Arielle Schwartz’s Trauma Treatment Certification RetreatIntegrating EMDR, Somatic Therapy & Polyvagal Theory for Post-Traumatic Growth
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Immerse Yourself in the Beauty of the Rockies
Spend 5 transformational days with internationally-renowned trauma expert Arielle Schwartz
Immerse yourself in the natural beauty of YMCA of the Rockies near Estes Park, Colorado, where you’ll spend 5 transformational days with internationally-renowned trauma expert Arielle Schwartz!
Nourish your body and mind during this experiential, clinical getaway and gain the integrative approaches you need to help clients navigate the journey of trauma recovery.
PLUS, earn up to 18 CE Hours AND become certified as a Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP)!*
As a clinician, you understand that simply talking through trauma isn’t always enough and can even worsen symptoms—intensifying intrusive thoughts and deepening anxiety.
Trauma is more than just an emotional wound; it manifests physically—causing muscle tension, altered heart rates, and breathing issues—impacting the entire system.
That’s why addressing both body and mind is crucial for providing ethical, cutting-edge care.
When you integrate these advanced practices into your therapy sessions, you help clients reconnect with their bodies, regulate emotions, and fully integrate trauma…
…transforming their journey from mere survival into deep, lasting change
Within the transformative, healing landscape of the Rocky Mountains, trauma expert and best-selling author Arielle Schwartz, PhD, CCTP-II, E-RYT, EMDR-C, will guide you through her signature mind-body approach to addressing clients’ trauma. You’ll learn to integrate interventions from cognitive behavioral therapies including EMDR, somatic psychology, parts work therapies, and therapeutic yoga—all grounded within a relational, psychodynamic approach to care.
Through this interactive, hands-on, and highly experiential learning experience, you will practice and absorb the approaches and tools you need to reduce the burdens of trauma and feelings of hopelessness from your client’s body and mind.
By the end of the retreat, you’ll have more than a new set of techniques.
You’ll have a deeper understanding of how to help clients heal through the body — and the confidence to put that knowledge into practice.
Secure Your Place in Estes Park
Financing is available through Klarna during checkout. Learn about Klarna here!
Earn up to 18 CE Hours, included in your tuition.
Cancellation policy.
Get The Training That Changes
How You Show Up in Every Session
Throughout 30 years of experience as a trained somatic psychotherapist, trauma treatment expert, EMDR Therapy consultant, and yoga instructor, Dr. Schwartz has formed the basis of her resilience-informed and strength-based approach to care.
Join a group of your colleagues as Dr. Schwartz guides you through immersive and experiential activities, didactic lectures, Q&As, live demonstrations, and hands-on skills training across multiple approaches:
- Polyvagal Theory – Learn to address the physiological imbalances in the autonomic nervous system through practices that allow clients to sense their body, change how they breathe, move stuck energy & rest into stillness.
- Somatic Therapies – Discover how mindful body awareness is an essential part of psychotherapy & learn gently guided somatic movement & yoga practices to help clients access positive states of empowerment, strength & relaxation. No yoga or somatic movement experience needed!
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) – Gain an understanding of how to safely work with clients’ emotions, sensations & dissociative states to help them process disturbing memories through desensitizing related images, thoughts, feelings & body sensations. No previous EMDR training required!
- And More!
You don’t want to miss this opportunity to learn from Dr. Schwartz and unlock your potential to cultivate well-being, foster resilience, and generate post-traumatic growth in your clients suffering from trauma’s overwhelming symptoms.
The daily schedule is designed to allow ample personal time to enjoy the beautiful surroundings and amenities. And, with all-inclusive pricing, your lodging, meals, and training are all covered in one simple price.
Are you ready? Register today and we’ll see you in Colorado!
Not another training you watch.
Practice with Dr. Schwartz guiding you
She’ll demonstrate, you’ll practice, she’ll coach. Repeat.
Real-time feedback
Dr. Schwartz and her team move through the room, observing your practice, answering questions, refining your approach.
Space to absorb it
This is a retreat, not a cram session. The schedule leaves room for mountain walks, quiet reflection, and organic conversation.
Clinicians who get it
Meals together, and unstructured hours where you swap case stories and realize you’ve found your people.
An unmatched Colorado backdrop.
Nestled on 860 acres and bordered on three sides by Rocky Mountain National Park, YMCA of the Rockies Estes Park puts you right in the heart of some of Colorado’s most breathtaking scenery.
Mountain Magic
Wake up to breathtaking mountain views, crisp alpine air, and wildlife right outside your door.
Endless Adventure
From hiking and swimming to archery and family fun, there’s something for everyone.
Time to Reconnect
Unplug from the everyday, recharge in nature, and create lasting memories together.
Comfort Meets Convenience
Cozy accommodations with private rooms and bathrooms make every stay feel like home.
What Does Tuition Include?
Learn to facilitate lasting change using a mind-body approach to complex trauma.
Clinical Skills
- Experiential learning, live demos, and Q&As with a renowned trauma expert
- CCTP Certification Application Fee — a $99.99 value!
- Up to 18 CE Hours, CE Certificate & course manual
Rocky Mountain Experience
- 4 nights of comfortable accommodations featuring a private room, private bathroom, and mountain views
- Three hearty, nourishing meals a day
- Includes free access to many amenities and activities across their expansive resort. Click here to find out more!
A Resilience Informed Approach to Trauma Treatment
- Program overview and objectives
- What is trauma: Trauma as a continuum
- DSM-5® classification of trauma & stressor-related disorder
- Assessment of psychological trauma including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Complex Trauma
- Principles of trauma-informed care
- Current literature and research on the latest treatment modalities
- A resilience informed approach to care
- Reflecting on resilience
- Experiential Practices:
- Orienting, grounding into support, intention, connections and group interaction
- Choice and containment
- Embodied self-care for practitioners
Attending to Adversity from a Foundation of Relational Safety
- Recognizing developmental, attachment, and relational trauma
- Intergenerational, legacy, and collective trauma: Contextualizing symptoms
- Trauma and the nervous system: Insights from interpersonal neurobiology
- Case conceptualization and history: Taking questions with spacious relational awareness
- Somatic Psychology: Embodiment in trauma treatment
- Titration, pendulation, and somatic repatterning in trauma recovery
- Attunement skills to track nonverbal communications in trauma treatment
- Limitations of the research and potential risks
- Affect regulation and co-regulation through relational resourcing
- Approach-avoidance dynamics in therapy
- Working mindfully with rupture and repair cycles
- Experiential Practices:
- Therapist attachment strategies
- Somatic resources to enhance embodiment
- Proximity awareness and boundary development
Applied Polyvagal Theory in Trauma Treatment
- The unresolved stress response and thwarted instincts
- Anchor your social engagement system through vagus nerve awareness
- The tiered response to threat
- Trauma and the senses: Understanding neuroception
- Two assessment tools for nervous system awareness
- Experiential Practices:
- 5-point check-in
- Counter the negativity bias with gratitude practices
Therapeutic Yoga for Trauma Recovery
- The eight limbs of yoga from a trauma-informed perspective
- Polyvagal theory as applied to therapeutic yoga
- The five types of yoga interventions
- Heart rate variability (HRV), vagal tone, and vagal efficiency
- How fascia or the connective tissue matrix is essential for mind-body communications
- Discuss brain integration in therapeutic yoga
- Experiential Practices:
- Conscious breathing for stress reduction
- Natural vagus nerve stimulation practices to promote emotional and physical health
- Explore a gentle Therapeutic yoga Sequence
Compassion-Based Interventions & Restorative Yoga Nidra
- The importance of restorative practices for mind-body health
- How to provide trauma-sensitive mindfulness
- Experiential Practices:
- Strategies for self-compassion and loving kindness
- Trauma-informed yoga nidra practice
EMDR Therapy & Parts Work: An Integrative Approach to Trauma Recovery
- Discuss The 8-Phases of EMDR Therapy
- Neural networks and “encapsulated” ego states
- Bilateral stimulation and dual attention in EMDR Therapy
- Explore how to safely work with client’s emotions, sensations, and dissociative states
- Recognize parts, ego states and defenses
- Understanding emotional dysregulation as a “part”
- Facilitating rescue and repair scenarios
- Modified EMDR Therapy protocols
- Experiential Practices:
- Anchoring the Adult Self
- Build Allies for a Part of Self
- Live demonstration session
Pendulation and the H.E.A.L. Protocol — Practice
Enhancing Resilience & Post-Traumatic Growth: Anchoring Positive Changes
- Resilience as a process and an outcome
- Help clients move from learned helplessness to learned optimism
- Empower growth post-trauma and build a personalized resilience recipe
- Experiential Practices:
- Expand possibilities with Installation of a Golden Nugget
- Define the neurobiology of trauma as it relates to trauma treatment.
- Identify the clinical implications of the freeze response in trauma treatment.
- Integrate polyvagal theory into the assessment of the neuroception of safety and threat.
- Evaluate the tiered response to threat and hybrid nervous system states.
- Determine co-regulation strategies that strengthen the social engagement system.
- Choose tools to expand the window of tolerance.
- Combine principles of somatic psychology with trauma recovery.
- Determine grounding techniques that increase clients’ resources.
- Examine Heart Rate Variability (HRV) as it relates to stress management.
- Evaluate how natural vagus nerve stimulation can enhance health.
- Identify the five types of therapeutic yoga practices used for trauma recovery.
- Evaluate the intersection of neuroplasticity research applied to trauma treatment.
- Define emotional dysregulation as “parts” of self.
- Utilize practical parts work therapy interventions to improve treatment outcomes for “resistant” clients.
- Choose trauma-informed therapeutic yoga practices to enhance felt safety and self-regulation.
- Utilize self-compassion as a resource for mind-body health.
- Determine modified EMDR therapy protocols that create a safe healing environment for complex trauma.
- Integrate Parts Work Therapy interventions into trauma treatment.
Clinicians ready to make meaningful change with their trauma clients.
Dr. Arielle Schwartz
Dr. Schwartz founded the Center for Resilience Informed Therapy and developed Resilience-Informed Therapy, an integrative model facilitating recovery from childhood trauma, PTSD, complex PTSD, and dissociation. She is a Certified Complex Trauma Treatment Professional Level II, an EMDR consultant, a somatic psychology expert, and has been teaching therapeutic yoga since 2008.
Her book Therapeutic Yoga for Trauma Recovery is one of the most widely referenced guides to applied polyvagal theory in trauma treatment. Even Dr. Stephen Porges has praised her work.
But what sets Arielle apart isn’t just her expertise — it’s her presence. Warm, grounded, deeply attuned. The kind of clinician you want to learn from, and the kind of clinician you want to become.
860 acres,
built for renewal.
The daily schedule is designed to allow ample personal time to enjoy the beautiful surroundings and amenities. And with all-inclusive pricing, your lodging, meals, and training are all covered in one simple price.
- Private lodging with private bathrooms (double occupancy available for two traveling together)
- Pine forests, mountain meadows, and elk wandering the grounds
- Bordered on three sides by Rocky Mountain National Park
- An indoor pool, craft center, and miles of hiking trails
- Peaceful trails, sunrises, sunsets, and stargazing
An afternoon in Estes Park.
Some afternoons belong to the trail. Others belong to town itself. The kind of afternoon where you wander, linger, and remember what it feels like to have nowhere to be.
- Downtown Estes Park — Shops, galleries, and riverside cafes along the Big Thompson.
- Estes Park Aerial Tramway — A scenic ride up Prospect Mountain for sweeping views over town and Rocky Mountain National Park.
- Rocky Mountain National Park — Scenic drives and short hikes just minutes from the property.
Good to know: YMCA of the Rockies sits just a few minutes from downtown Estes Park, which makes a free afternoon in town an easy escape. Many attendees add a night on either end to soak in more of what the area offers. Just note that CE boards require full attendance through departure day.
Retreat Schedule
All times listed in local time.
*CE is awarded during these specified times. A break will be included during longer training sessions, at the discretion of the speaker. Licensing boards require full attendance to the entire retreat, including departure day, to receive any credit for the entire retreat. Please review the schedule carefully and plan travel accordingly.
What clinicians say about Dr. Schwartz.
Dr. Schwartz is an excellent presenter and researcher! I consider myself a seasoned trauma specialist and I learned so much.
Marie G., PhDBy far, one of the most insightful, profound, and beneficial seminars I have ever participated in.
Russ J.Dr. Schwartz has been, hands down, the most effective presenter I have experienced. A valuable gem to the community.
Walter D., LMFTMore than a new set of techniques.
Become certified as a Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP). Plus a digital badge of completion and a deeper understanding of how to help clients heal through the body.
Certification Made Simple
It’s never been easier to become a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP):
- Step 1: Attend this retreat.
- Step 2: Complete the CE test.
- Step 3: Submit your application to Evergreen Certifications & we’ll cover the cost of your certification fee (a $99.99 value!)*
That’s it! No hidden fees, no catch. Just certification made EASY.
*Professional and clinical standards apply.
Click Here to Learn More About CCTP Certification
We partner with Evergreen Certifications to include certification with some of our products. When you purchase such a product, we may disclose your information to Evergreen Certifications for purposes of providing services directly to you or to contact you regarding relevant offers.
Trade burnout for balance in the breathtaking beauty of Estes Park.
Financing is available through Klarna during checkout. Learn about Klarna here!
This is the first time Dr. Schwartz is offering this complete training-to-retreat experience.
Up to 18 CE hours. Credit details · Cancellation policy.
Frequently asked questions.
Up to 18 hours of live CE at the retreat. View full credit details. Credit hours may vary by board and profession.
Retreat rooms at YMCA of the Rockies are simple, yet comfortable, offering you a peaceful space to unwind and recharge. Rooms are lodge-style with private bathrooms, meant to be quiet places for you to pause, rest, and unwind while on retreat.
Learn More Here: Lodging in Estes Park, Colorado | YMCA of the Rockies
From your purchase date through June 30, 2027: cancellation results in a full refund less a $100 administrative fee.
From July 1 through August 1, 2027: cancellation results in a 50% penalty of the total purchase amount.
From August 2nd, 2027: cancellation results in a 100% penalty of the total purchase amount.
See full policy.
Complimentary parking is included with your stay. View YMCA of the Rockies FAQs.
For other FAQs about the YMCA of the Rockies, please visit their website FAQ here: Colorado Travel Tips | YMCA of the Rockies.
Good to know.
Location
YMCA of the Rockies
2515 Tunnel Road
Estes Park, CO 80511
(970) 586-4444 · Colorado Mountain Resorts | YMCA of the Rockies
Shuttle & Travel
The closest major airport is Denver International Airport (DEN), about 1.5–2 hours away. Shuttle services run directly between DEN Airport and Estes Park. The YMCA of the Rockies recommends these shuttle services:
- EPX Rideshare | Estes Park Transportation
- Estes Park Shuttle – Shuttle Services, serving transportation needs in the Estes Park area
Transit times may take longer than the geographical distance from the airport — review the retreat schedule and plan flights accordingly. Travel insurance with a cancel-for-any-reason option is advised.
Accessibility
The grounds and roads are a mixture of paved paths and natural terrain, spread over many acres at elevation (about 8,000 feet), requiring walking moderate distances and traversing hills. They offer many accessibility features in their lodging and programs. Please call their reservation line to discuss specific needs and how the YMCA can best meet them. Contact: 888-613-9622. If mobility is a concern, please contact the retreat center before registering with PESI.
Non-Participating Guests
Your retreat package is all-inclusive and all reservations are per individual, not per room. Anyone staying with the group incurs a room and board charge whether or not they participate in the training. To bring a non-participating guest, contact PESI at 800-844-8260.
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Cancellation Policy
From your purchase date through June 30, 2027: cancellation results in a full refund less a $100 administrative fee.
From July 1 through August 1, 2027: cancellation results in a 50% penalty of the total purchase amount.
From August 2nd, 2027: cancellation results in a 100% penalty of the total purchase amount.
Unable to attend? Contact us right away: retreatinfo@pesi.com · 800-844-8260