The body is not broken. It is maintaining.
Viscero-Autonomic Emotional Integration — a two-day practitioner trainingMost chronic presentations — gastrointestinal inflammation, fatigue, persistent low back pain — return after competent treatment because the maintaining mechanism sits upstream of where the treatment is applied. This course teaches you to find it, and address it in the correct sequence.
Register your interest — introductory practitioner rate · 10 practitioners onlyQuestions before registering: click here · Ready to book now? Go straight to payment ↓
Why presentations persist — and what to do about it
The VAEI™ (Viscero-Autonomic Emotional Integration) framework is a mechanistic account of the loop that keeps chronic presentations returning. NPY-maintained vasoconstriction, Substance P-mediated fascial restriction, VIP deficit removing the anti-inflammatory brake, CRF producing gut symptoms independent of measurable cortisol — these are not abstract concepts. They are the maintaining mechanism you are already treating, without a map for why it keeps coming back.
"The loop is self-sustaining — once established it does not require the original trigger to continue. Afferent chemical signals maintain the structural conditions independently. The tissue has its own neurochemical memory."
Level One covers two protocols — gastrointestinal inflammation and fatigue — with the full anatomical rationale, palpation landmarks, assessment protocol, and clinical decision-making sequence for each. Both days are hands-on. The diagrams, the manual, and the reference card go home with you.
Protocol 1 — Gastrointestinal Inflammation
- Abdominal sphincters
- Liver and venous angle
- Superior mesenteric artery (SMA)
- Inferior mesenteric artery (IMA)
- Mesenteric root
- Diaphragmatic crus (L2)
Protocol 2 — Energy Regulation and Metabolic Function
- Liver
- Kidneys
- Renal artery
- Renal vein
- Diaphragm
- Sphenoid
- Dura
The Clinical Priority Framework
Five levels. One cardinal rule: if a finding does not hold after treatment — look up the framework. The maintaining mechanism is almost always upstream of where you are working.
Vascular
Identify: BP asymmetry >15mmHg · vascular turbulence · warm heavy congested tissue
Neural
Identify: HRV below norms · burning radiating referral · restriction returns after organ work
Visceral
Identify: Organ referral · enteric CRF pattern · emotional history maps to territory
Fascial
Identify: Dense directional restriction driving fascial adaptation.
MSK
Model 1: holds — direct structural work · Model 2: returns — look up the framework
Everything you need to apply the framework on Monday
Illustrated clinical manual
Spiral-bound reference manual with original clinical diagrams for every technique. The manual you write in and bring back to clinic.
Laminated reference cards
Double-sided A4 card. Priority Framework on the front. Protocol sequences on the back. For your treatment room desk.
Original clinical diagrams
Anatomy and technique diagrams in the Sorensen Method™ palette. Every technique has its own palpation diagram embedded in the manual.
Assessment protocol
Bilateral BP · HRV baseline · postural observation · global abdominal palpation. A complete pre-session assessment in 5–8 minutes.
16 CPE hours
Certificate of completion issued on the day. Suitable for self-reporting with APA, Osteopathy Australia, MMA, ATMS, and ANTA.
Resonance frequency breathing protocol
Evidence-based home practice prescription. The most important thing your clients do between sessions. Client card included.
- 16 contact hours
- APA — self-reported
- Osteopathy Australia — self-reported
- MMA — accreditation in progress
- ATMS — accreditation in progress
The language of the framework
"The most common error is releasing too early." Signs of tissue release — SM Level One Manual
"The ileocaecal valve is most clinically significant — hypertonia mimics appendicitis and right hip presentation." Technique 1.1 — Abdominal sphincter assessment
"The integration sign — eyes brighten, breath drops, something visibly settles — is chemical signalling from the solar plexus expressing systemically." Technique 1.5 — Mesenteric root release
"Your role is to create the somatic conditions under which psychological resolution becomes possible — not to facilitate the psychological resolution itself. The contact is the therapeutic container." Chapter 2b — The psychological dimension
Who this course is for
This is an advanced practitioner training. It requires an existing foundation in anatomy, manual therapy, and clinical assessment. It is not suitable as a first course in manual therapy.
- Physiotherapists (AHPRA registered)
- Osteopaths (AHPRA registered)
- Chiropractors (AHPRA registered)
- Remedial massage therapists and myotherapists
- CHEK Practitioners (IMS 1–4)
- Naturopaths and complementary medicine practitioners
- Practitioners whose patients keep returning with the same presentation
- Any allied health professional working within registered scope
Matthew Sorensen
The Sorensen Method™ draws on over two decades of advanced training across visceral manual therapy, structural biomechanics, energetic anatomy, and clinical nutrition — integrated through 20 years of clinical practice at Heal Hub, Cronulla.
Heal Hub has been Matthew's clinical home for over a decade — a specialist practice built around the complex presentations that conventional approaches haven't resolved. His patients include elite athletes, high-performance professionals, and people who have been through the system and been told there is nothing more to be done. The Sorensen Method™ emerged from that caseload.
The VAEI™ framework is an original synthesis. It is Barral-informed in its visceral foundation, CHEK-informed in its structural reasoning, and grounded in contemporary autonomic neuroscience and neuropeptide biology that neither curriculum alone addresses. The trademark — Viscero-Autonomic Emotional Integration™ — was filed with IP Australia in August 2026.
FAQ
Why should I spend two days and the course fee on this instead of another CPD course?
Most CPD adds another technique to your toolkit — one more protocol competing for space in what you already do. Level One changes how you decide which technique to reach for and when: it's a clinical reasoning framework that sits above your existing scope, not a modality bolted onto it. If you've treated a presentation successfully and watched it return, and wondered whether you were missing something upstream, this training is built to answer that specific question — not to add one more protocol to your list.
Is this evidence-based? I'm a physiotherapist and I need to justify CPE choices.
The autonomic neuroscience underpinning the VAEI™ loop — baroreceptor function, polyvagal theory, neuropeptide biology — is peer-reviewed. The clinical synthesis is Matthew's original work, developed through 20 years of clinical practice. Evidence-based practice has three components: research evidence, clinical expertise, and patient values. This course draws heavily on the second. There are no RCTs of the VAEI™ framework — and Matthew will tell you that himself. What the framework offers is a systematic clinical reasoning structure that explains observations current evidence-based frameworks don't account for well — specifically, why presentations return after competent structural treatment.
Is visceral palpation realistic? Can you actually feel the SMA?
Yes. The SMA pulse is distinguishable from the aortic pulse by its lateral position and focused character — the anatomical rationale is shown in axial cross-section in the manual. This is established in the Barral Institute curriculum and taught in osteopathic training internationally. By the end of Day One you will have palpated the SMA, IMA, and mesenteric root on a practice partner and received facilitated feedback. Palpation skill is taught, not innate.
Is this within my scope of practice as a remedial massage therapist?
Techniques are taught for application within each practitioner's existing scope of practice. Abdominal massage and soft tissue work in the abdominal region is within the scope of remedial massage therapy in Australia. Blood pressure measurement and HRV monitoring are clinical observations, not diagnostic procedures. Matthew's own primary qualification is remedial massage therapy — this framework was developed in that clinical context. You are responsible for confirming applicability to your own registration and insurance coverage.
What are the CPE points and when will accreditation be confirmed?
The course is 16 contact hours. AHPRA-registered practitioners (physiotherapists, osteopaths, chiropractors) self-report CPE — no prior association approval is required. MMA and ATMS accreditation applications are currently in progress. Members can self-report using the certificate of completion as evidence while those applications are assessed. A certificate specifying course title, learning outcomes, contact hours, and facilitator credentials is issued on completion.
What if emotion surfaces during technique practice?
This is addressed explicitly in the course. Emotional expression during visceral manual therapy is common, clinically significant, and well within the scope of what you will learn to hold. The short version: stay in the contact, track the tissue, speak less. The manual includes a full chapter on the psychological dimension of the work, the scope of practice boundary, and what referral looks like when the psychological is more primary than the somatic.
What is the maximum class size and what is the refund policy?
Maximum 10 participants per cohort. This is intentional — hands-on technique teaching requires facilitator access to every participant throughout the day. Full refund if cancelled more than 30 days before the course date. 50% refund within 30 days. Transfer to a future cohort at any time subject to availability. Full details will be in the participant agreement issued at booking.
Reserve your place at the introductory practitioner rate
March 2027 · Cronulla, Sydney · 10 places · $650 AUD
Cancellation & Refund Policy
- Full refund if cancelled more than 30 days before the course date.
- 50% refund if cancelled within 30 days of the course date.
- Transfer to a future cohort is available at any time, subject to availability.
- If Heal Hub / Matthew Sorensen cancels or substantially postpones the course, an appropriate transfer or refund will be offered.
Read the Participant Agreement
Version 1.0 — please retain a copy of this agreement for your own records.
1. Purpose of this Agreement
This Participant Agreement sets out the terms and conditions applying to participation in Sorensen Method™ Level One. The course is designed as professional education for appropriately qualified practitioners and introduces the assessment, clinical reasoning and hands-on techniques that form part of the Sorensen Method™ and Viscero-Autonomic Emotional Integration™ (VAEI™) framework. By registering for the course, the participant acknowledges and agrees to the terms below.
2. Participant Eligibility
The participant confirms that they have appropriate professional education, training and experience to participate in the course. Participants are responsible for ensuring that participation in the course, and any subsequent application of the techniques, is consistent with:
- their professional qualifications;
- their registration requirements, where applicable;
- their professional scope of practice;
- applicable legislation and professional standards; and
- their own professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
Completion of this course does not expand or change a participant's existing professional scope of practice.
3. Nature of the Course
Sorensen Method™ Level One is an educational and practical training program. The course may include demonstrations, discussion, assessment procedures, palpation and hands-on techniques involving areas including, but not limited to: musculoskeletal structures; fascia and connective tissue; neural structures; vascular structures; visceral structures; the diaphragm; cervical and cranial structures; and autonomic and sensory pathways. The course provides a framework for professional clinical reasoning and does not constitute medical diagnosis or medical advice. The participant remains responsible for applying independent professional judgement when using any information or technique introduced during the course.
4. Hands-On Participation
The course involves practical, hands-on participation. Participants may be asked to: receive a demonstration; practise techniques on another participant; allow another participant to practise techniques on them; participate in palpation and assessment; provide feedback regarding the technique or experience. Participation in hands-on work is voluntary. A participant may decline any technique or request that a technique be stopped at any time. Participants agree to communicate appropriately if they experience pain, discomfort, distress, dizziness, nausea or any other concerning response during practical work. The facilitator may modify or discontinue a technique where they consider this appropriate.
5. Participant Health and Safety
Participants are responsible for informing the facilitator of any relevant health condition, injury, limitation or circumstance that may reasonably affect their ability to participate safely. Participants should not participate in practical activities where they are unable to do so safely. The course does not replace appropriate medical assessment or treatment. Where a participant presents with signs or symptoms requiring medical assessment, appropriate medical or specialist referral should take precedence over application of a manual technique.
6. Clinical Application
Participants acknowledge that techniques demonstrated during the course must only be applied to clients where the participant considers them clinically appropriate and within their professional scope. Participants remain responsible for: obtaining appropriate informed consent; taking an appropriate clinical history; assessing contraindications and risks; selecting appropriate techniques; monitoring the client throughout treatment; modifying or stopping treatment where appropriate; recognising presentations requiring referral; and maintaining appropriate professional records. The provider does not guarantee that any particular technique will produce a particular clinical outcome.
7. Professional Boundaries
All practical work must be conducted respectfully and professionally. Participants agree to: obtain consent before physical contact; respect a participant's boundaries; respect a participant's decision not to participate in a particular technique; maintain appropriate professional behaviour; avoid inappropriate or unnecessary physical contact; and maintain confidentiality regarding personal information disclosed by other participants.
8. Emotional and Somatic Responses
The course includes exploration of relationships between physical sensation, autonomic regulation and emotional experience. Participants acknowledge that hands-on work or discussion may occasionally produce changes in physical sensation, emotional experience or subjective awareness. The course does not qualify a participant to provide psychological therapy unless that participant is already appropriately qualified and authorised to do so within their professional scope. Participants must maintain appropriate professional boundaries and refer presentations outside their competence to an appropriately qualified professional.
9. Course Materials and Intellectual Property
All course manuals, diagrams, presentations, written materials, teaching resources, assessment frameworks, terminology and associated intellectual property supplied as part of the course remain the property of Heal Hub / Matthew Sorensen, unless otherwise stated. Participants may use the knowledge and techniques taught during the course within their own professional practice, subject to their professional scope and applicable law. Participants must not, without prior written permission: copy or reproduce course manuals or materials; distribute course materials to third parties; sell or commercially distribute course materials; reproduce the course curriculum as a separate training program; record and distribute course teaching; represent themselves as an authorised instructor of the Sorensen Method™; or provide Sorensen Method™ training or certification to other practitioners. Completion of Level One does not authorise a participant to teach or certify other practitioners in the Sorensen Method™.
10. Recording and Photography
Participants must not audio-record, video-record, photograph or otherwise reproduce teaching demonstrations or course material without the prior permission of the facilitator. The facilitator may take photographs or video during the course for educational, promotional or marketing purposes where appropriate consent has been obtained. A participant may request that they not be included in promotional photography or video.
11. Confidentiality
Participants may become aware of personal, health or professional information disclosed by other participants during the course. Participants agree to respect the confidentiality of information disclosed by other participants and not share identifying information outside the course without appropriate consent.
12. Certification and CPE Hours
Participants who complete the required course components will receive a certificate of completion. The course provides the contact hours specified by the course provider. Participants are responsible for determining whether the course meets the continuing professional development requirements of their relevant profession, registration board or professional association. Where CPE hours are self-reported, the participant is responsible for retaining appropriate evidence and meeting the requirements of their relevant professional body. Completion of the course does not imply endorsement or accreditation by a professional registration board or association unless expressly stated by the provider.
13. Cancellation and Refunds
Course fees, cancellation and transfer arrangements are those stated during the registration process (see the Cancellation & Refund Policy above). Where a participant cancels their place, the applicable cancellation and refund terms presented at registration will apply. Where the provider cancels or substantially postpones a course, the provider will offer an appropriate transfer or refund option.
14. Participant Insurance
Participants are responsible for maintaining any professional indemnity, public liability or other insurance required for their professional practice. Participants should confirm with their own insurer that application of techniques taught during the course is covered within their professional scope.
15. Provider Insurance
The course provider maintains appropriate insurance arrangements for the activities covered by the relevant policy. The participant acknowledges that insurance does not replace the participant's own professional responsibilities or insurance requirements.
16. No Guarantee of Clinical Outcomes
The Sorensen Method™ is taught as a professional clinical framework incorporating clinical observation, assessment, manual techniques and a proposed neurophysiological model. Participation in the course does not guarantee any particular outcome for the participant or their clients. Participants are responsible for independently assessing the evidence, clinical suitability and appropriateness of applying any technique within their own practice.
17. Acknowledgement of Risk
The participant acknowledges that practical hands-on training involves physical contact and that, as with physical activity and manual therapy generally, there may be an inherent risk of temporary discomfort or other physical responses. The participant agrees to communicate any discomfort or concern immediately and to stop participation where necessary. Nothing in this Agreement is intended to exclude, restrict or modify any right, guarantee, remedy or liability that cannot lawfully be excluded, restricted or modified under Australian law.
18. Acceptance of Terms
By completing the online registration, the participant confirms that they have read and understood this Participant Agreement; agree to its terms and conditions; understand that the course involves voluntary, practical hands-on participation which they may decline or stop at any time; confirm they will practise within their existing professional qualifications, registration and scope of practice; understand they remain responsible for their own clinical decisions when applying course material in professional practice; agree to respect the confidentiality, professional boundaries and intellectual property associated with the course; and understand that completion of Level One does not authorise them to teach or certify other practitioners in the Sorensen Method™.
Not sure where your pattern sits in the VAEI™ loop?
The VAEI™ Pattern Assessment identifies which organ systems are involved, which level of the Priority Framework is likely primary, and what the psychological theme underneath tends to be.
Take the VAEI™ Pattern Assessment →
For clinical pattern recognition. Not a diagnostic instrument.
© 2026 Matthew Sorensen · healhub.net · Sorensen Method™ · VAEI™
Cronulla, Sydney NSW 2230 · click here · @mattsorensenhh
Viscero-Autonomic Emotional Integration™ · Trademark application filed IP Australia 2026