Professional Development
Somatic Body Mapping Intensive (SBMI) is a two-day holistic embodied process for professionals, followed by a post-SBMI reflective practice. You will experience and learn about 1) being with your body, 2) understanding the body-mind connections, 3) expressing somatic experience through creativity, and 4) nonjudgemental and embodied witnessing.
The safe, nonjudgemental and slow paced SBMI process allows you to explore somatic explorations, artmaking, deeply listening and witnessing in a collective conscious circle of participants. You will be gently guided to get in touch with your body, meet bodily felt senses, and mark them through colours, shapes, objects, and movements on a body-size map. We gather in a circle where we share and/or listen to others. You require no experience or skills in artmaking and movements. We may work on conscious themes or allow our bodies to unconsciously connect with emerging themes. In this circle, the facilitator, Mioi Foster-Nakayama, employs the practice of psychodynamic psychotherapy approach, Authentic Movement and dance movement psychotherapy, and the theoretical underpinnings of attachment relationships and an infant's early development.
In a post-SBMI reflective practice, Mioi offers a space for participants to reflect on how they can incorporate newly developed somatic awareness in their practice and strengthen their clinical understanding. You will be provided with readings about SBM and guided to reflect on the process, facilitation, and theories behind the process. Please note the post-SBMI reflective practice is not training to become an SBM practitioner but to strengthen your clinical skills.
Somatic Body Mapping Intensive
+ the Reflective Practice
Dates;
For All Genders (cis, trans and nonbinary)
(maximum 5 participants)
23rd and 24th May 2026
24th and 25th of October 2026
with a 1-hour reflective practice (in-person or online)
Venue:
The Cottage Parish Community Centre
(behind Our Lady of the Way Catholic Church)
2 Laffers Road, Belair 5052 SA (Google Map)
Time
9:00am - 5:00 pm
Fees : $700 (inclusive of art materials, reading materials, resources and refreshments)
Booking Essential: Contact Me or register here
Counsellor, 30s
"I attended this workshop with the intention of learning a lot of tools and techniques to support my client work...And of course I did. But what I didn't expect or prepare for, was the personal discovery I went on over the two days and the journey inwards to better understand myself. I felt guided by skilful, caring and wise facilitator, Mioi"
Testimonials
Psychotherapist, 70s
Clinical Supervisor
"A gently paced self reflective process provided with great sensitivity and care by the facilitator"
Art Therapist, 60s
"Body Mapping provides a beautiful integration of heart, mind, body and soul. The experience helps to inform my own practice."
About
Mioi Forster-Nakayama
I have been creating somatic body maps since I met Annette Schwalbe (Sr. RDMP, Somatic Body Mapping Mentor) in England in 2014. I navigated my grief of my mother's passing, marriage, pregnancies, fears and anxieties through this creative process within the safe space provided by Annette. I joined her mentoring program to learn about this approach in 2018 to become a facilitator. Since then, I have been offering SMB to professionals and individuals under Annette's clinical supervision to safely and ethically practise SBM. I offered the workshops for
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young refugees in the U.K. (2018)
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a group of women in Tokyo (2019)
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Practitioners in Australia (2021onwards)
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PhD Researchers
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Mothers-to-be
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transgender person
Right now, I am developing my somatic body map to mitigate possible secondary traumatisation in my research project.
