About Our Association

 Our Mission

We are the Association of Hanna Somatic Educators (the AHSE), a community that has come together to make this unique and effective work more widely known. We support each other in our continued learning and in our individual practices. We provide resources and in-depth information about the development of Hanna Somatic Education® (HSE), how Somatics can work for you, and where to find a practitioner.

We hold public programs to introduce and promote HSE. We set and uphold professional standards through our Scope of Practice and Code of Ethics statements. We organize and host an Annual Convention which has workshops open to all, and connect you with other training events and learning opportunities. As a group we are committed to acting fairly and wisely toward each other and toward those with whom we work. We are proud of the talent, creativity, and passion in our AHSE community. Our website development and upkeep, convention, committees, leadership, and most other work in the organization is done by generous volunteer members. We are here to help you in any way that we can.



Contact us if you have a question.

 

 Our Board

  • Gabriel Posner

    PRESIDENT

    Gabriel Posner was elected to the office of President of the board of the AHSE in 2022. He served two stints as Vice President from 2012-2015 and 2017-2021. Gabriel also served as Director at Large #1 from 2015 until 2017 and Director-at-Large #2 from 2010-2012. With the association, Gabriel has previously enjoyed serving as the chair for the SomaTimes as well as Education committees and is currently the chair of the Research committee. He was certified in 2009 as a Hanna Somatic Educator and completed a Ph.D. in Mind-Body Medicine from Saybrook University in 2022. Gabriel lives and practices in Denver, CO and is a trainer with Essential Somatics. In his free time, Gabriel can be found exploring trail-running, mountain biking, skiing, and chasing after his three energetic kids.

  • Ryan Moschell

    VICE PRESIDENT

    Ryan Moschell has served on the AHSE board as Director at large #3 since the spring of 2015. He was appointed to the position of Vice President in 2022. He spearheaded the interactive practitioner map on the AHSE website, worked to get our Well Mats discount as a member benefit, started the HSE Learning Community, and updated the AHSE website. Ryan graduated from the Novato Institute in 2013. He has a thriving full-time practice in Annapolis, Maryland.

  • Ken Bridgeman

    SECRETARY

    Ken Bridgeman has served on the AHSE Board of Directors since 2010. While on the board, he has been the Membership Committee Chair, helped to develop a functional website, and is currently the Acting Editor of the SomaTimes. Ken was certified in 2003 and has incorporated Hanna Somatics into his massage practice. He resides in San Francisco, CA.

  • Phil Shenk

    TREASURER

    Phil Shenk was appointed to the office of Treasurer on January 22, 2016. He was elected to the office of Treasurer on April 21, 2017, to serve until 2019.

  • Chris Ruane

    DIRECTOR AT LARGE #1

    Chris Ruane has served on the AHSE board since the spring of 2021. She is chair of the Somatic Connections Committee which has been hosting online, community building events and workshops surrounding connection, marketing and outreach, as well as our public and community social media pages on Facebook and Instagram. Chris graduated from the Novato Institute in 2016 and has a private practice in Maryland where she incorporates Hanna Somatics into her work as a movement educator, health coach and massage therapist. She is continuing her Somatic Education through Somatic Experiencing and completed her BA at UMBC.

  • John Loupos

    DIRECTOR AT LARGE #2

    John Loupos, M.S., H.S.E. has served on the Board since 2009. John has served on or chaired/co-chaired numerous committees, including the Website Development Committee, The Ethics Committee, Profile Oversight Committee, Education Committee, SomaTimes Committee, and Convention Hosting Committee. John also serves as the AHSE website inquiry liaison who fields incoming inquiries. John has maintained his private Somatics practice, The Pain and Mobility Clinic, since 2005, and also owns and operates the Jade Forest Kung Fu/ Tai Chi/ Internal Arts training center in Cohasset, Ma.

  • Christine Curran

    DIRECTOR AT LARGE #3

    Christine Curran was appointed to the Board as Director at Large #3 in August 2022. She has served on the Website Committee where she assisted in creating the Annual Convention Recordings section of the AHSE website. Christine became a certified CHSE in February 2022. She also works as a Social Media Consultant and Web/Graphic Designer for a small business, is a Nia instructor, Licensed Massage Therapist and Reiki Master in Santa Fe, NM.

  • Eleanor Criswell-Hanna

    DESIGNATED DIRECTOR

    Eleanor Criswell-Hanna, Ed. D. is designated by the AHSE Bylaws as the sole designated director and functions as the liaison with the Novato Institute for Somatic Research and Training.

 Scope of Practice

Certified Hanna Somatic Educators who are members of the AHSE provide verbal or hands-on somatic education services for individual clients or groups in order to improve the integration and execution of their sensory-motor activities. This may include (but is not limited to) any of the following activities:     

  • Applying HSE-specific processes during their sessions and classes

  • Educating and training individuals or groups in somatic exercises and explorations.

  • Disseminating educational materials to the public

  • Developing or providing public benefit classes and instruction in somatic movement, relaxation, re-education, and in somatic principles

  • Generally promoting and developing somatic movement arts, science, philosophy, and principles

 

 Code of Ethics

All HSE Certified Practitioners agree to be bound by the AHSE Code of Ethics. As a nonprofit public benefit corporation, AHSE publishes its Code of Ethics here to inform the public of the professional and ethical standards that underlie the services our members provide.

This code of ethics:

  • Specifies professional standards which allow for the proper discharge of Hanna Somatic Educators' responsibilities to the clients they are serving

  • Protects the integrity of Hanna Somatic Education® (HSE), the Association for Hanna Somatic Education Inc. (AHSE), and the professional members of the AHSE

  • Safeguards the interests and persons of the clients under the care of Hanna Somatic Education practitioners.

HSE licensed trainers, certified practitioners, and practitioners-in-training agree to the following ethical guidelines:

  • Hold a sincere commitment to providing the highest quality of care to all persons who seek out my professional services

  • Represent their professional qualifications accurately, including education and professional affiliations, and provide only those services which they are qualified to perform by training and experience

  • Inform the general public, clients, and other health care practitioners accurately about the scope and limitations of HSE practices

  • Acknowledge the limitations of and contraindications to the application of HSE practices, and refer clients to appropriate health professionals as needed

  • Provide HSE care only when there is a reasonable expectation that the care will be advantageous to the client

  • Maintain and improve professional certification, knowledge, and skills through ongoing assessment of professional strengths and weaknesses, and through continued education and training

  • Observe honesty and integrity in conducting their business and professional activities, and refuse to unjustly discriminate against clients or other ethical health professionals

  • Safeguard the confidentiality of all client information unless disclosure is authorized by the client, required by law or court order, or absolutely necessary for the protection of the public at large

  • Respect the client's right to receive care with informed and voluntary consent. The consent may be either written or verbal and will be obtained before providing any HSE care.

  • Honor the client's right to refuse, request modification of, or terminate care regardless of prior consent given

  • Ensure the safety, comfort, and privacy of all clients in their provision of care.

  • Exercise their right to refuse to work with a person or part of the body for reasonable cause

  • Refrain, under any circumstances, from initiating or engaging in any sexual conduct, activities, or sexualizing behavior involving a client, even if the client attempts to sexualize the relationship

  • Avoid any influences, activities or interests which might conflict with their obligation to always act in the best interests of my clients or profession

  • Follow all policies, procedures, guidelines, regulations, codes, and requirements put forth by the AHSE and by any governmental regulatory agencies

  • Practice courteous professional relationships with HSE and allied professional colleagues

 

Nonprofit Status

The Internal Revenue Service issued a letter on July 17, 1998 stating that the Association for Hanna Somatic Education®, Inc. was determined to be an organization exempt from income tax under section 501 (a) of the Internal Revenue Code as an organization described in section 501 (c) (3).

For more detailed information, contact: 

treasurer@hannasomatics.com.

 

 SomaTimes

 Most recent SomaTimes Updates

Featured
Somatic Strategies for Asymmetrical Patterns and Scoliosis
Somatic Strategies for Asymmetrical Patterns and Scoliosis

All during my professional dance career, performing and teaching, I had been looking for ways to improve my triple curve scoliosis. But Tom Hanna’s work offered me the first substantial positive results, including less pain, stiffness, ways to prevent or manage crisis in my back, and the extra wear and tear on various joints because of the asymmetry in the center.

Cat Stretch Musings
Cat Stretch Musings

I met Moshe Feldenkrais when I was 16 years old during the summer trainings in San Francisco in the mid-1970’s. What I remember most as I was introduced to him was the twinkle in his eyes.

Tai Chi and Hanna Somatic Education as Complementary Disciplines
Tai Chi and Hanna Somatic Education as Complementary Disciplines

“Tai Chi, for all its inherent merits, can be much enhanced by certain auxiliary practices, the most obvious and prevalent of which are various forms of qigong. One non-traditional practice that I’m well versed in is Hanna Somatic Education, which I’ll be referring to here as Hanna Somatics, or just Somatics. Tai Chi Chuan and Hanna Somatics stem from very different times and cultures. Yet they share many features in common. Tai Chi Chuan and Hanna Somatics both emphasize mindful movement – meaning movement that is slow, deliberate, and purposeful. Both place a high value on self-sensing, on ergonomically correct posture and carriage, on movement that is optimally efficient, and on a healthy mental state that is conducive to self-actualization and personal freedom.”

Access the SomaTimes archives

 

 Make a Donation Today

 Support Our Mission With A Tax Deductible* Donation

We are the Association for Hanna Somatic Education (AHSE), a community that has come together to make this unique and effective work more widely known. We support each other in our continued learning and in our individual practices. We provide resources and in-depth information about the development of Hanna Somatic Education® (HSE), how Somatics can work for you, and where to find a practitioner.

We hold public programs to introduce and promote HSE. We set and uphold professional standards through our Scope of Practice and Code of Ethics statements. We organize and host an annual convention which has workshops open to all, and connect you with other training events and learning opportunities throughout the U.S.

As a group, we are committed to acting fairly and wisely toward each other and toward those with whom we work. We are proud of the talent, creativity, and passion in our AHSE community. Our website development and upkeep, Convention, committee, leadership, and most other work in the organization is done by generous volunteer members. We are here to help you in any way that we can.

* All donations to the Association for Hanna Somatic Education, Inc., which is a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit organization, are tax-deductible.

Make A Donation Today