this.

When you have completed all course work you will be given a Final Attendance Certificate. You must have been present for at least 500 class hours in order to qualify for this. Tutorial hours can be included in the total, but not personal or peer practice sessions, or Individual Sessions.

Once you have this Certificate you can use the letters Cert IBMT after your name, providing you Register annually with the IBMT Directory of Practitioners. (Please see Guidelines for Use of Name.) There is an annual Registration Fee for this listing (£30 per year Standing Order).

On completion of all Requirements and successful Assessment of your Case Study and Filmed Session, you will be awarded the IBMT Diploma, and will become a Graduate of the Institute and a fully qualified IBMT Practitioner!

You can then use the title Dip IBMT after your name, providing you Register annually with the IBMT Directory of Practitioners.

You can now apply, through the Fast-Track Route, for Registration with ISMETA as a Registered Somatic Movement Educator and/or Therapist. You will be given a Reference from the Institute, usually written by your Internal Assessor or Faculty Member.

To the best of our ability, we will instruct and guide you in your studies; we will provide appropriate study materials such as reading lists, course hand-outs, and relevant articles. Teachers and assistants work together to share and reflect on how best to support your studies.

It is our intention to treat you with respect, and be fair in our dealings with you.

We aim to give support and feedback as needed, throughout your Training. Written Feedback on your Written Papers and your progress throughout the Year will be given by one of the Teachers, at the end of each year. 

Feedback on your Submission will also be given by the Internal and External Assessors after reading your Case Study.

We hope that your time studying at the Institute will be a rewarding and satisfying experience. All of the Faculty are dedicated to facilitating this in whatever way we can.

However, we know that occasionally difficulties can arise between Students and Faculty Members. Should this happen to you, as an IBMT Trainee, these are the steps that should be followed in seeking to address the problem. All legitimate Grievances will be taken seriously, and responded to within this framework.

• If these steps have failed to resolve the problem satisfactorily, or don’t feel possible for you, and you feel there has been a genuine breach of Ethics, then you can take your Grievance to the ISMETA Board. They will look into the issues, and determine whether any action needs to be taken against the Faculty Member.
• If possible, approach the Faculty Member directly and ask for time to talk over the problem.
• If resolution cannot be found through this approach, or if you don’t feel comfortable approaching it this way, you can ask another Faculty Member of your choice to facilitate a dialogue.
• If this fails to address the Grievance satisfactorily, you and the Faculty Member concerned may agree to ask the Institute Director to mediate a meeting for you.
• Alternatively, you and the Faculty Member concerned may agree to ask the External Assessor, or another professional Consultant/ Mediator/ Therapist to mediate a meeting for you. [The student and Faculty Member concerned will both be asked to contribute towards any Fees required to pay for this.]

You are expected to attend all Training Days, complete all Home Study and Written Requirements, and hand in Written Work according to the Guidelines outlined above.

We also expect that Students will behave according to the ISMETA Codes and Standards during their time of Study, and will behave in a way that is respectful towards Faculty and other Students.

Behaviour that is aggressive, bullying or abusive towards Faculty or other Students will not be tolerated.

Should you experience or witness any inappropriate behaviour from another Student, please inform a Faculty Member as soon as possible. The Faculty member will initiate a process of facilitation to try to resolve any issues. If necessary, the Student will be dismissed from the Course. No Refunds will be given in this instance.

It is essential that you are present for all training seminars. Please make every effort not to miss days, and not to arrive late or leave early.

Should you miss up to two days of class-time in a seminar, you can catch up on the missed material with a fellow student. If you prefer, you can take a tutorial with a Teacher or Assistant.

Should you miss three days or more of any seminar, you are required to take a tutorial with an Assistant or Teacher. You will pay the Tutor directly for this. Alternatively, you can take a missed Weekend / Seminar, free of charge, when the Module is offered again.

Should you miss two weekends of any module, you can make up one weekend in a tutorial (as outlined above) but will be required to take the additional missed weekend /part seminar at a later date. There is no further charge for taking the additional weekend/seminar, providing the whole Module has been paid for in full. 

If you miss more than 6 days of a Module you must take all missed seminars of that Module at a later date; and may be required to Re-take the whole Module if you miss too much.
You will need to Register for the module subject to places being available. There may be an additional charge if fees have increased.

It is necessary that you complete at least 500 class hours to fulfil the Diploma and ISMETA’s Registration Requirements.

Attendance is important both for your own learning of the work; for the cohesion and safety of the group of which you are an essential member; and for the development of a professional attitude towards your work.

If you fail to complete all the Requirements satisfactorily for any given Module you may be referred on for further study or practise, either during training or before continuing:

You might be asked to Re-submit Written Work, engage in further Peer Practice or personal Movement Practice, or take more Individual Sessions, for example.

In more extreme situations, you might be asked to re-take one or more Modules, to be decided between the Student and Director/core Teachers. (Providing all of your Fees were paid when the Module was first taken, you need pay only 50% of the current fee for a Re-take.)

Or you might be asked to take time off and engage in a course of personal Psychotherapy or regular IBMT Sessions before continuing with the Training, for example.

Reasons for Referrals

Written Work: Failure to submit your written papers, as outlined above.

• After you complete your training hours, you will have up to two years to complete your Case Study. If this deadline is missed, you will have the chance to complete the Diploma by Re-taking at least one Module, to be decided between the Student and Teacher or Director, after which you will be given another two years to complete your Case Study.

Attendance: Missing too many class hours:

• You must have taken at least 500 class hours throughout the whole Diploma, which will meet ISMETA Requirements. You must also make up any missed material: with a Peer if you have missed two days or less, or in a Tutorial with a Teacher or Assistant if you have missed three days or more of any Seminar. You will pay the Tutor directly for this.
• Missed Seminars can also be taken at a later date; this is a Requirement if two full Weekends or a full six-day Seminar has been missed. There is no further charge for this. (See ‘Attendance’ above)
• Even if you attend all Seminars but regularly miss hours by arriving late or leaving early, this must be recorded on your Record Sheet accurately, and may result in you not meeting the overall Attendance requirement. Such patterns must be addressed as soon as possible, if necessary, within your personal therapy.
• If you have missed too many hours in this way, you may be able to complete the Diploma by Re-taking a Module, to be agreed with the Director and Teachers.
• All required make-up Tutorials and Seminars must have been taken before submitting your Final Work for Assessment. They should be recorded on your Annual and/or Final Record Sheets, as relevant.

If you have failed to meet other requirements, you will be given advice and support to work towards making up any areas of difficulty. In extreme situations you might be asked to take time out and Re-enter the Diploma at a later date, if this is thought to be best.

If you leave before the end of a Module, you will be asked to take the whole Module again when Re-entering the Programme.

When Registering for a Module you are agreeing to take responsibility to pay for this Module in full; even if you choose to leave early, this commitment should be honoured. Once you Re-enter the Programme you may pay for an uncompleted Module at 50% of the rate current at the time of Re-entry.

Should you fail to pay the full fee for a Module which you leave early, re-entry will be at the discretion of the Director and Teachers; in this case, you will have to pay the full fee when re-taking it at a later date, and this will have to be paid in full before the module begins.

The Register Directory was set up to support your professional identity as somatic practitioners and the work we do. 

• The Register is a list we hold of practitioners who have completed their studies. 
• The Directory is a publicly visible list of these practitioners on IBMT.co.uk.
• IBMT Certificate or Diploma graduates are eligible to join the IBMT Register or Directory.
• Members of the Register and Directory can use Dip or Cert IBMT after their name.
• If members want to not be publicly visible, they can maintain their Register membership but not be part of the Directory. 

The benefits of being part of the Directory are: 

• Have a visible presence on the central IBMT website.
• Gain referrals from clients and IBMT students currently enrolled on the programme.
• Publicise your work through the IBMT newsletter and Facebook page.

Once you have your diploma, if you are practising as a IBMT practitioner, you need to register with our professional body of ISMETA. This provides you with: 

An established system to manage any complaints against you, to reassure you as a practitioner as well as those you work with.

• A Code of ethics and standards of practice to support your work
• Belonging to an international group of practitioners for networking, support, and development.
• Provides the practitioner with an external validation to their professional training and practice.
• Provides clients you work with, with the reassurance of working with a practitioner who has completed an approved training.

Directors of the Institute/Teachers: Jane Okondo & Paul Beaumont : info@ibmt.co.uk

Jane Okondo:

• UK Administrator
• Student Coordinator
• Institute Internal Assessor & Coordinator

Paul Beaumont:

• Institute Membership Directory/Register
• UK Finance Administrator
• Social Media and Website

Founder of Programme: Linda Hartley: linda@lindahartley.co.uk

Please contact the Supervisor directly to see if they are available to work with you. Because of distance, sessions may need to take place online or phone. Where possible, at least one initial face-to-face meeting is recommended.

Aki Omori (UK): aki2002@gmail.com

Amy Voris (UK): info@amyvoris.com

Beverley Nolan (UK): beverley.nolan@btinternet.com

Brenda Naso (UK): brenda_naso@hotmail.com

Jane Okondo (UK): jane@somaflow.co.uk  or info@ibmt.co.uk

Paul Beaumont (UK): paul@paulbeaumont.net

Penny Collinson (UK): hello@pennycollinson.com

Frauke Burchards (Germany): F.Burch@web.de

Cornelia Schmitz (Germany): corn.schmitz@web.de

Masha Grudskaya (Russia) mariagruds@gmail.com

Nina Kungurova (Russia) kuninaku@gmail.com

Danguole Venslavice (Lithuania) danguole.venslavice@gmail.com

As some of you move towards the end of your training, and several of you are now practising, we would like to clarify the use of the names. Please read this carefully and comply with these requirements, being aware that these processes are fluid and could change in the future.

As you know, Body-Mind Centering® is a registered trade mark and can only be used by those authorised by the SBMC; this is a legal requirement and misuse of the name can lead to prosecution. You can describe your IBMT work as being ‘based on, or influenced by principles of Body-Mind Centering®’, but not as being Body-Mind Centering®.

BMC® is also trademarked. When you write the name BMC you should use the symbol ® after it.

There is usually an agreed exception to this in books or articles; what we suggest is to put the ® there the first time, then you can leave it out thereafter. If your publisher refuses to do this we suggest you get them to make a written statement agreeing that they take legal responsibility for the omission – just to safeguard yourself.

It is considered good practice to reference the main sources of your work, and this principle is listed in ISMETA’s Standards of Practice. This means that if IBMT work is a significant influence upon your teaching or practise it should be named in all your own marketing material. It is not enough to state ‘…based on principles of BMC®’ without referencing IBMT. We ask you all to respect this principle, as the work Linda & faculty have developed as IBMT draws upon many other sources, research and experiences alongside the foundation in BMC® principles and practice.

Once you have received a Diploma in Integrative Bodywork & Movement Therapy you can call yourself a ‘Practitioner of Integrative Bodywork & Movement Therapy (IBMT)’ or an ‘Integrative Bodywork & Movement Therapist’ if you prefer. For some of you it will be appropriate to use the term Educator instead of Therapist.

The letters Dip IBMT can be used after your name, providing that you join the IBMT Register and Directory of Practitioners.

Once you have completed all courses and are working towards completing requirements for the Diploma, you can say that you have trained in IBMT; you can also use the letters Cert IBMT after your name, providing that you join the IBMT Register and Directory of Practitioners.

Whilst you are still completing courses you can say that you are training in IBMT; if you have taken some courses but not the whole training you may say that you have studied IBMT.

You are, of course, encouraged to use whatever you have learnt within your own practice and teaching, referencing IBMT appropriately.

If you have the Dip IBMT:

~ you may teach workshops using IBMT in the title if you wish

~ you may integrate IBMT into your teaching on other training courses

~ you may not teach IBMT curriculum courses at a training level without discussion with the Institute. It may be possible for those suitably qualified to do this on a license basis. Please be aware that IBMT course titles and curriculum are copyrighted intellectual property.

The module in Authentic Movement & Therapeutic Presence that is part of the training, and other short courses, are not qualifications to teach Authentic Movement. A generally accepted principle in the unregulated field of Authentic Movement is that when a teacher and student both feel the student is ready, they may begin to teach Authentic Movement. The deceptively simple forms require many years of personal practice to fully embody; most teachers are also either psychotherapists, dance movement psychotherapists or somatic movement therapists. In the meantime, if you wish to use Authentic Movement principles in your work, please credit it as one of your sources, but choose another title for your course.

There is now a pathway of preparation to become a teacher of the Discipline of Authentic Movement, initiated by Janet Adler. Please see the website: www.disciplineofauthenticmovement.com for details of this.

Thank you for your on-going co-operation with these guidelines.

Linda Hartley (IBMT Founding Director)

Once you begin to offer IBMT Sessions to the Public, you are expected to seek appropriate Supervision. See list in this handbook and/or you might want to seek supervision from other appropriately experienced and qualified professionals, depending on your field of work.

As a practising Somatic Movement Therapist, you should also be Insured.

In the UK, some of the options are listed below:

https://www.towergateinsurance.co.uk

https://www.howdengroup.com/uk-en/health-care-professions-insurance

https://www.holisticinsurance.co.uk

https://www.balens.co.uk

Although not yet a requirement from ISMETA, we strongly recommend that you engage in Continuing Professional Development after Graduation. This might take the form of attending Workshops, Courses, Conferences, Classes, Peer Study Groups; doing Research; writing or editing Articles for publication; relevant Reading and personal Study, for example. There are many ways of continuing your Professional Development once you have Graduated.

The ‘IBMT Network’ Google group is a closed group that has been set up for all those who have enrolled on a Diploma Module, so is a way for students, graduates and faculty to keep in touch from all the IBMT programmes 

With the Google Group, an email sent to the group email automatically gets sent to all those in the group, like a mailing list. You can change how often you receive the group emails and leave the group at any time. 

You need to have a google account to be a member of the group, but you don’t need a gmail email address. Emails can be sent to your non-gmail email address. If you don’t have a google account, you can see how to set one up here: Find and join a group – Google Groups Help

You can then search for the group ‘ibmtnetwork’ (no gaps) and request to join.