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Our 9-month life-changing professional pathway in somatic sexology helps you build a strong foundation of embodied presence, attuned client-led touch, and core competencies as a skilled practitioner—moving you into readiness for giving transformative client sessions that foster deep relational trust, growth, learning, and lasting change.
Our Beautiful Residential Retreat Venue - Algarve, Portugal
Our training cohort is limited to 14 practitioner learners to ensure quality, intimacy and full embodiment of the practices taught.
Course Dates 2026 - 2027
Online Modules In White & In Person Modules In Purple
Module 1: Community Somatic Distance Learning - Sep 01 – Jan 09
Module 2: In-person Embodiment Week 1 - Jan 16 – 23
Module 3: Community Somatic Distance Learning + practice working with volunteers - Jan 30 – Mar 27
Module 4: In-person Embodiment Week 2 - Apr 03 – Apr 10
Integration Day Apr 11
Body Sense Supervision Group Clinic Days: April 12th -16th 2027
Module 5: Supervised practice of 25 sessions - Apr 18 – Jun 26
Julian Marcus BSc(Hons) Therapeutic Bodywork

Meet the course leader?
I am a certified somatic sex educator and clinical sexologist with a a passion for relational bodywork. I work both as active practitioner, and practitioner trainer at the intersection of touch, nervous system regulation, and relational ethics.

My work has evolved through years of hands-on practice, study, and listening — to bodies, to relational dynamics, and to what emerges when technique is no longer the centre.

I hold professional spaces for bodyworkers and somatic practitioners who are ready to refine their presence, deepen their capacity, and work with greater clarity, integrity, and sustainability.

I am interested in supporting practitioners who can stay present and attune with the skills to be of true service to their clients.

Learn more about my approach →
What graduates say about this modality:
Experiential Training + Supervision Clinic

At the heart of this trauma informed training lies a profound invitation to embody the art of somatic sex education—for yourself, and for those you'll guide as a practitioner. This is no theoretical journey; it's a deeply felt immersion, where you'll awaken to erotic embodiment through hands-on, body-centered practices. You'll explore a rich tapestry of Somatic Sex Education™ tools: the gentle art of sensate focus, the empowering framework of the embodied consent, genital mapping and mindful massage; breathing is usalised as a bridge to presence, compassionate approaches for remediation of scar tissue, and the sacred coaching of self-pleasure rituals. Here, knowledge blooms not from the mind alone, but from the wisdom of your own skin, breath, and desire. This training prepares you to be a highly effective person-centred coach and bodyworker in the intimacy field. Student practitioners are encouraged to attend our "Body Sense" supervision and teaching clinic in the beautiful Algarve, Portugal, alongside and post certification for ongoing skill refinement, peer feedback, and seamless integration of somatic practices into your professional work.
Embodied Group Dynamics & Learning

In this training, you'll learn somatic sex education practices through direct, shared experiences with your peers, ensuring skills are integrated in real time. You'll first apply these modalities to yourself before moving into working with peers, then volunteers and later clients. Receiving and giving touch, practicing consent protocols, and exploring sensations of pleasure and vulnerability in a supported environment weave together approaches with embodied relational experience. The group setting fosters collaborative growth: participants exchange feedback, observe each other's progress, and build skills through mutual practice, rather than purely solo study. You'll document your insights via structured written reflections, reviewing those from classmates to identify patterns and deepen understanding. This approach mirrors how sexual awareness develops in real life—through consistent, intentional, and self-directed somatic engagement over time.
Hybrid Pathways: In-Person and Somatic Distance

This training weaves the intimacy of the virtual and home practice phase and the in person and visceral group immersions into a seamless path of becoming. You'll engage through live video circles that pulse with presence, solo home practices that deepen your inner knowing, evocative video demonstrations, a guided practicum to hone your hands and heart, and collaborative sessions that bridge screens and spaces. In Modules 1 and 3, you'll co-create moments of connection—online dyads and in-person pairings—to integrate the somatic threads. Then, during our Algarve - Portugal, In-Person Embodiment Weeks (Modules 2 and 4), we gather as a living constellation: you, your peers, and facilitators, immersing in extended bodywork explorations, relational coaching, and the quiet alchemy of professional kinship. It's a rhythm that honors the body's longing for both expanse and encounter, allowing your skills to ripen in the warmth of collective holding.
Radical Welcome: Inclusivity and Diversity

All bodies are welcome in this training. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where every participant feels fully valued and supported. We celebrate the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our community, including differences in age, race, culture, professional expertise, life histories, sexual orientation, relationship structures, and gender identities and expressions. Diversity is not only embraced but actively integrated into our learning process, enriching the collective exploration of somatic sex education. Join us as your authentic self—your unique perspective strengthens and benefits the entire group.
Meet The Teacher Team
  • Julian Marcus
    Founder and Director of Trainings
    Relational bodyworker, practitioner trainer of Somatic Sexology, Clinical Somatic sexology and Coaching.
  • Ella Mesma
    Wheel of Consent® Fascilitator
    Professional dancer, choreographer, embodiment coach and certified Rolfing practitioner.
  • Svitlana Textoris
    Trauma Informed Practice
    Certified Somatic Sexologist
    + BodyMind Gestalt Therapist and Expressive Arts Therapy Practitioner.
  • Libby Sheppard
    Bodywork Teacher
    Somatic Sexologist, bodyworker, intimacy coach and educator in exploring and expanding our capacity for pleasure.
  • Nicola Garrett
    Bodywork Educator
    Certified Somatic Sex Educator and Specialist in Scar Tissue Remediation, Internal Pelvic Work & Caster Oil Therapies
  • Joseph Kramer
    Founder of Sexological Bodywork
    Founder and senior curriculum contributor to the modality aspects of Sexological Bodywork
  • Ellen Heed
    Anatomy, Physiology & Scar Tissue Remediation
    Internationally recognised authority on pelvic bodywork and trauma informed clinical practice.
  • Betty Martin
    Creator of the Wheel of Consent ®
    Senior supervising educator on the topic of embodied consent.

Our Clinical Applications Of
Somatic Sexology® Course Structure

Modules 1 & 3
Community Somatic Distance Learning
  • Home Practice

    The somatic distance learning components of Modules 1 and 3 form the backbone of your embodied skill-building in Somatic Sex Education™, allowing you to cultivate deep, personal integration through structured home-based practices. This phase emphasises consistent curiosity and intentional somatic exploration, laying a solid foundation for your professional confidence and client-ready expertise.
  • Community Learning

    Guided by online video demonstrations and curated reading, you'll gain a comprehensive overview of somatic sex education principles, with targeted focus on educational approaches, erotic bodywork techniques, somatic coaching and communication skills, masturbation coaching, pleasure practices + erotic embodiment approaches, and sexual wellness strategies.
  • Community Forum

    Your hub for submitting Somatic Enquiry reflections, engaging in peer discussions, and connecting directly with teaching team for real-time guidance and feedback. These modules structure your weekly routine around directed sessions—solo practices, paired exercises with fellow students, and supervised interactions with volunteer partners—complemented by essential readings and video resources.
  • Individual Embodiment Folio

    You'll actively contribute to the group dynamic by submitting progress reports on your practices, fostering accountability and collective insight that accelerates your growth. Learning from the variety and diversity of experience from others in the training is deeply enriching for your own learning and future practice.
  • Study & Time Commitment

    To fully engage and benefit from this rich body of work, plan for a minimum commitment of 25 hours per week during these modules. Module 1 centres on self-directed somatic work to build your internal resources and presence, while Module 3 shifts to relational applications, honing your ability to facilitate touch and consent with others. Sequential completion of each module is essential to ensure progressive competency before advancing.
  • Assessment Process

    Our assessment approach is designed to holistically evaluate your growth as a somatic sex educator, blending intellectual insight with embodied action to ensure you're fully equipped for professional practice. You'll demonstrate proficiency through structured written reflections that capture your somatic insights and personal evolution, targeted assignments that reinforce key concepts in erotic embodiment and client facilitation, and hands-on observed in-person practices.
What graduate practitioners say about this work:

Modules 2 & 4: Embodiment Weeks

Community embodiment immersion, Algarve,
with supervised clinical practice days
  • Clinical Practice

    Following the foundational somatic distance learning in Modules 1 and 3, you'll join faculty and peers for immersive in-person gathering, where embodied skills take root through collaborative practice. Embodied consent serves as a cornerstone ethical framework, integrated throughout the training to guide consensual interactions and empower client-led explorations.
  • Hands On Learning

    These Embodiment Weeks deliver targeted instruction and hands-on application in breath-work, self-massage, movement practices, sensate focus, embodied consent protocols, and scar tissue remediation techniques—building your capacity to facilitate profound shifts in erotic awareness and relational safety.
  • Session Structures

    In Module 4, the focus advances to active receiving, mindful genital mapping, structured session design, and creating supportive group learning spaces. A key priority is equipping you to guide clients in directing their own somatic discoveries, fostering autonomy and depth. Through paired and group touch exercises, you'll refine awareness and technical proficiency, extending the self-study foundations into dynamic, real-time relational work that prepares you to lead with precision and presence.
  • Embodied Consent

    Creating clarity of consensual agreements with our clients is a foundational competency, practiced across all modules to ensure ethical, client-centered interactions. This framework equips you to navigate boundaries with clarity, building trust and enabling deeper somatic engagement in both individual and group settings.
  • Clean Language and Body Poem™

    Develop essential coaching skills through Clean Language and Body Poem techniques, emphasising radical acceptance and the innate self-organising wisdom of the body. Integrated with the embodied consent, these tools shift from directive treatment models to active receiving, empowering clients to uncover their authentic erotic narratives and expand relational fluency.
  • Self-Regulation Using Breath-work

    Learn to leverage breath, integrated with sound, movement, touch, and focused awareness, to influence the nervous system and promote neuroplasticity. Through guided sessions, you'll coach self-regulation strategies rooted in interpersonal neurobiology and affective neuroscience, helping clients build greater capacity for choice, resilience, and expanded sensory experiences.
  • Guiding Conscious Breath-work

    Breath serves as a primary gateway to somatic sex education, with multiple techniques taught to amplify self regulation, sexual excitement and erotic vitality. You'll gain practical methods to guide clients in harnessing breath for heightened arousal and sustained presence, directly enhancing session outcomes and client embodiment.
  • Muscular, Skeletal + Genital Anatomy

    Build a robust anatomical foundation through webinars, visual presentations, experiential demos, and guided practices woven into every module. This somatic approach demystifies the body's structures, sharpening your ability to inform and adapt touch for precise, therapeutic impact.
  • Relational Bodywork Applications

    Nervous system tracking and fascial techniques elevate your touch from mechanical to profoundly attuned, creating sessions that respond dynamically to the client's internal landscape. Fascial approaches, drawing from myofascial release and embodied listening, teach you to engage the body's connective web with gentle, directional pressure that amplifies sensory flow.
  • Sexual Expression

    Delve into gender and genital identity as they intersect with belonging and authentic expression—a vital element of your professional evolution. These explorations cultivate the erotic and emotional fluency needed to support clients in claiming their sexual selves with confidence and integration.
  • Genital Identity and Body Image

    Address genital identity and body image to develop core competencies in erotic and emotional navigation. Hands-on practices foster interoceptive awareness, enabling you to guide clients toward embodied acceptance and integrated sensory connection.
  • Trauma-Informed: Working with Altered States of Consciousness

    Recognising that touch evokes memory; our trauma-informed approach uses embodied a co-creation and maintenance of a felt sense safety with consent and Clean Language to choreograph practices that honor response flexibility amid different states. You'll build essential skills in holding space for emotional intensity, ensuring sessions remain within clients' windows of tolerance and promoting neuroceptive safety as a certification cornerstone.
  • Erotic Embodiment Coaching

    Rooted in Authentic Movement, erotic embodiment or masturbation coaching breaks limiting patterns and unlocks profound erotic depth through witnessing and being witnessed. You'll practice one-on-one and group formats, incorporating feedback for precision, under the guiding principle: "Change the way you masturbate, change your life"—transforming clients' self-pleasure into a portal for holistic empowerment.
  • Somatic Sex Coaching

    Overcome shame and sensory-motor amnesia by facilitating client-led, co-created somatic explorations that restore erotic embodiment. Emphasising collaborative learning objectives and agreed-upon practices, you'll structure sessions to inhabit new relational patterns, blending mindfulness with actionable body-centred strategies for personal and communal growth.
  • Mindful Genital Mapping

    Through reciprocal giving and receiving, master client-led genital and anal touch techniques that heighten embodiment and interoception. You'll also learn to adapt these for couples and groups, delivering sessions that cultivate sensory precision and relational intimacy with professional ease.
  • Facilitating In-Person and Online Groups

    Transform ideas into impactful group experiences with a trusted step-by-step framework: Engage, Study, Activate, and Install. This structured yet creative process equips you to lead dynamic somatic learning environments, whether in-person or virtual, maximising participant engagement and skill retention for your future practice.
Kick Start Module 5 With The:
Body Sense Supervision Clinic Days: April 12th -16th 2027

Develop your professional readiness with our exclusive Body Sense supervision clinic days, available alongside and beyond certification. Here, you'll observe seasoned practitioners in action and receive guided observation of your own full-length, real-client sessions—honing attunement, consent navigation, and somatic facilitation in live, authentic scenarios. This hands-on clinical immersion, unique to our program, distinguishes us by the emphasis on bridging theory to practical excellence, ensuring you graduate not just skilled, but profoundly confident in delivering transformative, client-centred work.

Module 5: Moving Towards Certification

Home Study & Supervised Practicum
  • Preparing For Clinical Practice

    Module 5 bridges your embodied training into a thriving professional practice, equipping you with the strategic tools to establish and sustain a Somatic Sex Education™ business—from crafting a clear vision and actionable business plan, to effective promotion strategies and building a robust support network. You'll also navigate local legal considerations and ethical guidelines, ensuring your work is grounded in integrity and compliance from day one. This phase prioritises your pace and depth of learning; we encourage you to invest the time needed to pinpoint and address personal growth areas, fostering not just certification but lasting professional resilience.
  • Learning Edges + Client Sessions

    At its core, Module 5 hones your ability to translate personal learning edges into structured client sessions using embodiment assessment tools and the Somatic Sexology® toolkit. You'll begin by receiving targeted sessions that illuminate your core competencies, guiding you in converting insights into precise learning objectives and collaborative educational contracts. From there, you'll advance to delivering at least 25 supervised Somatic Sex Education™ sessions with individuals—and optionally couples or small groups—over 16 weeks, applying client-led facilitation with growing confidence and precision.
  • Client Reports + Certification

    Accountability and refinement are built in: submit detailed session reports to course directors and your assigned coach, share concise learning summaries in our online forum for peer and instructor feedback, and schedule supervision after every five sessions to integrate real-time adjustments. This rigorous yet supportive structure ensures competency across all training elements. Upon fulfilling requirements and demonstrating professional readiness, you'll earn your Certificate in Somatic Sexology, launching you as an attuned, ethical practitioner ready to facilitate transformative relational growth for your clients.
Next Steps: Deepen Your Impact

Upon certification, your journey as a somatic sex educator doesn't pause—it evolves as you choose.

We will warmly invite you to return to our Body Sense supervision clinic for extended supervised practice, where you'll further refine full-length client sessions under expert guidance, observing and being observed to sharpen attunement and build unshakeable professional confidence.

Some practitioners will choose to advance into our second-year program, immersing in group facilitation, teaching methodologies, and content creation skills to expand your reach and lead transformative workshops with relational depth.

Or, enrol in the 6-month Amplify post-graduate mentoring program, a focused pathway for seasoned practitioners to amplify presence, integrate advanced relational bodywork, and cultivate the sovereignty needed for thriving, client-centered practices that foster profound erotic and somatic growth.
WHO THIS IS PROFESSIONAL TRAINING FOR
This program is designed for:
  • Those who are inspired to work within a clear ethical framework to support clients with their relationships, sexuality and embodied intimacy
  • Aspiring Somatic Sex Educators: If you're drawn to facilitating client-led touch and consent, this training builds your foundational skills for a confident entry into the field
  • Practitioners who feel the limits of their existing technique-based or treatment model approaches and would love to help the client identify their health, resources, choice and expand their learning edges
  • Experienced Professionals: Therapists, coaches, bodyworkers, or educators with somatic or relational backgrounds, looking to integrate erotic embodiment and advanced facilitation into your practice
  • Bodyworkers and coaches who value updating and growing experience with internal ethics, boundaries, and nervous system literacy
  • Growth-Oriented Facilitators: Eager to cultivate embodied authority and guide clients toward erotic confidence, self-discovery, and transformative relational fulfilment in an expanding professional landscape.
  • Those Addressing Key Challenges: Ideal for professionals ready to tackle shame, sensory blocks, and relational dynamics through safe, attuned sessions for individuals, couples, and groups
  • Trauma-Informed Practitioners: Committed individuals who prioritize inclusive, ethical work honouring diverse sexualities, genders, and life experiences, with a focus on precision and empathy.
What graduate mentees say about working with Julian:
SOME KEY FACTS - ABOUT THIS TRAINING
  • 25 Hrs Per Week Home Study
    Self-directed home study hours needed to cover the learning materials and practices
  • 20 In-person Practice Days
    We will meet for group clinical practice and group embodiment in Algarve, Portugal
  • 9 Months Training
    Regular online meets, immersive in-person supervised clinical practice + case studies
  • €6,000 Fee
    (Early Bird)
    Payment + low in come plans available. Contact us for more information.
WHAT THIS TRAINING DEVELOPS
You can expect
  • Co-created relational safety, trust in pacing, languaging, and the power in non-doing
  • Learn client-lead, ethical, retention and greater depth of ongoing client journeys
  • Clear client-lead structures that increase in referrals and income due to longer client journeys and satisfaction
  • Greater clarity around client learning goals / session plans, agreements
  • Strong self care and professional boundaries to prevent depletion and over-giving. A more resilient practitioner nervous system supports greater client embodiment and growth
  • Clearer professional boundaries without rigidity or client shaming
  • Deeper confidence in relational presence

This is not about becoming more impressive.

It’s about becoming more available and truly useful to your clients.

CERTIFICATION
This training offers a certification to practice.
Upon successful meeting of the core competencies for safe and ethical practice, you will receive your certificate enabling you gain insurance, professional modality recognition and ability to practice.
Consult the local requirements and laws for scope of practice guidelines.
WHAT WE WORK WITH
This is a post-training container.
  • Somatic intake, session structuring and management of the arc of our client's journey
  • Transforming habituated patterns in sessions and working with limiting beliefs both our own and the client's
  • Moving away from treatment model thinking into a somatic, client lead coaching framework for our touch based sessions for better outcomes and more effortless wins
  • Relational dynamics with clear agreements between practitioner and client
  • Integration of personal process into professional presence
  • Powerful transitions to help move into integration and reflection with clients
HOW THIS WORK IMPACTS THE PEOPLE YOU SERVE
Relational bodywork doesn’t just support the practitioner — it quietly transforms the client experience.

When practitioners develop greater nervous system literacy, clearer internal boundaries, and more refined presence.

Clients often experience:
  • Feeling more deeply seen, met, and respected
  • Greater perceived safety and ease during sessions
  • More trust in the process — and in themselves
  • Sessions that land more clearly and integrate more fully
  • A sense of continuity rather than “starting again” each time
These shifts are not created by doing more.
They emerge when the practitioner is less rushed, less efforting, and more attuned.
WHAT THIS IS NOT
This professional training is not:
  • A Quick Certification Fix: This isn't a weekend seminar or superficial credential—it's a rigorous 9-month immersion demanding consistent somatic commitment to forge genuine professional depth.
  • Traditional Therapy or Medical Practice: We focus on educational, client-led somatic exploration, not clinical diagnosis, psychotherapy, or medical interventions for sexual health issues.
  • Recreational Sex Coaching: Unlike casual advice on bedroom techniques, this training builds trauma-informed skills for profound embodiment and relational transformation, beyond performance enhancement.
  • Solo Skill-Building Without Community: It's not isolated online modules—our program thrives on communal practice, peer feedback, and in-person embodiment to integrate touch and presence holistically.
  • One-Size-Fits-All Approach: This isn't generic sex ed for novices; it's tailored for those with somatic curiosity, emphasising personalised, consent-driven growth in an inclusive, diverse container.
IN PERSON EMBODIMENT WEEKS
JAN 2027 MODULE 2: Saturday 16th - Saturday 23rd
APRIL 2027 MODULE 4: Saturday, 3- Saturday 10th
APRIL 2027: Integration day 11th Apr
APRIL 2027 MODULE 5 - SUPERVISED PRACTICE: Monday 12th - Friday 16th

SCHEDULE:
Daily sessions from 9 am to 6 pm with a 1.5 -hour lunch break.
Breakfast is served at 8 am, dinner latest at 7 pm.
We will have some after dinner sessions.

LANGUAGE:
The training will be held in english.

PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS:
An enrolment call is required to attend this training retreat. The maximum number of participants is 14. The retreat is consent based and trauma-informed it will include touch practices. In person residential weeks are alcohol and drug-free events.

PRICES:

The EARLY BIRD prices are valid until 15th May 2026.

*Single Bed In Shared Room (2 people per room): EARLY BIRD €6,000 | REGULAR PRICE €6,500
Food and accommodation costs 19 Days - Algarve, Portugal: €2,100
Tuition, Supervision and Certification: €3900 Early Bird or €4,400 REGULAR PRICE
Extra Nights:

Extra nights are available for 1 day before and after the in-person training.
Check-In: 16h / Check-Out: 11h
* Prices per night 90€

LOCATION:

Casa das Aguas Calmas
Caminho da Arroteia 66
8100-097 Boliqueime
Algarve
Portugal

GETTING THERE:

By Car

From the highway exit Boliqueime: After the exit, turn right towards Loulé. After approx. 350m, turn left at the petrol station. Follow the road with a sharp right-hand bend to Alfontes (approx. 2.5km. Turn left at the village square. Follow the road for approx. 1.6 km to Tenoca. Turn right there in the village square (at the carob factory “Chorondo” and after 30 m turn right again in the direction of “Arroteia”. Follow this small road with various bends for 1 km until you reach the red house number 104.

From Aldi/ Boliqueime: At the large traffic circle in the direction of Boliqueime (between Lidl and Aldi, after approx. 300 m turn right, where there are many signposts, in the direction of Tenoca approx. 3.5 km. In Tenoca on the village square straight ahead and after 30m turn right towards “Arroteia”, follow the little road with some bends for 1370m until you reach the red house number 104.

By Airplane:
The nearest airport is Faro Airport (28km). From the airport, you can take a taxi or uber to our training venue. The venue can organize a pick-up service from and to the airport for 30 euros per trip. Let us know if you require this.
Successful completion gives you qualification to practice and gain insurance.
Graduates are responsible for working within the scope of practice, insurance, and legal frameworks and code of ethics.
APPLICATION & ETHICS

This training is carefully curated through an application process.
Participants are responsible for practising within the legal, insurance, and ethical frameworks of their modality and country.

Early Bird €6,000 (Ends 15th May) - SPACES LIMITED TO 14
€6,500 - Full Price