About Martha

Martha Peterson, a  Certified Hanna Somatic Educator and movement expert, is the author of the book, “Move Without Pain”, published by Sterling Publishers. She has also produced the instructional DVD, “Pain Relief Through Movement,” as well as a line of “Pain-Free” Somatic Exercise DVDs, which are now selling worldwide.  Martha is a graduate of Somatic Systems Institute in Northampton, MA. and holds a B.A. in Dance Education from the State University of New York, and certification in Massage Therapy from the National Holistic Institute in Oakland, CA.

Martha teaches in the United States and Europe and has traveled to Australia and Canada to present trainings and workshops. When she’s not traveling she gives private sessions and teaches Somatic Movement classes at her office at Wellspring Health Collective in Maplewood, NJ. Martha works with clients who have struggled with chronic pain, joint stiffness or postural problems. She teaches them how to get long term pain relief from chronic pain patterns using the gentle, and revolutionary techniques and methods of Hanna Somatics.

Her expertise comes from over 30 years of working with professionals in the field of dance, bodywork and somatic therapies. She established the first on-site massage therapy programs in Washington, DC at the World Bank, the US Justice Department, and Dept. of Health and Human Services, and has worked with dancers, actors, athletes, children and seniors.

As a former professional dancer who, at one point suffered chronic hip and knee pain due to injuries, Martha understands the frustration and struggle many people go through trying to discern between the myriad different modalities that claim to relieve, or “fix” chronic pain. This is how she discovered Hanna Somatic Education, the only method that taught her, in a short time, to reverse her pain and postural imbalances and regain her freedom of movement. She finds that mastering healthy body mechanics and proprioception is the key to maintaining flexibility and freedom of movement.

In addition to private sessions and group classes, Martha conducts online video sessions for those in both the US and internationally who seek personalized help for pain relief and improved movement.  In 2012 she instituted the Essential Somatics® Professional Training Program in Clinical Somatic Education, which trains appropriate candidates to become skilled clinical practitioners.  Martha is available for speaking engagements and corporate workshops, which focus on injury prevention, healthy biomechanics, and worker wellness.

When she’s not working, Martha enjoys traveling, hiking, walking long distances, dancing, gardening, and playing. With her 83 year old mother, Martha has climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and travelled to Sikkim, Northern India, to trek in the Himalayas. She’s learned that the key to remaining healthy and mobile is daily, vigorous, fun movement.