Trager® Level 1: A 6-Day Immersive Course
Transform Your Practice Through Mindful Touch and Movement
This is a hands-on course; the teacher, Fawn Christianson, will be present in-person for all instruction.
Are you a massage therapist, physical therapist, nurse, somatic practitioner or bodywork professional seeking to enhance your skills while preventing burnout?
This 6-day course begins your professional training to Dr. Milton Trager's revolutionary approach to psychophysical integration—a gentle yet powerful method that creates lasting neuromuscular change through mindful presence and specific body mechanics.
Experience the work that has integrated mindfulness, trauma-informed care, and neuroplasticity principles long before these concepts became mainstream in therapeutic practice.
Course Overview
Over six immersive days, you'll learn how Trager® principles connect with current scientific understanding of neuroplasticity, trauma-informed care, and mind-body integration. You'll discover a new language of touch that communicates directly with the nervous system, helping clients release unconscious holding patterns with remarkable effectiveness. You’ll learn both hands-on and somatic movements, giving you neuromuscular relearning abilities.
This training is organized to meet for 3 days for two different months. October 11, 12 and 13, 2025 and December 5, 6 and 7, 2025. We’ve made it possible to register for the October 3 days independently and then decide if you would like to continue into December 3 days. Attending only in October 3 days does not qualify you to receive CE’s. Attending both trainings gives you 48 hours of hands-on CE.
What You'll Learn:
Day 1: Foundation & Self-Care
- Introduction to Trager® principles and philosophy
- Mentastics® self-care movement practices for your own wellbeing
- Body mechanics that preserve your energy and prevent injury
- Understanding the mind-body connection in therapeutic work
Day 2: Table Work Essentials
- Applying Trager principles protocol (supine and prone positions), which address the entire body/mind of your client
- How to "read" tissue through weight and resistance
- Using traction to create change in distant areas of the body
- Receiving feedback (verbal and non-verbal) is essential for efficacy
Day 3: Clinical Applications & Integration
- Applying Trager® principles to common conditions (sciatica, frozen shoulder, neck pain)
- Trauma-informed approaches within the Trager® framework
- Integrating Mentastics® throughout tablework for continued healing
- Practice sessions with feedback and refinement
By Course Completion, You Will Be Able To:
- Perform effective self-care exercises to relieve your own neck, shoulder, back and hip tension
- Implement a Trager® table protocol with proper body mechanics
- Communicate with the nervous system to facilitate the release of holding patterns
- Apply specific Trager® techniques to common musculoskeletal conditions
- Integrated simple movement practices for continued benefit during and after sessions
- Work with greater effectiveness while experiencing less fatigue and strain
Who is This Course For?
Perfect For:
This course is ideal for licensed massage therapists, physical therapists, yoga instructors, nurses, and somatic practitioners at any career stage who wish to work more effectively while preserving their own physical well-being and career longevity.
Trager Certification. This course counts toward certification in Trager; click here for requirements of full Trager certification.
CE credit:
Both halves of Trager Level 1 together offer 48 hours of hands-on CE (24 hours in October and 24 hours in December) which will count toward the requirements of the Georgia Massage Board for maintenance of a Georgia massage license. According to the policies of the NCBTMB and the Georgia Massage Board, no partial credit may be awarded for CE courses. Therefore, students must complete both halves of Trager Level 1 in order to receive CE credit for this 48-hour hands-on course. If a student attends only the first half of this course, no CE will be awarded.
Course Details
Dates and Time: Each day the class will run from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm with an hour lunch beginning at 1:00 pm.
- Session 1: October 11, 12 and 13, 2025
- Session 2: December 5, 6 and 7, 2025
Location: This course will be taught on-site at 2824 Chester way, Decatur GA 30030. This is a residential duplex in Decatur GA; parking is in the driveway or in the street.
Hands-on CE: This is a hands-on course; the teacher, Fawn Christianson, will be present in-person for all instruction.
Cost: $600 for each 3-day segment (total $1200 for both segments).
Cancellation policy: Students may receive a full refund up to 30 days prior to the course; fewer than 30 days prior to the course no refunds will be given.
REGISTER TODAY
Fawn Christianson
Fawn Christianson is a master Trager® Practitioner and somatic educator whose career spans nearly four decades in the therapeutic bodywork field. As one of the select practitioners who trained directly with Dr. Milton Trager, she carries forward his innovative approach to neuromuscular integration with both technical precision and profound presence.
Throughout her extensive career, Fawn has specialized in helping bodywork professionals overcome the common challenges of practitioner burnout, physical strain, and diminished effectiveness. Her teaching emphasizes sustainable body mechanics that protect therapists' longevity while dramatically enhancing client outcomes through principles of nervous system communication rather than force.
Massage therapists, physical therapists, and somatic practitioners consistently praise Fawn's exceptional ability to demonstrate the subtle nuances of touch that speak directly to the nervous system and tissue memory. Her students describe watching her work as "witnessing a dancer teaching choreography," noting how her clear demonstrations transform complex concepts into embodied understanding.
After successfully operating a private practice in the heart of Silicon Valley for 38 years, Fawn now divides her time between her clinical practice in the Bay Area and teaching advanced professional trainings. Her approach integrates cutting-edge neuroscience with time-tested bodywork principles, creating a comprehensive framework that addresses both client pathologies and practitioner sustainability.
Fawn's teaching methodology emphasizes the practitioner's internal state as the foundation for effective therapeutic outcomes. Through her guidance, bodywork professionals learn to maintain presence and "hookup" even while working with challenging conditions like frozen shoulder, sciatica, and trauma-related holding patterns.
Beyond technique, Fawn is celebrated for creating learning environments where practitioners feel truly seen and supported in their professional development. Her trainings not only elevate clinical skills but also renew practitioners' connection to the profound healing potential of mindful, embodied touch.
