I have brought all my passions and trainings together under the regulating body of ismeta, international somatic movement education and therapy association, with whom i registered in 2007.

Kerstin Wellhӧfer  BAhons, IIHHT, Dip IBMT, RSME/T

The journey to becomeing a regulated practitioner began against a background of performance practice, with a site specific focus; an honours degree in theatre studies from exeter university; an apprenticeship at the Tanzfabrik ev Berlin, bringing Contact Improvisation and Body-Mind Centering™ into my life, with many years of loving dancing, especially in the wilds of devon .  The emergence of a family and working holistically with a IIHHT qualification as a complementary therapist, incorporating counselling, nutritional knowledge and an Anatomy and Physiology diploma; offering treatments in aromatherapy, reflexology and body-massage continues to this day.  A desire to deepen my understanding of touch and movement, led me to over fourteen years of learning, working for and with, Linda Hartley and the Institute for Integrative Bodywork and Movement Therapy, resulting in a full practitioners diploma as well as an agreement to lead peer groups of Authentic Movement Practice. This I have done within academic and community settings, honouring the form and enquiring into applications across the arts, education and wellbeing.  A course in teaching yoga to special needs children with Sonia Sumar, and living and working with young children and adults with physical disabilities makes my interests and work focused on inclusion. An ongoing relationship of developing working methods and learning, as well as a ten year training with Andrea Olsen and Caryn McHose, allows me to be  a practitioner of the  Body and Earth work. On-going studies with Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen in embryology and annual continued professional development within the somatic community form the bedrock of my practice.

Within the years of developing my practice I have worked for Higher Educational Establishment guest lecturing on MA courses. Together with Jennifer Leigh, I have devised and delivered sessions for SureStart, collaborating with midwives around the perinatal needs of families and developing children as well as specific sessions for children with a wide spectrum of disabilities.  We liased with the Birmingham Royal Ballet and Birmingham University, NHS mental trust and a housing association, in developing safety for practitioners and participants of a mental health and dance pilot project. I have been a festival bodyworker for summer dancing, presented a conference paper and workshop at the 2011 Wellbeing conference at BCU and worked with directors, dancers and performance artists. I have run a series of experiential anatomy workshops and facilitated an authentic movement group.

I live and work in Birmingham in the United Kingdom.  I have been working as a self-employed practitioner since 2003, working from my home and offering home visits within my client practice. In 2012, together with Maggie Fearn, I created a community interest company Movement Sense c.i.c. which is a place, a space and an offering to the somatic community for developing work. Here we bring together academics, teachers, researchers, performers, artists and expert practitioner from all walks of life, in order to research, run retreats and immerse everyone in nature, returning to the wider world the insights and applications and publications of somatic practices and being. When in Wales I offer individual sessions and happily run workshops. I also offer this when I am home in Germany, mostly in Berlin.