WORKSHOPS 2025
Workshops will be announced continuously as attendee applications are reviewed and approved.
Engaging Mind and Body in Practice
At the heart of Body Psychotherapy lies the principle of actively engaging both the body and the mind—a philosophy we wholeheartedly embrace. True to this core value, a significant part of the festival program is devoted to 90-minute experiential workshops, conducted by fellow attendees. These hands-on sessions allow us to practice what we preach (if anything), fostering a rich environment for learning and sharing expertise.
Want to Lead a Workshop?
1. Submit Your Proposal:
After purchasing your Festival Pass, you’ll receive an email confirmation. Use the payment order as Ticket Number to submit your workshop application.
2. Review Process:
The Festival Content Committee will review all submissions. Priority is given to experiential workshops.
3. Confirmation:
Approved workshops will be added to the festival program, and you’ll be notified of the next steps.
Below are the workshops that took place in 2025. First workshops for the next edition will be announced in the spring of 2027.
“The embodied visceral core-self - a hands-on session ”
Siegfried Bach, germany
Siegfried Bach, a practicing biodynamic psychotherapist for over 40 years, has worked extensively with patients, groups and in training other therapists. He founded the bioZEN center for biodynamic psychotherapy in 1992 and cooperated in developing the curriculum with Gerda Boyesen, the founder of Biodynamic psychotherapy. He also got a degree in Psychology and worked in a clinic for chronic pain patients for six years. He has done research on the parasympathetic reactivity under emotional conditions. His mission is spreading the knowledge about the visceral core self while maintaining a firm ground in scientific and clinical psychology.
In this workshop, after the theoretical model is presented first and participants will be guided through practical exercises from the manual.
The model offers a new understanding of the mind and social challenges, much like the embryonic triploblast design advanced life’s evolution through specialized, interacting agents and spurred social cooperation. It details the complexity of human phenomena, illustrating the functional dynamics between their components. This model demonstrates how the gut orchestrates fundamental moods, acting as more than just an information source, a perspective often overlooked by research, that reduces the psyche to neuronal processes.
Based on this model, I have developed a clinical manual for structural strengthening. This manual will utilize a variety of body methods, mentalization, and social interaction to safely and effectively strengthen deficient ego functions. A key biodynamic objective is to cultivate tolerance to oceanic streaming during deep relaxation. This goes beyond Gerda Boyesen’s “independent sense of well-being,” which is crucial for overcoming anxieties like pleasure-anxiety. It also addresses the profound human need for connection and security, a driving force behind mythological narratives, as described by Otto Rank. This deep yearning often remains unfulfilled, particularly in cases of early trauma.
All are welcome to experience this, from newcomers to seasoned clinicians.
“The embodied visceral core-self - a hands-on session ”
Siegfried Bach, germany
Siegfried Bach, a practicing biodynamic psychotherapist for over 40 years, has worked extensively with patients, groups and in training other therapists. He founded the bioZEN center for biodynamic psychotherapy in 1992 and cooperated in developing the curriculum with Gerda Boyesen, the founder of Biodynamic psychotherapy. He also got a degree in Psychology and worked in a clinic for chronic pain patients for six years. He has done research on the parasympathetic reactivity under emotional conditions. His mission is spreading the knowledge about the visceral core self while maintaining a firm ground in scientific and clinical psychology.
In this workshop, after the theoretical model is presented first and participants will be guided through practical exercises from the manual.
The model offers a new understanding of the mind and social challenges, much like the embryonic triploblast design advanced life’s evolution through specialized, interacting agents and spurred social cooperation. It details the complexity of human phenomena, illustrating the functional dynamics between their components. This model demonstrates how the gut orchestrates fundamental moods, acting as more than just an information source, a perspective often overlooked by research, that reduces the psyche to neuronal processes.
Based on this model, I have developed a clinical manual for structural strengthening. This manual will utilize a variety of body methods, mentalization, and social interaction to safely and effectively strengthen deficient ego functions. A key biodynamic objective is to cultivate tolerance to oceanic streaming during deep relaxation. This goes beyond Gerda Boyesen’s “independent sense of well-being,” which is crucial for overcoming anxieties like pleasure-anxiety. It also addresses the profound human need for connection and security, a driving force behind mythological narratives, as described by Otto Rank. This deep yearning often remains unfulfilled, particularly in cases of early trauma.
All are welcome to experience this, from newcomers to seasoned clinicians.
“The embodied visceral core-self - a hands-on session ”
Siegfried Bach, germany
Siegfried Bach, a practicing biodynamic psychotherapist for over 40 years, has worked extensively with patients, groups and in training other therapists. He founded the bioZEN center for biodynamic psychotherapy in 1992 and cooperated in developing the curriculum with Gerda Boyesen, the founder of Biodynamic psychotherapy. He also got a degree in Psychology and worked in a clinic for chronic pain patients for six years. He has done research on the parasympathetic reactivity under emotional conditions. His mission is spreading the knowledge about the visceral core self while maintaining a firm ground in scientific and clinical psychology.
In this workshop, after the theoretical model is presented first and participants will be guided through practical exercises from the manual.
The model offers a new understanding of the mind and social challenges, much like the embryonic triploblast design advanced life’s evolution through specialized, interacting agents and spurred social cooperation. It details the complexity of human phenomena, illustrating the functional dynamics between their components. This model demonstrates how the gut orchestrates fundamental moods, acting as more than just an information source, a perspective often overlooked by research, that reduces the psyche to neuronal processes.
Based on this model, I have developed a clinical manual for structural strengthening. This manual will utilize a variety of body methods, mentalization, and social interaction to safely and effectively strengthen deficient ego functions. A key biodynamic objective is to cultivate tolerance to oceanic streaming during deep relaxation. This goes beyond Gerda Boyesen’s “independent sense of well-being,” which is crucial for overcoming anxieties like pleasure-anxiety. It also addresses the profound human need for connection and security, a driving force behind mythological narratives, as described by Otto Rank. This deep yearning often remains unfulfilled, particularly in cases of early trauma.
All are welcome to experience this, from newcomers to seasoned clinicians.
“The embodied visceral core-self - a hands-on session ”
Siegfried Bach, germany
Siegfried Bach, a practicing biodynamic psychotherapist for over 40 years, has worked extensively with patients, groups and in training other therapists. He founded the bioZEN center for biodynamic psychotherapy in 1992 and cooperated in developing the curriculum with Gerda Boyesen, the founder of Biodynamic psychotherapy. He also got a degree in Psychology and worked in a clinic for chronic pain patients for six years. He has done research on the parasympathetic reactivity under emotional conditions. His mission is spreading the knowledge about the visceral core self while maintaining a firm ground in scientific and clinical psychology.
In this workshop, after the theoretical model is presented first and participants will be guided through practical exercises from the manual.
The model offers a new understanding of the mind and social challenges, much like the embryonic triploblast design advanced life’s evolution through specialized, interacting agents and spurred social cooperation. It details the complexity of human phenomena, illustrating the functional dynamics between their components. This model demonstrates how the gut orchestrates fundamental moods, acting as more than just an information source, a perspective often overlooked by research, that reduces the psyche to neuronal processes.
Based on this model, I have developed a clinical manual for structural strengthening. This manual will utilize a variety of body methods, mentalization, and social interaction to safely and effectively strengthen deficient ego functions. A key biodynamic objective is to cultivate tolerance to oceanic streaming during deep relaxation. This goes beyond Gerda Boyesen’s “independent sense of well-being,” which is crucial for overcoming anxieties like pleasure-anxiety. It also addresses the profound human need for connection and security, a driving force behind mythological narratives, as described by Otto Rank. This deep yearning often remains unfulfilled, particularly in cases of early trauma.
All are welcome to experience this, from newcomers to seasoned clinicians.
More workshops coming soon - stay tuned!
DISCUSSION PANNELS
AND Q&A SESSIONS
Knowledge Needs To Be Challenged
As an integral part of our professional growth, the Discussion Panels and Q&A Sessions encourage curiosity, dialogue, and the exchange of ideas. These sessions are designed to foster engagement between leading body psychotherapists and attendees, creating a space to explore key topics and ask meaningful questions. Join us as we explore, question, and grow together through these dynamic and interactive sessions!
What to expect:
Balanced Format:
Each session is equally divided between insightful discussions among expert panelists (guided by a moderator) and dedicated time for attendee questions.
Interactive Learning:
Attendees are encouraged to actively participate, making these sessions a collaborative experience that deepens our collective understanding.
PANEL 1: “Hustle Culture, Biohacking, And The War On Rest: Can We Still Do Deep Therapeutic Work?”
Moderated by Alexander Vachev
In a world obsessed with optimization, tracking, and hacking every aspect of life — can slow, embodied healing still survive?
This panel brings together four diverse voices from the field of body psychotherapy to explore whether the drive for constant self-improvement is helping or harming us. Together, we’ll question if hustle culture mimics trauma responses, and what happens when rest itself becomes another goal to conquer.
Expect a lively, thoughtful conversation — not a series of monologues — with real dialogue, critical questions, and space for reflection.
We’ll dig into the risks of applying "biohacking mindsets" to human healing, imagine what it takes to protect relational depth in a fast-moving world, and consider where new possibilities might be emerging.
Panelists: Miroslava Manavska, Luciano Sabella, Arber Zeka
Thomas Scheskat, born in 1956, holds a Master’s degree in Education and has accumulated extensive training and experience in the field of psychotherapy. With over 10 years of specialized training in Biodynamic Body Psychotherapy (Speyer, Boadella, and Boyesen, he is a member of the EABP and holds an ECP certification. In addition, Thomas has been trained in the Hakomi (H. Weiss) and has pursued further studies in various approaches to Body Psychotherapy (W. Büntig and M. Aalberse). His professional development also includes specialized training in therapy for sexual offenders and DBT. With 23 years of leadership experience at a forensic-psychiatric state clinic, Thomas has dedicated the past 30 years to offering aggression balance training for both men and mixed groups. His broad and diverse training, combined with his leadership experience, has made him a well-rounded professional in the field of psychotherapy and therapeutic training.
PANEL 2: “Passing The Torch”
Moderated by Marton Szemerey
What does it really take to become a good body psychotherapist—and how much of it can be taught?
This panel brings together seasoned practitioners to reflect on the insights, challenges, and turning points that shaped their work over decades of practice. They’ll speak candidly about the mistakes they’ve made, the tools they had to discover outside of formal training, and the lessons they learned the hard way—lessons not found in any manual.
Rather than offering polished success stories, this conversation will explore what’s truly worth transmitting to a new generation: the deeper qualities, unexpected skills, and sometimes uncomfortable truths that sustain meaningful therapeutic work over time.
Expect honest dialogue, generational wisdom, and a grounded look at how practice often diverges from theory—and why that matters.
Panelists: Martin Waibel, Madlen Algafari, Bettina Schroeter
PANEL 3: “Spirit Of The Future”
Moderated by Saranda Rexha
What is body psychotherapy becoming in the hands of its next generation?
This panel brings together early-career body psychotherapists to share what it’s like to enter the field today—from the inside out. They’ll reflect on what body psychotherapy means to them, how it differs from other approaches, and how the reality of practice compares to what they were taught.
What do they wish had been part of their training? What needs to evolve in the field—and what should be preserved at all costs? How would they describe the unique power of body psychotherapy in today’s world?
This will be an open, curious conversation about the essence of the work, the gaps still to be addressed, and the hopes these younger practitioners carry forward. Come listen in—and glimpse where the future might be headed.
Panelists: Kalina Raycheva, Siobhan O'Malley, Pascal Storz, Szilvia Sebestyén
Thomas Scheskat, born in 1956, holds a Master’s degree in Education and has accumulated extensive training and experience in the field of psychotherapy. With over 10 years of specialized training in Biodynamic Body Psychotherapy (Speyer, Boadella, and Boyesen, he is a member of the EABP and holds an ECP certification. In addition, Thomas has been trained in the Hakomi (H. Weiss) and has pursued further studies in various approaches to Body Psychotherapy (W. Büntig and M. Aalberse). His professional development also includes specialized training in therapy for sexual offenders and DBT. With 23 years of leadership experience at a forensic-psychiatric state clinic, Thomas has dedicated the past 30 years to offering aggression balance training for both men and mixed groups. His broad and diverse training, combined with his leadership experience, has made him a well-rounded professional in the field of psychotherapy and therapeutic training.
MORNING PRACTICES
Start the Day in Your Body
What better way step into your body with intention and energy?! Through Bioenergetic Gymnastics, Dance Meditation, and more—you will awaken your senses, achieve grounding and set a vibrant tone for the day ahead.
There’s no better way to begin the day than by stepping into your body with intention and energy. Our Morning Practices—including Bioenergetic Gymnastics, Dance Meditation, and more—are designed to awaken your senses, achieve grounding and set a vibrant tone for the day ahead. These sessions offer a chance to shake off the ordinary and step fully into the extraordinary space we’re creating together.
Our Morning Practices—such as Bioenergetic Gymnastics, Dance Meditation, and other body-centered activities—are designed to awaken your senses, ground your mind, and invigorate your spirit. It’s more than just a warm-up, it’s an invitation to fully immerse yourself in the extraordinary atmosphere we’re creating together.
NETWORKING
Where Connections Shape Our Growth
The networking events at the festival are more than a chance to meet—they’re a vital space for building relationships, sharing insights, and experiencing the diversity that enriches our work as body psychotherapists. These moments of connection remind us that collaboration across borders and perspectives is essential for growth, both personal and professional.
SOMA CORNERS:
Cozy areas of the festival venue are dedicated to providing opportunities for focused conversations on specific topics. Whether you’re diving into professional insights or sharing personal experiences, SOMA CORNERS are places where dialogue thrives and connections deepen.
BUDDY GROUPS:
Considering the cultural backgrounds of our clients is a crucial component of what we do in psychotherapy, and this is an opportunity to see firsthand how diversified impressions of seemingly the same experience can be. Upon registration, you’ll be placed in a small, group with attendees from different countries and cultural contexts. These groups provide a space to share daily impressions of the festival, ideas, discuss cultural influences on our work,and exchange experiences that broaden your perspective. Together, your group will also take on a fun challenge announced during the festival, making this shared journey even more memorable.
ENTERTAINMENT
There’s Always Something To Celebrate
Every evening of the festival promises an unforgettable time. Picture laughter, music, and movement filling the air as we dance, relax, and celebrate the vibrant community we’ve created. In the world of psychotherapy, we’re used to professional gatherings where the academic atmosphere is dominates the experience. But that’s exactly why we’re having a festival and not just another conference. This is a time to unwind, connect, and embrace joy in ways that go beyond theory and practice and just have fun.
From lively DJ performances, through ecstatic dance sessions to the unique energy of our Silent Disco, these events are designed to give you a sense of freedom and fun - refreshing balance to the deeper work of the day.
ECSTATIC DANCE
We’re kicking off Festival SOMA 2025 with a powerful wave of movement and music. Join us for an immersive Ecstatic Dance session led by DJ Juanito Travels, a French-Colombian artist known for his deep, rhythmic journeys across festivals, retreats, and conscious events throughout Europe.
Currently based in Lisbon, DJ Juanito Travels brings a unique blend of global soundscapes, intuitive pacing, and embodied presence — inspired in part by his connection to the field of body-psychotherapy through his partner’s practice. This opening session invites you to land in your body, shake off the travel, and drop into the collective rhythm of SOMA. No talking. No steps to follow. Just your breath, your body, and the beat.
Come as you are. Leave everything on the dance floor.
