Kate White, MA, BCBMT, RSCT®, CEIM, SEP, PLC, PPNE
Kate White is a somatic trauma resolution therapist, Biodynamic craniosacral and advanced bodyworker specializing in prenatal and perinatal therapies. All her therapeutic work and classes arise out of her work as a somatic therapist, where she is passionate about the brain and mind-body medicine. She is a mother of two children, holds a BA and MA in Communication, and is a Registered Craniosacral Therapist in the Biodynamic Craniosacral method. Her work combines somatic therapy with brain development to help give families with babies and small children the best possible start. Her work is a translation of some of the research on how parents are with their children affects neural pathways and perception.
Over many years of training, Kate has developed a specialty in healing earliest trauma, helping people to find their essence that is caught up in the adaptive strategies from our first years of life. Her training in this specialty began in 1999. She has studied with all the pioneers in prenatal and perinatal trauma from the baby's perspective, including William Emerson and his student, Karlton Terry, Ray Castellino and his student Myrna Martin, and Anna and John Chitty. She combines her years of practice with a trauma-informed approach that focuses on the blueprint of our being. She has also completed the Somatic Experiencing training. She runs an online school, hosting many professionals and offers a training program of her own: Integrated Prenatal and Perinatal Dynamics.
She also specializes in working with babies and families that are have experienced birth trauma.
In 2012 she was recognized by Birth Matters Virginia as being instrumental in improving the culture of birth in central Virginia. She has run a perinatal collaboration in Charlottesville of many kinds of pre and perinatal professionals with whom she created the Healthy Birth Healthy Baby Expo, a very successful educational event that ran for four years starting in 2009.
In 2015, she was honored with the Outstanding Educator Award in pre and perinatal psychology and health by the Association for Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health. This peer review award recognizes individuals in the field of pre and perinatal education who have helped "educate professionals and the public, worldwide, that a baby’s experience of conception, pregnancy, and birth creates lifelong consequences for individuals, families, and society." Kate has helped develop and now manages international educational programs with students all over the world interested in the pre and perinatal period. She is Founder and former Director of the Department of Education for Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health (2013-1019) and is now Founding Director for her own educational center in Charlottesville, VA the Center for Prenatal and Perinatal Program, ppncenter.com. She was further honored by APPPAH with an Appreciation Award in 2019 as she left her job as Director to create new programs for practitioners.
In 2022, her practice was nominated for Best in Virginia, a consumer-based measure of good service in Central Virginia with Virginia Living Magazine. She has a comprehensive education including anatomy, physiology, neuroscience, embryology, interpersonal neurobiology, infant massage, prenatal massage and autonomic nervous system function of the mother-baby dyad. Her list of trainings equals thousands of hours and practice. She is Board certified by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB). She is certified in adult and infant CPR.
Certifications:
Specific work and training in working with prenatal and perinatal education:
Over many years of training, Kate has developed a specialty in healing earliest trauma, helping people to find their essence that is caught up in the adaptive strategies from our first years of life. Her training in this specialty began in 1999. She has studied with all the pioneers in prenatal and perinatal trauma from the baby's perspective, including William Emerson and his student, Karlton Terry, Ray Castellino and his student Myrna Martin, and Anna and John Chitty. She combines her years of practice with a trauma-informed approach that focuses on the blueprint of our being. She has also completed the Somatic Experiencing training. She runs an online school, hosting many professionals and offers a training program of her own: Integrated Prenatal and Perinatal Dynamics.
She also specializes in working with babies and families that are have experienced birth trauma.
In 2012 she was recognized by Birth Matters Virginia as being instrumental in improving the culture of birth in central Virginia. She has run a perinatal collaboration in Charlottesville of many kinds of pre and perinatal professionals with whom she created the Healthy Birth Healthy Baby Expo, a very successful educational event that ran for four years starting in 2009.
In 2015, she was honored with the Outstanding Educator Award in pre and perinatal psychology and health by the Association for Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health. This peer review award recognizes individuals in the field of pre and perinatal education who have helped "educate professionals and the public, worldwide, that a baby’s experience of conception, pregnancy, and birth creates lifelong consequences for individuals, families, and society." Kate has helped develop and now manages international educational programs with students all over the world interested in the pre and perinatal period. She is Founder and former Director of the Department of Education for Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health (2013-1019) and is now Founding Director for her own educational center in Charlottesville, VA the Center for Prenatal and Perinatal Program, ppncenter.com. She was further honored by APPPAH with an Appreciation Award in 2019 as she left her job as Director to create new programs for practitioners.
In 2022, her practice was nominated for Best in Virginia, a consumer-based measure of good service in Central Virginia with Virginia Living Magazine. She has a comprehensive education including anatomy, physiology, neuroscience, embryology, interpersonal neurobiology, infant massage, prenatal massage and autonomic nervous system function of the mother-baby dyad. Her list of trainings equals thousands of hours and practice. She is Board certified by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB). She is certified in adult and infant CPR.
Certifications:
- Certified massage therapist, Potomac Massage Institute, 1995, 500 hours
- Certified prenatal massage therapist, 1995, 2011, 32 hours each
- Certified infant massage therapist, 1995, 6 hours
- Certified Educator of Infant Massage by Infant Massage USA 2015, 25 hours
- Registered Biodynamic craniosacral therapist, 1999, 700 hours
- Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, 2016, 216 hours
- Prenatal, Birth and Attachment Therapy with Myrna Martin
- Polarity Life Coaching with John and Anna Chitty
- Polarity Level One with Anna Chitty
- Blueprint Resonance with Anna Chitty
- Advanced Family Training with Ray Castellino, Tara Blasco and Mary Jackson
- Transforming the Experiential Brain with Stephen Terrell
- Alchemical Alignment with Brigit Viksnins
- Prenatal and Perinatal Educator Certificate Program (Founder and Creator)
- Integrated Prenatal and Perinatal Dynamics (Co-Founder, Co-Developer)
Specific work and training in working with prenatal and perinatal education:
- Creator and Instructor, Leading Edge Seminars, an in-person and online training program to recognize the therapeutic window between activation and present time.
- C0-Creator and Instructor, Integrated Prenatal and Perinatal Dynamics, a training program for practitioners of all kinds to prevent and heal earliest trauma. Part of a comprehensive hybrid online/in-person program available through Prenatal and Perinatal Healing Online and the Center for Prenatal and Perinatal Programs.
- Creator, Instructor, Baby Dynamics: An integrated education for front line workers in birth related practice, and a complete track for practitioners wanting to work with babies.
- Founder and former Director of Education, Association for Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health (APPPAH), 2013-2019: assisted in the launch of an 11 module course in prenatal and perinatal education that presented competencies in history, ethics, epigenetics, neuroscience, culture, birth, labor and delivery, bonding and learning, parenting styles, attachment and supported attachment, and more.
- Mentor, Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology Educator, APPPAH, 2013-2020.
- Lead Developer and Executive Committee, Embodiment Seminars for Educators, APPPAH, March, 2014-2019: led a team of 14 experts in the field of prenatal and perinatal therapists to develop skills and attributes to train educators. Created a 50 page handbook to support Trainers for the educators.
- Trainer and Educator, Embodiment Seminars for Educators, August, 2014-present. Developed 16 hour course to train prenatal and perinatal educators.
- Specific training, education and credentials in early childhood education:
- Week-long intensive, enrichment courses for outdoor kindergarten programs with Helle Heckmann of Nokken in Denmark, 2003.
- Childhood Development Associate credential from the Department of Health, Vermont, 2005.
- Center for Early Education and Development, University of Minnesota: Relationship Based Teaching, 2006
- Center for Early Education and Development, University of Minnesota: Infant Mental Health, 2006
- Center for Early Education and Development, University of Minnesota: Talking Reasonably and Responsibly About Early Brain Development: Trainer training 2006
- Ran several preschool and kindergarten enrichment programs in Maryland and Vermont.
- Trainer of Early Childhood Educators in how to run outdoor enrichment programs, Vermont, Virginia, and Maryland, 2006-2008
- Pre and Perinatal Foundation Training with Karlton Terry, IPPE Certified Principal Teacher (2002-3, 124 hours)
- Working with Babies, Children and Their Families part 1 and 2 with Claire Dolby, D.O. from England (2004-5, 52 hours)
- Infant Mental Health, University of Minnesota (2005, 32 hours)
- Lactation Counseling from the Healthy Children Project (2010, 45 hours, with competencies)
- Labor Assistant/Birth Doula Training, ToLabor organization (26 hours)
- Prenatal, Birth, Attachment Professional Training with Myrna Martin, RN, MN, RCC, RCST® (2007-2009, 550 hours)
- Health Begins in the Womb, a one day seminar with Myrna Martin, RN, MN, RCC, RCST® (multiple dates, 6.5 hours)
- Osteopathic Treatment for Problems of Infancy and Childhood, with Karen Steele, DO (1.5 hours 2011)
- Strengthening Attachment, two day seminar with Myrna Martin, RN, MN, RCC, RCST® (13 hours each, 2004, 2005, 2009)
- Working with Children Who Have Challenging Behaviors with Myrna Martin, RN, MN, RCC, RCST® (October 2012,6.5 hours )
- Listening to Babies, a class about parent-infant relationships with Myrna Martin, RN, MN, RCC, RCST® (October 2012, 6.5 hours)
- HUG Your Baby training: Help, understanding, guidance for working with young families online program, Part 1: Helping Parents Understand the Language of Their Newborn, and Part 2: Strategies and Skill Building with Jan Tedder, BSN, FNP, IBCLC, 8 hours total
- Working with Babies with John Chitty RPP, RCST® (April 2013 23 hours; October 2014, 26 hours, Teaching Assistant w/4 hours of ethics for Working with Babies)
- Womb Surround Process workshops with Myrna Martin, RN, MN, RCC, RCST® (multiple, 4.5 days each)
- Practitioner Training workshops with Myrna Martin, RN, MN, RCC, RCST® (2008 and 2013, 4 days each)
- Advanced Bodywork Training with Ray Castellino RPP, RPE, RCST® and Anna Chitty, RPP, RCST® (2013-2014, 175 hours)
- Assistant Trainer, Pre and Perinatal Professional Training with Myrna Martin, RN, MN, RCC, RCST® (2013-2014, 175 hours)
- Supporting the Newborn Family: Healing approaches with parents and their newborn babies with Mary Jackson, RN, CPM, RCST® 6 hours, 2014
- Womb Surround Process workshop with Ray Castellino, RPP, RPE, RCST, (November 2014, 30 hours)
- Lactation Science at the University of Virginia Nursing School (2015, 45 hours)
- Craniosacral and Infant Breastfeeding Training with Alison Hazelbaker (May, 2015, 35 hours)
- Certified Educator of Infant Massage by Infant Massage USA (Fall, 2015, 25 hours)
- TummyTime! A Polyvagal Understanding of Movement, Posture and Connection, an emphasis on newborn to precrawling baby, With Michelle Emanuel, OTR/L, CIMI, CST, NBCR, RYT 200 (Winter, 2016, 14 hours)
- Tongue Tie Assessment/ATLFF with Alison Hazelbaker, PhD, FILCA, CST, RCST®, PPNE (Spring, 2016, 6 hours)
- Spiritual Embryology with Jaap Van Der Wal (June 2016, 30.5 hours, October 2020 25 hours, June 2021 24 hours)
- Functional Bowen Concepts II - The Pediatric Application of the Method with Judy Terwilliger (March 2017, 20 hours)
- Birth Trauma Intervention Module 1 with Dennis Hertenstein, DC (March 2017, 20 hours)
- How B.E.S.T. Relates to Breast: Structural Assessment of Babies to Assist with Breastfeeding with Judy Terwilliger (June 30, 2017 2.5 hours)
- Consciously Parenting Training Course with Rebecca Thompson Hitt, MFT (4 modules, 2 year course. Completion 2019)
- Healing Story Method, Attachment Education, Circles for Parents
- Advanced Family Practitioner Training with Ray Castellino, Mary Jackson and Tara Blasco., completion March 2021
- Inner Child Journey For Practitioners with Robin Grille, (12 hours), 2020.
- Treating Babies with Jonathan Evan, Osteopath 2021, & 2022 (28 hours)
- Perinatal Study Group with Chris Raines, MD, 2022 Ongoing
- Lactation Counseling from the Healthy Children Project (2010, 45 hours, with competencies)
- Lactation Science at UVA School of Nursing (2015, 45 hours, with competencies)
- Craniosacral Therapy for Infant Breastfeeding with Alison Hazelbaker, PhD, CST, RCST®, IBCLC, FILCA (2015~35 hours)
- Certified massage therapist, Potomac Massage Institute, 1995, 500 hours
- Certified prenatal massage therapist, 1995, 2011, 32 hours each
- Certified infant massage therapist, 1995, 6 hours
- Registered Biodynamic craniosacral therapist, 1999, 700 hours
- Advanced courses in biodynamic craniosacral therapy with Franklyn Sills, 2012, 24 hours
- Body into Being with Ray Castellino RPP, RPE, RCST® and Anna Chitty, RPP, RCST® 2013-2014, 175 hours
- Alchemical Alignment, with Brigit Viksnins, Bodywork for trauma resolution and embodiment of spirit, 2013, 54 hours
- Multiple seminars in Medical Massage: 3.5 hours each. This is advanced training in soft tissue treatments,.
- Whiplash protocol
- Headaches
- Intrinsic Foot Muscles
- Scoliosis
- Frozen Shoulder
- TMJ
- The Low back
- The Intrinsic Hand Muscles
- Ethics
- Myofascial Release with Michael Shea and the Shea Educational Group, 1996, 28 hours
- Multiple seminars is Neuromuscular Therapy, Acupressure, Osteopathic Massage, Essential oils, Herbal Medicine and its applications to Massage, Reflexology.
- Alchemical Alignment Level 3 (Teaching Assistant) (March 2016, 27 hours)
- Functional Bowen Concepts I with Judy Terwilliger (August, 2016 ~ 22.5 hours)
- Deepening Skills: Advanced Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy with Anna Chitty (September, 2017, 30 hours)
- Somatic Experiencing Beginning (3 seminars, 24 hours each~72 hours total) 2011
- Somatic Experiencing Intermediate (3 seminars, 24 hours each~72 hours total) 2012-2013
- Somatic Experiencing Advanced (2 seminars, 36 hours each~72 hours total) 2015
- Advanced trauma resolution with Raja Selvam: Working More Efficiently with Stress and Trauma, 17.5 hours, 2013
- Finding Resiliency in Early Trauma Patterns, 22 hours, 2013
- Alchemical Alignment Level 1 and 2, (2 seminars, 27 hours each~54 hours) 2013
- Alchemical Alignment Level 3 (Teaching Assistant) (March 2016, 27 hours) 2016
- Transforming the Experiential Brain with Stephen Terrell (4 seminars) 2018
- Verbal Skills (Blueprint Resonance) with Anna Chitty, 160 hours 2019 and 2021-2022
- Polarity Level One with Anna Chitty and Liz Sandoval 2020-2021
- Foundation Course in the Rhythm of Regulation with Deb Dana, 2021 (30 hours)
- From Trauma to Formativeness: Trauma as Distortions of Form with Jim Feil, 2022 (24 hours)
- Formative Embodiment with Jim Feil: 8 hours
- Embryologic Foundations Jim Fei: 8 hours
- Body as an Action-Oriented Organism Jim Fei: 8 Hours
- Editor, Newsletter for the Potomac Massage Training Institute, 1996-1999
- Editor, The Cranial Wave, newsletter for the Craniosacral Therapy Association of North America, 2001-2002
- Associate Editor, Journal for the Association for Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health, 2013-2017
- Publications available upon request
- The Flowering Brain, a social neuroscience course with Mark Brady, PhD
- Makin’ Tracks, a nature based program for preschool age children
- Baby Time, a class for moms and babies
- Toddle Time, a class for toddlers
- Nature, Play, Craft, a class for families with children to understand the first 10 emotions in a baby’s life
- Conscious Pregnancy, a 4 or 8 week class on prenatal bonding
- Hypnobirthing and other childbirth education classes, with a Certified Nurse Midwife
- Precious Time, a class for moms and babies
- Earth Based Skills for Women, a primitive skills course for women, with Lorene Wapotich
- Family Bushcraft, a course for families to learn nature connection together
- Forest Families, a course for families with small children to connect to nature
- Infant Massage
- Babies Together, a class for moms and babies to learn about the nervous system
- Toddlers Together, more brain and nervous system development
- Perinatal Constellations, a class on early perinatal sensitive topics for increased health
- From Anxiety to Safety, The Couple as Sanctuary for Childbirth
- Baby-Body-Mother-Mind, a mind-body approach to the first relationship
- Embodiment Skills for Educators
- The First Hour After Birth
- The Wisdom of the Mother-Baby Connection
- Sensational Baby
- Baby Dynamics
- Leading Edge Somatic Skills Seminars
- Introduction to Prenatal and Perinatal Dynamics
- Integrated Prenatal and Perinatal Dynamics
- Somatic Wholeness
- Attachment and the Prenatal Period
- The Implications of Birthing Practices on Early Human Development
- Catching Babies, Catching Mothers
- Children and Nature
- Games to Play with Children Who Have Had Difficult Births
- Birth on the Continuum
- The Baby is in the Shadow
- The Wisdom of the Mother-Baby Connection
- The “Thing” About Babies, 10 things to know and what do to about it
- Understanding Your Relationship with Your Baby
- Conscious Baby Overview
- Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me? An Exploration of Traumatic Birth and Skills to be With them
- The Impact of Birth Trauma on Babies and Their Families
- Somatic Series in Prenatal and Perinatal Healing for the Association for Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health
- Director, Center for Prenatal and Perinatal Programs 2014 – present
- Director of Education, Association for Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health, 2013 – 2019
- Owner, Belvedere Integrated Healing Arts 2007 – present
- Own, Dummerston Healing Arts 2003-2007
- Owner, Valley Road Healing Arts Studio 1995-2002
- Communications Specialist, Office of Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of Health, 1996-1997
- Communications Officer, Population Council, Michigan Fellowship Program, West Africa, 1990-1993
- National Certification for Massage and Bodywork Professionals
- Association for Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health
- American Massage Therapy Association
- Energy Medicine Professional Insurance
- Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy Therapy Association of North America
- Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute
- Zero to Three
- Working with Babies, Polarity Health Coach, Personal Supervision: Anna Chitty, RPP, RCST®, Jonathan Evans, Osteopath
- Clinical Supervision, working Families, Play with Families: Tara Blasco, PhD, Mary Jackson, RN, CPM, RCST®, SEP, President of BEBA, California, Alison Greene-Barton
- Clinical Supervision, Somatic Experiencing, Trauma Resolution: Abi Blaskslee
- Pre and Perinatal Supervision: Alison Greene-Barton, SEP, Mary Jackson RN, CPM, RCST®, SEP