PRENATAL AND PERINATAL SOMATICS
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IPPD Graduates

Graduates from the Integrated Prenatal and Perinatal Dynamics (IPPD) program have completed an advanced certificate program that trains professionals to prevent and treat birth trauma using a somatic trauma resolution approach.

Our skills include presence, relationship, listening, recognition, and conversation, and they work to identify and transform nervous system states related to stress and threat responses from trauma experiences connected to conception, pregnancy, birth and after birth.

Our work is non-regressive and is present-time oriented.

Practitioners learn about parts of the baby’s experiences starting preconception based on prenatal and perinatal somatic psychology. These include:
  • Preconception and Ancestral/Parental patterns,
  • Conception,
  • The threshold moments of the embryo,
  • The birth sequence and patterns in the body from birth,
  • The impact of birth interventions, and
  • Trauma for antenatal experiences
Practitioners also learn the midwifery model of care, including ways to create continuity of care, a safe relational space, and many elements related to pregnancy, birth and after birth, including:
  • Preconception and conception dynamics
  • Uterine shapes, placenta dynamics, cord dynamics
  • Physiologic birth dynamics
  • Heart tones and what they mean during birth
  • Many different birth patterns that can be overwhelming
  • Induction dynamics
  • Anesthesia and analgesia dynamics
  • Birth interventions, including forceps, vacuum assist, and c-section dynamics
  • After birth dynamics, including the baby’s experience of feeding, crying, and sleeping trauma
  • Postpartum distress dynamics
  • Attachment and bonding sequences starting preconception through the after birth and postpartum time
Practitioners also learn somatic trauma resolution skills related birth trauma/traumatic births including:
  • Medicalized Birth Trauma
  • The Shock of Witnessing
  • Working with a Birthing Timeline (single episode) in relationship to the body
  • Restoring Primitive Survival Responses to Overwhelming Situations
  • Attack and Assault
  • Near Death
  • Injury and Recovery
  • Repairing Relationship to Essential Self, Supportive Other, and World
IPPD graduates are not trained in psychology, nursing, or massage therapy skills. They learn rudimentary biodynamic craniosacral therapy elements so they can understand field theory and relational repair. In essence, our practitioners:
  • Help recognize, reach, and transform trauma responses and patterns related to birth and earliest experiences for families wanting to conceive, or who are already pregnant or have given birth.
  • Welcome newborn families and connect the family members to themselves and each other so that the whole family thrives.
  • Refer to bodyworkers, lactations consultants, medical providers and mental health specialists as needed.
They conform to their professional scope of practice and ethical standards that may change from state to state and country to country.

Australia​

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Vanessa Worthington, SEP, IPPD
traumahealing.com.au
[email protected]​
Wamberal, NSW, Australia
Teaching Team for Australia​
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Alison Brown
​Mental Health OT

newcastleperinatalplace.com.au
​[email protected]

Newcastle, NSW, Australia
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Jane Faulkner
Director, Equine Assisted Therapy Australia
equineassistedtherapyaustralia.com.au
[email protected]
Tallebudgera Valley, QLD, Australia
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​Gitte Virkmann Larsen PTP, RAB
www.gittelarsen.com.au
Scamander, Tasmania and online
[email protected]
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Lisa Lee, RCST, LCCE, IPPD
metasoma.com.au
[email protected]
Sydney, NSW, Australia

Central and Eastern Europe

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Nina Cikes Stegic, MD, IPPD
 Centar za perinatalnu psihologiju i rano roditeljstvo
[email protected]
Rijeka, Croatia
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Dea Maria Računica
Actress, doula, birth educator, perinatal birth and somatic therapist
Instagram: Dea douluna
Croatia
Nana Majstorović 
PPNE/APPPAH, IPPD
Certified PSHRCW
 (Empower life)
Music therapist - MT B.C.
Polyvagal Informed Practitioner
Musical baby bonding teacher
IAIM-CIMI, Doula

[email protected]
Synchronylab.com
Belgrade, Serbia

Mexico

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Maria Kiekari, SEP,  IPPD
[email protected]
Mexico, Veracruz
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​​Alix Medina
Partera, Birthworker,
Spinning Babies® Aware Practitioner (SpBAP)
Placenta Encapsulation Specialist,
Lactation Counselor ALPP
www.alixmedina.com

[email protected]
Mexico, Tijuana
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Ximena Rojas Garcia
Midwife & Certified Nurse Midwife
+52 55 3489 0763
Mexico, Baja California

Middle East

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Zena Takieddine, MA, SEP, IPPD
Member of the Middle East North Africa Trauma Alliance - MENATA
Trustee of Tools 4 Inner Peace
Co-Founder of Body Mind You (BMY)
Dubai, UAE

Western Europe

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Lenka Valinhas, IPPD
sacredlifeflow.com
[email protected]
Trim, co. Meath
Ireland

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Ilja van de Griend
IPPD, PPNE
www.almasoma.pt
Lisbon, Portugal
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Gitte Virkmann Larsen PTP, RAB
www.healingcenteret.dk
[email protected]
Malling, Denmark

United States

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​Rachel Smith LMT, IPPD
MindfulMassageCville.com
[email protected]
Charlottesville, Virginia​
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Ahara Vatter​, IPPD
liquidlightbodyworks.net
[email protected]
Denver, CO, Santa Fe, NM
Austin, TX, Sedona, AZ
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Heather Zivkovich LMT, BCTMB, IPPD
balancedbeingwellness.com
b​​[email protected]
Annapolis & Edgewater, Maryland
Suzanne Miller SEP, LMT, RCST®, IPPD​
bodywork4wellbeing.com
[email protected]
Silver Spring, Maryland
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Lesha Nelson, OTR/L, CCST, IPPD
leshanelson.com
[email protected]
Salt Lake City, UT
Heather Hinz, MS, OTR/L, CST-T, IPPD
withinsight.net
[email protected]
Springfield, OR

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Shatia Owsley,  MS, PPNE, CEIM, CYT
Indigowomb.com
​
[email protected]
Alexandria, VA
Multicultural Wellness Director
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Patrica Jacqulin Winchester
[email protected]
New Jersey and Trabago


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Laura Layla Centorrino
lauralayla.com
[email protected]
Sacremento, CA
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Kirstin Soares
gentletoucheastbay.com
[email protected]
Albany, CA


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Sarah Downer, LSCW, IPPD
sarah-downer.clientsecure.me
​[email protected]
Seattle Area, Washington State
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Marinah Farrell, Midwife, SEP, IPPD
indigenousbirth.com/
 [email protected]
​
Phoenix, AZ
​Co-Teacher 
Sarah Chan, PT, IPPD
sarahchanpt.com
[email protected]
Ridgewood NJ
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Paul J. Russo, IPPD
https://soffiodivita.net/
[email protected]
Breathwork Practitioner
Portland Area, Maine
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Tema Mercado LM, CPM
www.lamatrizbirth.com
[email protected]
San Diego, CA
Sarah White-Ayón, RCST®, IPPD
www.somatic-resonance.com
[email protected]
Brooklyn, NY
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Richard Crandall, LCMHC, LADC,
​PTP, BCST, IPPD

www.awakeningsholistic.com
​[email protected]
Windsor, VT
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Pam Sacree, BCST IPPD
[email protected]
Spring Hill TN
Dayna Hernandez, CPM, LM, IPPD
​
www.thegodisinus.com
[email protected]​
​New York, NY
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​Autumn Cavender-Wilson
CPM, Indigenous Lactation Counselor (ILC)

She/Her/They/Them
Yellow Medicine Midwifery, LLC

[email protected]
​Granite Falls, MN
Tien Tran RCST®
intuitiveguide.net
[email protected]
Brooklyn, NY + Los Angeles, CA
Samar Sepehri
www.somaticmamas.com
San Diego, CA
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​Muriel Peraro
RCST
®, LMT, ZB, IPPD practitioner
[email protected]
303 5th Avenue suite 1510 
New York, NY 10016
Ximena Rojas Garcia
Midwife & Certified Nurse Midwife
+52 55 3489 0763
San Diego USA
Liz Fullerton, RN, BSN; IBCLC;
PPN practitioner

www.alltogetherhealing.com
[email protected]
Kingston, New York
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FATIMA MUHAMMAD ROQUE, MPH
Midwife, Traditional Medicine

www.momsdadsbabies.com
[email protected]
Phoenix, AZ
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Jill Denninger
RPP, RCST
®, IPPD
[email protected]
Morristown, New Jersey
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​Alix Medina
Partera, Birthworker,
Spinning Babies® Aware Practitioner (SpBAP)
Placenta Encapsulation Specialist,
Lactation Counselor ALPP
www.alixmedina.com

[email protected]
​San Diego, CA
The Prenatal and Perinatal Somatics Institute is an official training organization within the USABP. 
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  • Home
    • About PPSI
    • History and Legacy
    • Educator, Practitioner, Assistant, Faculty Tracks
    • Stories from the Field
  • PPN Wellness Toolkit
    • List of Twelve Modules
    • Your Instructors
  • IPPD
    • Foundations >
      • Salt Lake City Foundations
    • IPPD Training >
      • IPPD Level One
      • IPPD Level Two
      • IPPD Level Three
    • Practitioners
    • IPPD Testimonials
  • Pediatric Bodywork
    • Pediatric Bodywork Level One
    • Pediatric Bodywork Level Two
    • Pediatric Bodywork Level Three
    • Practitioners
  • Early Family Somatics
    • Assessment and Evaluation
    • Practitioners
  • Advanced Bodywork
    • Advanced Bodywork in PPS Level One
    • Advanced Bodywork for PPS Level Two
    • Advanced Bodywork for PPS Level Three