About Judyth

Judyth O. Weaver is a multifaceted teacher and counselor, incorporating extensive training in diverse areas. She holds a Ph.D. in Reichian Psychology. Judyth is the co-founder of the Santa Barbara Graduate Institute and creator and founding chair of its Ph.D. Program in Somatic Psychology.

Since 1969 she has taught and led workshops at Esalen Institute in California, Cold Mountain Institute and then Hollyhock in Canada, and other educational centers in the western world, as well as in Russia, Japan, Taiwan, Mexico and India.

She is certified in Reichian Therapy, Somatic Experiencing, massage, Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy, Pre- and Perinatal Therapy and as a teacher of Tai Chi Chuan, a senior teacher of the Rosen Method and Sensory Awareness.

A former modern dancer, she lived in Japan 1965-1968, studying classical dance (Kabuki and Noh), tea ceremony, and other aspects of Japanese culture. She then lived and studied at Shofukuji, a traditional Rinzai Zen Buddhist monastery, under Yamada Mumon Roshi. Since 1969 she has taught and led workshops at Esalen Institute in California, Hollyhock in Canada, and other educational centers in the western world, as well as in Russia, Japan, Taiwan, Mexico and India.

Her life-long studies have been in dance & movement, body/mind/spirit integrative practices, Buddhism and Taoism. Judyth left California to live in Seattle, Washington to be closer to her grandchildren.  Now she lives mostly on Cortes Island in British Columbia, Canada, and most of her teaching occurs there and online.

Judyth maintains a private practice in Somatic Reclaiming, her name for her development of body/mind/spiritual integration, which bases its work on the belief that we are all born basically whole, with what we need and can develop, but traumas, teachings, etc. confuse and deter us and that with support and awareness we can reclaim our natural inclinations and live the full lives that are our birthrights.

Judyth’s practice currently is mostly on Cortes Island and in Seattle, when she is there, and online.

She is honored to be the recipient of the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award from the United States Association of Body Psychotherapy.

SOMATIC PSYCHOLOGY

Judyth was professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies for over 25 years. She also taught at other S.F. Bay Area graduate schools.  She co-founded Santa Barbara Graduate Institute and created its Somatic Psychology program, which was the first program in the world to offer a Ph.D. in Somatic Psychology and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Somatics.

SOMATIC RECLAIMING

Integrating her work and studies of the past 45 years, Judyth has developed her own process of body/mind/spiritual integration which she calls Somatic Reclaiming.

REICHIAN THERAPY

Judyth began studies in this work with Philip Curcuruto in 1974. Certified in Reichian Therapy through International College, in 1976, she received her doctorate in 1979 with her dissertation “Ways of Balance East and West:  T’ai Chi Ch’uan and Reichian Therapy.” She subsequently studied with Al Bauman and, since 1985, with Dr. Eva Reich.

SENSORY AWARENESS

A student of Sensory Awareness since 1968, she was authorized by Charlotte Selver in 1984 to offer this work and leads workshops in Sensory Awareness throughout the world.

PRE- AND PERINATAL THERAPY

Judyth has studied extensively with Eva Reich, William Emerson and Ray Castellino. She is certified by Ray Castellino to conduct pre- and perinatal process workshops…which he called “womb surrounds”. Judyth has offered these workshops in Seattle, Washington and Cortes Island, B.C., Canada, and in other various locations around the world. Judyth works individually with infants and their families, and individually and in groups with adults to help repair issues around birth trauma and related situations.

SOMATIC EXPERIENCING

Judyth is certified as a practitioner of this innovative approach, developed by Peter A. Levine, Ph.D., for working with shock and trauma affect.

T’AI CHI CH’UAN

Judyth has studied T’ai Chi Ch’uan since 1968 and in 1971 received permission to teach from Grandmaster Cheng Man-Ch’ing’s Shr Jung School for Culture and the Arts. In 1974 she created the T’ai Chi program at the Naropa Institute (now Naropa University) in Boulder CO. She is senior student in this country of Pang Jeng (Ben) Lo. She has taught Cheng Man-Ch’ing’s Yang style short form in diverse locations and now regularly offers T’ai Chi retreats on Cortes Island in British Columbia, Canada.

GESTALT THERAPY

Judyth studied Gestalt Therapy starting in the late 1960’s with Fritz Perls at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California. She later studied at the Gestalt Therapy Institute in San Francisco, California and with other senior Gestalt Therapists.

BIODYNAMIC CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY

Judyth is a certified practitioner of the fluid tide method of Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy, having completed an American training with Franklyn Sills.