Arizona · September 14–18, 2026 —
Myofascial, craniosacral & somatic bodywork training near Phoenix, AZ
Five days, 35 hands-on hours at Blisstopia Retreats in Peoria, north-west of Phoenix — myofascial release, craniosacral therapy and somatic dialogue taught as one integrated system, not three separate certifications.
This class is full. The page stays up because I return to this region — see below for what is next.
Practitioners who have completed this training
Every class finishes the same way — certificates in hand, and a different pair of hands than the ones they arrived with.
What Arizona requires
Arizona LMTs need 24 CE hours every two years, and the Board is unusually strict about how: 12 of those hours must be completed in person, and a live webinar explicitly does not count.
This class is 35 in-person, hands-on hours — nearly three times Arizona’s in-person minimum, and your full 24-hour total with eleven hours to spare.
Worth knowing
Arizona does not let you carry excess hours into the next renewal period, so anything beyond 24 in a cycle is for your practice rather than your paperwork.
Attending a monthly State Board meeting earns up to 3 distance-learning hours at no cost — worth knowing, and nothing this class replaces.
NCBTMB Approved Provider #1002447 · 35 CE hours for licensed massage therapists
Requirements per the Arizona State Board of Massage Therapy.
The room
Monday 14 – Friday 18 September 2026 Waitlisted
Blisstopia Retreats
9135 West Saddlehorn Road, Peoria, AZ 85383
blisstopiaretreats.com
A purpose-built retreat space in the desert north-west of Phoenix — quiet, warm, and built for exactly this kind of week rather than borrowed for it.
9:00am – 5:30pm each day, with an extended mid-day break for lunch and integration.
An intimate practitioner setting — not a 50-seat seminar. Hands on from day one, with individual attention through every practice session.
Getting there
Flying: Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX) is about thirty miles south-east, roughly forty minutes. Phoenix–Mesa Gateway (AZA) is a smaller alternative further east.
Driving: about twenty-five minutes from downtown Phoenix, two hours from Tucson, three and a half from Sedona and back.
Staying
- Peoria and neighbouring Glendale have plenty of options within fifteen minutes of the venue.
- North Scottsdale is a longer drive but the nicest place to land in the evenings.
- September in Arizona is still hot — somewhere with a pool is not an indulgence.
Five days in the room
What you’ll learn
- Myofascial techniques that sense subtle release and expansion in tissue — creating breadth and depth of sensation that help your clients connect and feel their bodies more
- Craniosacral skills — from palpating the cranial rhythm to full-session sequencing — where physical touch activates deep states of nervous system calibration
- Somatic dialogue: reading non-verbal cues, inviting client participation, and holding emotional release with ethics, safety, and trauma-informed presence
- A cohesive framework that recognizes the body as a totality rather than fragmented systems
Who it’s for
Licensed massage therapists, bodyworkers and manual therapists who already have hands-on experience and want the three modalities as one system rather than three separate trainings.
Previous hands-on bodywork experience is highly recommended — the class is paced at an intermediate level.
The five days
Day 1 — Unveiling the fascial matrix. Myofascial anatomy, adhesions and tensegrity, mechanoreceptors and their somatic implications, and palpation practice.
Day 2 — Myofascial release techniques. Working restriction at depth, and the touch sensitivity that finds it.
Day 3 — Craniosacral therapy fundamentals. Palpating the cranial rhythm through to full-session sequencing.
Day 4 — Craniosacral therapy techniques. Where physical touch activates deep states of nervous system calibration.
Day 5 — Somatic dialogue and emotional release. Reading non-verbal cues, inviting client participation, and holding what surfaces with ethics, safety and trauma-informed presence.
See the full day-by-day curriculum and the whole year’s schedule →
What students say
“Exactly what I have been needing in my practice to support my clients. Daniel is an excellent teacher & was amazing at supporting everyone.”— Caroline C., practitioner
“Daniel’s ability to clearly explain complex techniques and connect them to real clinical applications made a huge difference in how I understood and integrated the material. I truly appreciate the time and attention you gave to everyone’s individual experience.”— Jennifer R., practitioner
“I’m so deeply grateful and inspired by this work and what Daniel brings to the table. He guides us intuitively from the heart, through this delicate healing path. This is the upgrade I was looking for — for my own inner evolution and my clients.”— Margaret S., practitioner
Who is teaching
For nearly fifteen years I’ve been unraveling the body’s mysteries as a therapist — working with the fascia, the nervous system, and the stories they hold.
My passion ignited when I began combining the modalities I’d been taught separately, and found the doorway into deep states of somatic release. I don’t just teach anatomy or techniques; I guide you into a deeper way of being with the body.
Daniel J. Wicker · NC LMBT #15677 · NCBTMB Approved Provider #1002447
Questions
Does this count toward my Arizona CE requirement?
Which airport should I fly into?
What are the prerequisites? Is this suitable for beginners?
I’m not a massage therapist — can I still attend?
How are hands-on practices managed?
What does it cost?
Not this date, or not this city?
I teach this training around the country through the year. You can see every upcoming date, read the full class syllabus, and watch a free introductory video — and I will let you know when something lands near you.