Here at Birch Tree Haven, we host a variety of courses on many subject matters, for both the general public and practitioners and healthcare providers. Currently, there is nothing on our schedule, but join our newsletter to stay updated!

We also host Reiki Levels 1-Master with our resident Reiki Master. Interesting in learning Reiki? Contact us and we will set up a course!

The Anatomy of Trauma

Date: January 25, 2026
Time: 12–6 PM EST
Location: OEV Health Quarters, London, ON & Online via Zoom
Hosted by: Jodi Cronyn, RMT

Description:
Join RMT and Wellness Provider Jodi Cronyn for The Anatomy of Trauma, an in-depth course designed for healthcare and wellness practitioners. This is Part Two of The Trauma-Informed Practice Series, where we return to the anatomy classroom to explore the intricate relationship between the human body and the lasting effects of trauma.

Trauma doesn’t live only in the mind—it takes residence in the tissues, the fascia, and the nervous system, subtly shaping how a person moves, breathes, and relates to the world. For massage therapists, bodyworkers, and movement practitioners, understanding trauma’s physiological imprint opens a deeper dimension of healing. By recognizing and working skillfully with the body’s protective patterns, we help clients safely access stored tension, restore a sense of safety, and reestablish connection to their own physical presence. Trauma-informed bodywork isn’t about reliving the past—it’s about helping the body remember what ease, coherence, and regulation feel like. This approach elevates your practice from symptom relief to true somatic restoration, where touch and movement become pathways to integration and resilience.

Growing evidence from anatomy, cell biology and trauma research shows that traumatic stress is not only encoded in neural circuits but also expressed in the body’s connective tissues and cells. Fascia is now recognized as an active, innervated network that interacts with the nervous system and can reflect long-term postural and protective patterns. Parallel lines of work in trauma and epigenetics show that severe stress can leave durable biological signatures (including altered stress-response regulation and epigenetic marks), which helps explain why symptoms can persist in the body long after an event. Taken together, these findings support a trauma-informed, somatic approach: by working with tissue, movement and nervous-system regulation, practitioners can target the bodily substrates where traumatic patterns are held and help clients reestablish safety and functional movement.

In this course, you’ll:

• Review new research on soft tissue cell structure and how our cells hold memory.

• Delve into fascial anatomy and its connection to trauma and body memory.

• Examine holding patterns related to different types of trauma, injuries, and repetitive strain.

• Learn bodywork and massage techniques that support release and integration.

• Explore movement and remedial exercise methods that promote physical healing.

• Understand how to stay within your professional scope of practice.

• Recognize when to refer clients to other practitioners.

• Revisit key concepts from Part One of The Trauma-Informed Practice Series.

This course provides a blend of theory, hands-on exploration, and evidence-based research to deepen your understanding of trauma’s imprint on the body and how to support healing in your clients.

This is a fully certified course, and is a great enhancement to any healthcare and wellness practice. Join us online or in person, and if joining us online, we recommend having a body to work on during the last three hours of the course. sign up here or reach out with any questions you may have.