Working with Coding, Developmental Trauma, Shock, PTSD & Complex PTSD
Six-Evening Workshop
This six-evening training offers a step-by-step introduction to five essential themes in trauma work. Each evening combines clear teaching, live demonstrations, guided practices, and shared reflection. Together we will explore how these patterns shape human life, and how to approach them with precision, compassion, and skill.
You’ll leave not only with a deeper understanding of trauma, but also with practical skills you can use right away—in your work and in your life.
The Journey in Six Evenings
Evening 1 – Orientation: Understanding the Differences
Our first evening lays the foundation for the whole journey. We will explore the differences between coding, developmental trauma, shock states, PTSD, and complex PTSD — and why these distinctions matter so much in practice.
When we blur these categories together, interventions often lose their precision and effectiveness. When we learn to recognize their unique qualities, we begin to see how the human system organizes itself and why different approaches are needed.
This session provides a map of the territory, helping you orient to the main themes we will study in the following evenings. We will also practice simple grounding and resourcing exercises to begin experiencing the principles in the body, not only in the mind.
Evening 2 – Coding: The Ways We Learn to Take Care of Ourselves
Coding refers to the patterns we develop in response to how we are met by others — not only in early life, but throughout our lived experience. Codings are not flaws; they are the ways we learned to care for ourselves, to protect our dignity, and to maintain connection and belonging.
Inside every coding is a resource — a hidden form of intelligence that once served us well. When codings become unconscious, they can take over and limit us. But when brought into awareness, they transform into allies that help us live with more freedom and resilience.
In this evening we will:
- Learn to recognize coding patterns in ourselves and others
- Discover the difference between coding and developmental trauma
- Practice tools to soften codings, so they no longer control us
- Explore how to bring codings into consciousness as resources
Evening 3 – Developmental Trauma: The Interrupted Path of Growth
Developmental trauma arises when our basic needs for safety, attunement, nurturing, connection, and dignity are met in a destructive way during key stages of growth. Unlike shock trauma, which comes from overwhelming events, developmental trauma is about the harmful or distorted responses we receive when we reach out for care, dignity, and connection.
These wounds shape how we see ourselves, how we relate to others, and how we regulate our emotions. Yet within developmental trauma lies the potential for profound healing, especially when we learn to meet—often for the first time—the needs that were once met destructively.
In this evening we will explore:
- How developmental trauma forms and shows up in daily life
- The difference between developmental trauma and shock trauma
- Recognizing patterns of destructively met needs — including dignity — in clients and ourselves
- Relational and embodied approaches to repair
Evening 4 – Shock States: When the System Freezes
Shock occurs when our system gets overwhelmed beyond its capacity to respond. It is not the same as trauma or PTSD — it is the immediate freeze, the shutting down of aliveness to survive the unbearable.
Many people live with a high percentage of shock state in daily life. They may appear functional, but underneath their system remains frozen, unable to fully orient, relax, or feel safe. This is very different from the flashbacks of PTSD.
In this evening we will cover:
- What happens when our system gets overwhelmed by shock
- How shock differs from PTSD and developmental trauma
- The difference between chronic shock states and PTSD flashbacks
- Recognizing signs of shock in posture, breath, and presence
- Gentle methods to restore orientation, movement, and safety
Evening 5 – PTSD: The Echo of Trauma
PTSD develops when the system cannot fully process a traumatic event and remains stuck in cycles of hyperarousal, intrusion, or avoidance. It is not just “bad memories” — it is the body and mind continuing to live as if the trauma is happening now.
A key feature of PTSD is the flashback — a sudden and overwhelming re-experiencing of past traumatic events. Flashbacks can pull a person out of the present and flood them with sensations, emotions, and images from the past.
In this evening we will explore:
- What happens when the system remains overwhelmed after trauma
- Core symptoms: flashbacks, hypervigilance, avoidance, dissociation
- How PTSD differs from shock and complex PTSD
- Practical tools for stabilization and safety
Evening 6 – Complex PTSD: The Layering of Wounds
Complex PTSD arises from repeated or prolonged exposure to traumatic situations, often in the context of relationships. It affects identity, trust, and the very fabric of how a person experiences themselves in the world.
In this evening we will:
- Distinguish complex PTSD from PTSD and developmental trauma
- Explore how multiple layers of trauma interact and compound each other
- Learn strategies for approaching complexity with clarity and care
- Integrate the tools and insights from all previous evenings
2026 Evening Series Schedule (18:00–21:00 CET)
- 12 February – Evening 1
- 9 April – Evening 2
- 29 May – Evening 3
- 16 July – Evening 4
- 27 August – Evening 5
- 29 October – Evening 6
Location: Online via Zoom
Access to Recordings: Available until 20 November 2026
Prices & Registration
- Early Bird: €550 — until 10 January 2026
- Regular Price: €800
To register, contact Yorgos Piaditis: info@bodynamic.gr
Please note: Sessions will be recorded, and Bodynamic reserves the right to use recordings for future e-learning purposes.
Participants who attend the full workshop live will also receive a certificate for 2 hours of Bodynamic supervision credit.
Materials: Upon registering, each participant will also receive:
- A concise workshop manual (PDF)
- A copy of the PowerPoint slides used during the training
About the Teacher – Ditte Marcher
Ditte Marcher is a senior teacher and pioneer of the Bodynamic System, with more than 35 years of international teaching experience. She has trained therapists, psychologists, doctors, and social workers across Europe, North and South America, and Asia.
Her expertise lies especially in working with shock trauma, PTSD, and complex PTSD, as well as the development of character structures and codings. Ditte is known for her ability to combine deep theoretical knowledge with practical tools that can be applied immediately in clinical and everyday settings.
In recent years, Ditte has been leading the UNIT program in Ukraine (Ukraine National International Training), a large-scale initiative developed to support psychologists, therapists, and frontline professionals working with trauma during the war. The program focuses on building resilience, strengthening professional capacity, and introducing practical somatic tools for working with shock and PTSD in extreme conditions. Through UNIT, Ditte and her team have trained hundreds of professionals, creating ripple effects that reach thousands of clients and communities affected by trauma.
As the daughter of Lisbeth Marcher, founder of Bodynamic, Ditte has been part of developing and refining this unique body-psychotherapy system since its early days. She has contributed directly to the evolution of Bodynamic’s methods, including the integration of shock and trauma perspectives into character structure theory.
Ditte is recognized worldwide for her compassionate teaching style, her clarity, and her commitment to bringing dignity and mutual connection into the healing process. Whether in an international training setting, a therapeutic group, or the war zones of Ukraine, she embodies the Bodynamic vision: to meet human beings with respect, awareness, and tools that transform suffering into resilience.