Cultivating a world of embodied connection

Surrogate Partner Therapy is a form of somatic therapy that helps a client overcome challenges with intimacy, whether those challenges be social, sexual, or with forming and maintaining mutually fulfilling relationships. SPT harnesses the power of experiential learning alongside traditional therapy to maximize the opportunity for growth and change. It follows a triadic structure: the client meets regularly with both a surrogate partner, to practice emotional and physical partnership skills, and a collaborating clinician, to process and integrate their learnings.​ A surrogate partner is a trained, patient, nonjudgmental, ethical professional whose role is to participate with the client in hands-on exercises and experiences. Exercises are chosen for their therapeutic value and relevance to the client's goals, but generally involve awareness, consent, trust, touch, body image, relaxation, communication, worthiness, social skills, sensuality, and physical and emotional intimacy. Through these experiences, a temporary relationship is formed between client and surrogate partner. This time-limited relationship becomes a learning environment which is simultaneously supportive and lifelike. The client can learn about relationship by participating, the surrogate partner can teach effective relationship skills by example, and the client has lots of support all through the process.