A RTT- online STEP 2 course with Merete Holm Brantbjerg and Kolbjørn Vårdal

2026 : Feb 25 - March 11 - March 25 - April 15 - April 29 - May 13 - May 27

Relational Trauma therapy has specialised in including and normalising hypo-states and developing practical methods for working with these

Early bird registration

You can save 40 Us$. The price goes up February 2nd 2026

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Beyond polarising

Similarities and differences are aspects of all interactions.

If we can integrate them both it supports growth and development. If not, we easily get stuck in either rigid polarisation or diffusion.

 

We often seek safety through seeking contact around similarities. 

When doing that we have a chance to meet in similarity – find company that is similar enough for us to feel safe and included.

In the same time we risk to merge, loose our boundaries and centering if the similarity is stereotypical and not differentiated enough

 

We often get into fight about differences. Differences that are too big challenge our capacity to stay open and curious – boundaries easily close or diffuse when that happens.

In the same time differences can support growth and development – it can bring excitement and awaken us. If differences are not being integrated we risk to stagnate and go rigid. 

This goes for a body, a person, a group, a family, a society, the world.


These are examples of dynamics around similarities and differences. 

The dynamics play out both individually in our bodies – and they play out relationally between us. 


The course

We will explore interactions around similarities and differences both bodily and relationally

Bodily the dynamic can play out between hyper- and hypo-states

In hyper-states we over-activate – either muscles or autonomic nervous-system or both. In hypo-states we under-activate. These two strategies are very different – and they easily get stuck in polarisation to each other – or going dominant or submissive to each other

 

Our hypothesis is that stress-patterns and trauma-patterns are held by a combination of a hyper- and a hypo-strategy. One can be stronger than the other – but they work together in each their way to establish a pattern

In this course focus lies on how to relate to both strategies in a way where they don’t polarise to each other

The process of dosing is key in this – building up adaptability in being able to shift between different dosages – coming back and forth between dosing high and low


Relationally we will use the principles of trauma-sensitive group-process to open up exploration of how to integrate both similarities and differences between us

The principles of trauma-sensitive group-process

  • What supports us in staying open to choice and curiosity when exchanging about either a similarity or a difference?

  • Do we get triggered when bringing a similarity or a difference into a dyad or a group?

  • What are our habits with similarities and differences – and our readiness to widen our behaviour?

We will use psychomotor and neurocentric skill-training to support the ownership of choice and curiosity related to both similarities and differences – in the body and relationally

This online-course offers

7 x 3 hours live sessions that each time will include

  • Presentation

    a presentation of one out of 5 basic elements in working with Beyond polarising - Managing similarities and differences bodily and relationally

  • Practical training

    Practical training in body-awareness and specific muscle-and joint-activations

  • Time for sharing

    Time for sharing in smaller groups

  • Exchange-time

    Exchange-time in the whole group with questions and answers – and sharing in subgroups. The exchange time holds a live group-process, where the group becomes a holding environment for experiences that often have been hidden in withdrawal and isolation

  • Integration-time

    Session 4 and 7 focus on integration in the learning process

  • Recordings

    Recordings of each of the 7 sessions will be made available

  • Course curriculum

    Access to an updated curriculum on our online-platform that follows the online course. Here will handouts, articles, links for recommended external sources and the video

Early bird price

You can save 40 US$ by register before February 2nd 2026

Purchase course

What to expect in this workshop

5 basic elements in working with BEYOND POLARITIES will be presented – 1 element will be the focus in each out of 5 of the sessions – and 2 sessions will focus on integration:

  • 1 - February 25

    Making space for similarities and differences bodily and relationally How do we optimize safety bodily, so we can become curious about both hyper- and hypo-parts of us? How do we optimize safety in how we interact in groups, so both similarities and differences can be held in the group? We will focus on the dosing principle and the subgrouping-principle

  • 2 - March 11

    Similarities and differences within our bodies Shifting between dosing high and low - Hyper- and hypo-interwoven. How do we sense and experience hyper-response compared to hypo-response? How do we open curiosity to both of them, make space for both of them without them polarising to each other? And how does that impact our relationship to ourselves?

  • 3 - March 25

    Exchanging verbally about similarities and differences. How do we use the bodily skills to support us relationally in making space for both similarities and differences? Focus on boundaries and centering to support access to choice and curiosity

  • 4 - April 15

    Integration time 1. Time for personal and professional integration

  • 5 - April 29

    What do we do when we get triggered by too much similarity or too much difference? Managing autonomic nervous-system reactions – hyper- and hypo – bodily and verbally

  • 6 - May 13

    Managing a polarity. How do we support new behaviors and new ways of being in the world related to polarities. What happens if we can stay open to both sides of a polarity – and which skills support it?

  • 7 - May 27

    Integration time 2. Time for personal and professional integration

Who is this course for?

Requirements and recommendations: This is a step 2 course in RTT online international courses

  • Participants

    This course is for practitioners, consultants, psychotherapists or other professionals working with other people therapeutically or in teaching – who wants to add and integrate a focus on shame and inner boundaries in their practice

  • Previous experience with teaching that includes and awakens hypo-response is requested

    This request can be fulfilled by having participated in the online course “Including and awakening hypo-response” or having followed the special edition of “Including and awakening hypo-response” been bought together with the BEYOND POLARISING course - or having participated in training in Relational Trauma Therapy with Merete Holm Brantbjerg or Kolbjørn Vårdal

  • Our special edition courses

    differ from the normal courses in the following ways: In a special edition course you get access to the 7 presentations + the accompanying material such as articles, videos etc. You don’t get access to the exchange time in the group and you don’t become part of breakoutgroups. This means that you don’t become part of the holding environment in the group, that is being built in the live sessions

  • Recommendation LEVEL 1, special edition

    You can access 2 special edition courses: “Including and awakening hypo-response” (IAH), LEVEL 1 course. This is required before participating in the BEYOND POLARISING-course, if you haven’t participated in the IAH course already

  • Recommendation LEVEL 2, special edition

    "Hyper and hypo interwoven" (HHI), LEVEL 2 course. This special edition course is not mandatory – but we highly recommend it. When doing the HHI course, we saw how addressing both hyper and hypo-response supports opening up to a natural outgoing energy. We therefore see the relevance of going through the HHI course prior to working directly with Beyond polarising.

  • Clarifying QUESTIONS

    If you are uncertain if you fulfill the criteria for signing up for the BEYOND POLARISING-course, please contact one of us on [email protected]

  • Purchase of our special editions

    If you want to purchase the special edition of “Including and awakening hypo-response” and/or "Hyper and hypo interwoven", you can find them on our website https://www.relationaltraumatherapy.online

  • Organizer has the right to take action to secure that participants fulfill the criteria

Pricing options

There exist different types of purchasing the course. Please choose the one offered to you: Original price, Early Bird price (purchase before Feb 2nd 2025) or Scolarship price (if you have applied by email and have got an accepted scholarprice spot from the RTTonline team)

Course leaders

and Course manager

CEO and Senior trainer Merete Holm Brantbjerg

Merete Holm Brantbjerg, body-psychotherapist, member of the Danish Psychotherapist Organisation and of EABP, founder of Relational Trauma Therapy – international trainer – specialised in working with low dosed activation of muscles and connective tissue as an aspect of trauma-therapeutic methodology. Merete is situated in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Trainer Kolbjørn Vårdal

Kolbjørn Vårdal, body-psychotherapist, Masters degree in trauma work, member of EABP, co-founder of Relational Trauma therapy, international trainer, specialised in including neurologically informed training as a trauma-therapeutic methodology. Kolbjørn is situated in Oslo, Norway, - where he lives with his family

Course Manager Ayuna Pedersen

Ayuna Pedersen - bodyoriented psychotherapist, Relational Trauma Therapist, DBR, SEP - specialised in working with trauma with children in all ages. Member of the Danish Psychotherapist Organisation. The role of the course manager is to support the group technically, be part of the containment during sessions, be in charge of the course-platform. Ayuna is situated in Copenhagen, Denmark, - where she lives with her family

Practical information

  • Dates

    7 live online-sessions of 3 hrs on Wednesdays: February 25, March 11, March 25, April 15, April 29, May 13, May 27

  • Times:

    4-7 pm UTC (Coordinated Universal time, Greenwich mean time) 5-8 pm CET UTC + 1 6-9 pm EET (Eastern European time) UTC + 2 11 am – 2 pm EST (Eastern North America) UTC – 5 8-11 am PST (Pacific Standard Time) UTC –8 11.30pm -2.30 am ACST (Australian Central Standard Time) UTC + 9.30

  • Please note

    If you are in a different time-zone than the above mentioned – please look up what time will be yours. Please be aware that Daylight savings time shifts from CET to CEST on March 29 – and in Northamerica on March 8 – so on March 11 and March 25 the time-difference will differ with one hour compared to the normal difference if you live in Northamerica. Please check your local shift to see if this fits for where you are in the world as well

  • Link for a time converter

    https://www.worldtimebuddy.com/

  • Teaching hours

    are on 5-8 pm CET/CEST all 7 times.

  • Live-sessions and Zoom link

    We use Zoom, a cloud-based video communications app for our Live virtual sessions. The Zoom-link will be made available in the curriculum under each session-section plus send qua email prior to each session

  • Material and online course platform

    Workshop curriculum and workshop-material will for the participating students be available on our learning platform https://www.relationaltraumatherapy.online. This include the recordings of each of the 7 sessions that will be accessible until March 1st 2027

  • Fee

    Early bird registration – with sign up and payment prior to February 1st 2026: 700 US$. Later sign up and payment: 740US$

  • Scholarship-price

    Scholarship-price 620 US$ available with written request. Send an email to [email protected]. Criteria for the reduced price can be being a student, retired or other reasons for having reduced income. A maximum of 10 participants will get acces to the scholarship price. - So don’t wait, if you want to send us a request.

Early bird price 700 US$ will end February 1st 2026. Normal price 740 US$

Purchase course