Aug18
A Faculty-Led Info Session with Helena Vissing and Christine Gindi
Somatic Psychology
Honoring the whole person lived experience.
A forerunner in the discipline of somatic psychology, our master's degree prepares students to use embodied approaches to psychotherapy. Our pedagogy is whole-person oriented, combining academic rigor, experiential learning, and community engagement with spiritual traditions from across the globe.
CIIS' Somatic Psychology program draws on developmental and sociocultural perspectives, exploring how embodied emotion, expression, identity, and interaction are formed in individuals, families, and communities. Our graduates are trained as conscientious and culturally aware experts in approaches to psychotherapeutic embodied cognition.
Deep Dive into Somatic Psychology
One of only three accredited U.S. programs of its kind, CIIS' M.A. with a specialization in Somatic Psychology places the body at the center of healing. Through immersive, in-person training, you'll develop a trauma-informed, deeply relational practice — and a career rooted in embodied care.
Faculty Research and Scholarship
Our faculty have a wide range of research interests, including early childhood mental health, somatic and movement therapy in foster and adoptive care systems, and queer theory.
On Why Anxiety Can Be Good For You
In this episode of the Public Programs Podcast, professor Deanna Jimenez talks with Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary about her latest book, Future Tense. They explore anxiety in a new way to offer hope to those suffering from it along with a way forward to better managing anxiety to spark creativity and joy for a more productive life.
Mindfulness and Nonviolent Communication
Listen to this talk between professor Terese Gjernes and author Oren Jay Sofer in about the qualities of our attention and how to incorporate a fully body perspective of mindfulness into our communication skills.
Our Misak Identity Is the Spinal Cord of Our Education
In this oral history exploration by faculty Patricia Rojas-Zambrano and her colleague, they share about Misak educational leader and co-founder of the Misak University, Gerardo Tunubalá Velasco. The article reflects on his efforts to create and sustain an autonomous educational system that guarantees the rights and dignity of Indigenous peoples in Colombia and beyond.
Our Upcoming Events
Oct03
Attend the Fall Open House on October 3 or October 17 to get to know your admissions counselors and learn more about CIIS' bachelor's, master's, and Ph.D. programs.
Oct17
A Workshop with Ananta Ripa Ajmera and Cheryl Montanez
Our Program in Action
Campus News
Understand the key differences between MFT and LPCC licenses to choose the right clinical path for your career.
Campus News
At the 2026 Scholarship Dinner, CIIS students and donors gathered to celebrate the journeys that generous giving makes possible.
Faculty News
Don Hanlon Johnson, founder of the first graduate Somatics program in the U.S., retires after more than four decades at CIIS.
Find Your Path in Counseling Psychology
Our M.A. also offers specializations in community mental health, drama therapy, expressive arts therapy, and integral counseling psychology. Explore each one to find the fit that's right for you.