How can a somatic practitioner build credibility with clients?
By Konstantin Kaufmann ·
The most checkable sign of credibility is your entry in your training institute's own directory. SEI, the NARM Training Institute, the Hakomi Institute and the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute each run a public one, checked on November 6, 20261–4. Reviews and testimonials can add to that within an FTC rule in force since October 21, 2024. It bans fake reviews and rewards tied to a positive or negative review5, 6.
OneSomatic publishes this guide. We read each directory, rule and code below on its owner's own page. This guide is information, not legal advice.
What can a client check about your training?
A client cannot see your certificate. They can see what your institute publishes about you. The table shows what each directory showed on November 6, 2026.
| Training or body | Public directory | What a listing shows | What the institute says it does not check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Somatic Experiencing (SEI) | yes, 2,295 listings1 | the SEI credential, such as "Somatic Experiencing Practitioner"; students in training are listed too1 | SEI does not endorse practitioners and has "no oversight or authority" over them. It tells clients to look up a license themselves7 |
| NARM | yes2 | a NARM designation, such as Participant in Training, Therapist/Practitioner or Master Therapist/Practitioner2 | licenses and other credentials, which are self-reported2 |
| Hakomi | yes, after the visitor accepts terms of use3 | Certified Hakomi Therapist (licensed) or Certified Hakomi Practitioner (no psychotherapy)3, 8 | credentials or authorization to practice as a mental health professional3 |
| Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (SPI) | yes4 | the highest level of SP training completed4 | licensing or registration status, and whether a listed practitioner is authorized to practice4, 9 |
| ISMETA | yes, "Locate a Practitioner"10 | registered somatic movement professionals; ISMETA registers RSMEs and RSMTs at the level of 500 hours of training10, 11 | not stated on the page we read |
| USABP | yes, for educators, centers, clinics and agencies12 | listed professionals meet USABP's educational requirements and agree to its Code of Ethics12 | USABP points clients to the state licensing agency for oversight questions12 |
Three details matter for your own listing. An SEI listing is optional. On its own it costs $75 a year, and anyone who completed SEI's Beginning I course can buy it. An SEI membership lowers that cost to $50 or $013. In our reading, a client who does not find you may be looking at a list you never joined. SPI lists only members of SPIPA, a group that SPI graduates can join9. Its directory also requires them to be authorized to practice as mental health professionals4. NARM states that its training graduates "are required to be licensed in their professional discipline"14.
What to do with this, in our reading: name your training on your website exactly as your institute's directory names it, such as "SEP" or "NARM Therapist/Practitioner". Then link to your entry. If you are still in training, say so. SEI lists students in its training, and NARM labels them "Participant in Training"1, 2. For what each certificate requires, see which somatic certification to choose.
How does a client check a state license?
Each state publishes its own license register. New York's Office of the Professions runs a search. It shows a licensee's name, profession, license number, location, date of first license and registration status15. It also links to summaries of disciplinary actions since January 199415. The search covers more than 50 professions that the state regulates15.
If you hold no license, watch the titles you use. States reserve some titles, and the rules differ by state. Our state guides list them: New York, California, Colorado and Oregon. "Somatic Experiencing Practitioner" names a training. It is not a state license. SEI's own disclosure notes that not all its practitioners carry a professional license7.
Let clients check your training.
A free OneSomatic profile shows the somatic training you completed, after we check your certificate. It can link to your own website.
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What does the FTC allow in reviews and testimonials?
The FTC's Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials, 16 CFR Part 465, took effect on October 21, 20245. Courts can impose civil penalties for knowing violations5. The rule applies to businesses, and it defines a business to include "an individual who sells products or services"6. So it covers a solo practice. Five points touch a small practice:
- You may not write or create a fake review or testimonial. That covers a reviewer who does not exist or never worked with you, and a false account of their experience6.
- You may not offer a reward for a review that must be positive or negative6. The FTC's own example of an implied condition: "Tell us how much you loved your visit… and get a $5 coupon"5.
- You may offer an incentive for a review if you do not require it to be positive or negative. The FTC warns that an incentive you do not disclose can still break the FTC Act5, 16.
- Family members may review your practice if they clearly disclose the relationship5.
- You may answer a negative review in public. You may not use groundless legal threats, intimidation or false accusations to get it removed5, 6.
If you routinely ask every client to post a review, that is a "generalized solicitation". The rule exempts reviews that come from it, even when an insider writes one5. Whether you should ask a client for a review is a different question, covered by the ethics codes below.
What can a testimonial claim about results?
The FTC revised its Endorsement Guides, 16 CFR Part 255, on July 26, 202316. A testimonial must reflect the person's honest experience16. Two rules matter most for somatic work.
First, the FTC treats a testimonial about how well a service works as your own claim. You need "competent and reliable scientific evidence" for it when that is the appropriate standard16. A quote such as "three sessions cured my panic attacks" is a health claim you make, in our reading.
Second, a testimonial about a key result implies that most clients get that result16. The FTC tested "Results not typical" as a disclaimer and found it did not correct that impression16. In our reading, if you cannot say what clients typically experience, quote the process and leave out the outcome. "I felt safe from the first session" describes an experience. "My chronic pain is gone" promises an outcome.
Do ethics codes limit testimonials if you also hold a license?
Yes. If you are a psychologist, counselor or social worker, your profession's code can apply on top of FTC law.
| Code | Rule on testimonials |
|---|---|
| APA Ethics Code, 5.05 (psychologists) | do not solicit testimonials "from current therapy clients/patients or other persons who… are vulnerable to undue influence"17 |
| ACA Code of Ethics, C.3.b (counselors) | do not solicit them from current or former clients or other vulnerable persons; discuss the implications and get the client's permission for any testimonial you use18 |
| NASW Code of Ethics, 4.07(b) (social workers) | do not solicit testimonial endorsements from current clients or vulnerable people, including consent to reuse a client's earlier statement19 |
In our reading, the ACA rule is the strictest of the three, because it also covers former clients18. Your state board may set its own rule. Check its regulations before you publish a client quote.
In our reading, these codes do not bind a practitioner outside these professions. The FTC rules still do6. You can still choose the stricter path. Quote colleagues and referral partners on how you work, and leave out client outcome stories.
What does the "Verified by OneSomatic" seal confirm?
OneSomatic reviews proof of a completed somatic training before a profile shows as verified20. We compare the name on your certificate with your profile20. A training still in progress does not earn the verified mark. Attendance certificates, coaching titles and weekend courses are not enough on their own20. For Somatic Experiencing, NARM and Hakomi, we can also confirm a completed training from the institute's graduate list21.
A client sees the mark with the words "Credentials reviewed"21. Your certificate stays private21. A verified practitioner can put the "Verified by OneSomatic" seal on their own website20.
Verification has limits, and your clients should know them. A verified profile confirms somatic training. It does not by itself confirm a state license20. A license shows on a profile only after we check the state board's public register20. The mark does not rank one program above another21. And no plan buys a higher position in the directory20.
For how a profile and its website link help people find you, see how to get found online. For the steps from first contact to a first session, see how a small practice gets more clients. Peer consultation groups are in where practitioners find peers.
Claim your free verified profile. No card is required20.
Sources
- Somatic Experiencing International, "Find a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner" (who is listed). Checked .
- NARM Training Institute, "Search the NARM Directory" (designations). Checked .
- Hakomi Institute, "Find a Hakomi Practitioner" (CHT and CHP titles). Checked .
- Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute, "Therapist Directory". Checked .
- Federal Trade Commission, "The Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule: Questions and Answers" (effective date, civil penalties). Checked .
- 16 CFR 465.2(a), fake or false consumer reviews and testimonials. Checked .
- Somatic Experiencing International, "Disclosure Statement". Checked .
- Hakomi Institute, "Practitioner Directory". Checked .
- Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute, "SPI Therapist Directory FAQ" (review and endorsement). Checked .
- ISMETA, "Locate a Practitioner". Checked .
- ISMETA, "Guidelines for Choosing Your Category of ISMETA Registration" (June 2025). Checked .
- United States Association for Body Psychotherapy, "Find Somatic Therapy". Checked .
- Somatic Experiencing International, "Membership" (Practitioner Directory listing price). Checked .
- NARM Training Institute, "Disclosure and Disclaimer Statement". Checked .
- New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions, "Online Verification Searches". Checked .
- 16 CFR Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (88 FR 48102, July 26, 2023). Checked .
- American Psychological Association, "Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct", Standard 5.05 Testimonials. Checked .
- American Counseling Association, "2014 ACA Code of Ethics", C.3.b Testimonials. Checked .
- National Association of Social Workers, "Code of Ethics", 4.07(b) Solicitations. Checked .
- OneSomatic, "OneSomatic facts" (free profile). Checked .
- OneSomatic, "How does OneSomatic verify training?" (graduate lists). Checked .