Shame and Grief: How Trauma Lives in the Body – Free Trauma Healing Event with Peter Levine & Diane Poole Heller

Healing shame and grief begins when we stop following a script — and start following the body. In this grounded, free training, you’ll see how somatic practices gently bring what’s been held down back into motion, so your system can settle and connection can return.

Shame and grief often hide behind exhaustion, isolation, or the sense that something vital has gone quiet. Beneath those patterns live old stories and once-protective mechanisms that now keep pain in place. When we meet them through sensation and pacing, what feels stuck can begin to move.

Grief shows up in many forms — not only after death. It can accompany endings, missed chances, and life chapters changing shape, which means it touches our capacity for joy, intimacy, and presence. Shame often guards the doorway to that grief, turning tenderness into self-criticism and withdrawal. Through the body, both can soften.

In this live masterclass, Dr. Peter Levine and Dr. Diane Poole Heller show how the body reveals and resolves the hidden roots of shame and grief. By witnessing the process in real time, you’ll see how compassion, attunement, and clear Somatic Experiencing® principles support regulation and genuine vitality.

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Why Attend “Shame and Grief — How Trauma Lives in the Body”

Let’s bring kind attention to what the body already knows. When you follow sensation — pressure, breath, warmth — you meet shame and grief where they live, which means you don’t have to force insight; you can allow experience to unfold at a tolerable pace.

In this session, you’ll witness Somatic Experiencing® principles in action, so you can see how orienting, pendulation, and titration create safety and momentum. You’ll notice how collapse and withdrawal begin to shift, and then how expression, steadiness, and contact return.

By learning to recognize the body’s signals, you’ll gain practical ways to support regulation — for clients or for yourself…

So that old protective patterns can ease and a more authentic vitality can come forward.

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What You’ll Learn During “Shame and Grief — How Trauma Lives in the Body”

We’ll begin by noticing how shame and grief take shape in the body, so you can name patterns like collapse, constriction, and heaviness — and then meet them with steady attention.

In this session, you’ll watch core Somatic Experiencing® skills at work, which means you’ll see how the nervous system moves toward balance when given time, pacing, and support; you’ll also learn language you can use right away.

You’ll leave with practical tools you can bring to sessions and daily life, so that expression has safer pathways, boundaries feel clearer, and connection becomes easier to trust.

Here’s just a little bit of what you’ll learn:

• How shame and grief manifest somatically — collapse, withdrawal, and shutdown
• Reading nervous system cues that signal overwhelm versus capacity
• Orienting, pendulation, titration, and completion in simple terms
• Ways shame can block grief — and how to gently re-open that doorway
• Practices that support regulation, expression, and reconnection
• Language for tracking sensation without retraumatizing
• How protective patterns began — and how to honor then update them
• Gentle steps to restore dignity, contact, and authentic vitality
• Applications for clinicians, caregivers, and personal practice
• What to watch for during live demonstrations and how to integrate insights

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Who This Is For

This training welcomes clinicians and non-clinicians who want grounded ways to meet shame and grief through the body. You’ll be guided with clear pacing, so it’s easy to follow along whether you’re new to somatics or experienced.

If you’re a therapist, coach, bodyworker, educator, caregiver, or on a personal healing path, you’ll find practical frameworks and language you can use immediately — in sessions, community settings, and daily life.

• Therapists, counselors, and mental health professionals
• Body-based practitioners and somatic coaches
• Social workers, caregivers, and community leaders
• Educators and advocates building trauma-sensitive environments
• Individuals exploring their own healing with gentle support
• Clinicians from other modalities integrating somatic awareness

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About Dr. Peter Levine & Dr. Diane Poole Heller

Peter A. Levine, PhD, is the developer of Somatic Experiencing®, a naturalistic and neurobiological approach to healing trauma refined over more than 50 years. He founded the Somatic Experiencing® Trauma Institute/Foundation and the Ergos Institute of Somatic Education™. His work has reached over 50,000 therapists in 45+ countries.

Dr. Levine served as a stress consultant for NASA during early space shuttle development and contributed to American Psychological Association task force efforts addressing large-scale disasters and ethno-political violence. Holding doctorates in both Biophysics and Psychology, he is the author of several bestselling books, including Waking the Tiger, published in more than 29 languages. He is currently a Senior Fellow and consultant at The Meadows Addiction and Trauma Treatment Center in Wickenburg, Arizona, and continues to teach internationally.

Diane Poole Heller, PhD, is an internationally recognized speaker, author, and teaching expert in adult attachment theory and trauma resolution. Her signature approach — DARe (Dynamic Attachment Re-patterning experience) — equips therapists and individuals with practical exercises that facilitate healing from attachment and trauma wounds.

Her work has supported survivors, helpers, and families affected by events such as 9/11 and Columbine. She authored The Power of Attachment: How to Create Deep and Lasting Intimate Relationships and has helped countless people develop Secure Attachment Skills (SAS) that foster connection and resilience in adult relationships.

Across their combined decades of teaching, Dr. Levine and Dr. Heller bring a compassionate, body-based lens to healing that honors pacing, dignity, and the nervous system’s innate move toward regulation.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When and where does the event take place?

This free online event takes place on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at 11:00am Pacific Time (PT). After you register, you’ll receive an email with access details to join live and a link to the recording if you can’t attend.

Who are the hosts?

Dr. Peter A. Levine and Dr. Diane Poole Heller will co-host this live masterclass and Q&A.

What will I learn during this event?

You’ll learn how shame and grief manifest in the body, see core SE® principles in action, and take away practical tools to support regulation, expression, and renewed connection.

What if I can’t attend live?

No problem. All registrants receive a limited-time replay link, so you can watch at your convenience.

How long is the event?

Approximately 90 minutes.

Will there be a Q&A with the presenters?

Yes. There will be dedicated time for Q&A so you can hear responses to participant questions in real time.

Do I need any special equipment to participate?

No special gear is required — just a reliable internet connection and a device with speakers or headphones. A quiet, private space is helpful.

Who is hosting the event?

This event is presented by Trauma Solutions and hosted by Dr. Peter A. Levine and Dr. Diane Poole Heller.

Is this event suitable for beginners?

Yes. The session is accessible and paced gently, welcoming people of all backgrounds and experience levels.

Is this event religious?

No. The training is non-religious and welcomes people of all beliefs.

Will there be an opportunity to go deeper after the event?

Yes. You’ll hear about additional offerings from the presenters for those who wish to continue learning.

What can I expect to feel during the event?

Many people notice more ease, warmth, and clarity. You may also feel emotion moving and a greater sense of contact and steadiness.

Can I share this event with friends?

Absolutely. Please invite anyone who could benefit from a gentle, embodied approach to healing.

Is this event really free?

Yes. There’s no cost to attend.

What is Somatic Experiencing?

Somatic Experiencing® (SE) is a body-based approach to healing trauma that uses awareness of sensation and small, paced steps to support completion of stuck survival energy and restore regulation.

How do shame and grief show up in the body?

They often appear as collapse, heaviness, constriction, or withdrawal. You may notice downcast eyes, rounded posture, or a sense of going quiet inside. Tracking these cues helps guide safe next steps.

Will there be a live demonstration?

Yes. The presenters will demonstrate SE® principles in real time and discuss moment-to-moment tracking.

Is this appropriate for clinicians and non-clinicians?

Yes. The material is designed to be useful for mental health professionals, bodyworkers, and anyone exploring their own healing.

Are CE credits offered?

No CE credits are offered for this free training.

Will I need to participate on camera?

No. Participation is invitation-based. You’re welcome to watch quietly and practice along.

How should I prepare?

Arrive a few minutes early, have water or tea nearby, and bring a notebook for any insights. Headphones can help you focus.

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