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As I have been working with Berit Bunkan on a book about her method of Norwegian Body Psychotherapy, I was delighted to be invited to attend this weekend conference in Oslo to experience her work (and that of others) more closely. Herein, I have tried to give BMDP readers a flavour of this event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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From a body psychotherapy perspective, clients are often seeking ways to cope with issues stemming from early traumas. Yet body psychotherapy is concerned with more than just helping people to become 'untraumatised'; it endeavours to support the client's reconnection with their essential nature, or core state, which is characterised by creativity, compassion, joy, curiosity, intuition, and playfulness. The purpose of this essay is to increase curiosity about, and contribute to the reflection on, the use of play in psychotherapy. By integrating theory, clinical vignettes, and the author's personal reflections (as student, therapist and client), the author will explore how play can assist body psychotherapy clients with trauma-recovery, how it is implicit in a client's progression towards vibrant wellbeing within body psychotherapy, and how (re)learning how to play can lead to radical change on both a personal and societal level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the course of the last decade a growing number of clinical trials have been conducted to evaluate and demonstrate the efficacy and clinical utility of body psychotherapy for various mental health problems. The statutory provider landscape for psychological therapies does however rarely provide these therapies for patients; several factors have been identified for this mismatch and among those the lack of university-accredited academic training schemes constitutes a major limitation for wider dissemination and implementation within highly regulated health care systems. This paper explores an innovative pilot to establish a master's programme in clinical psychology with a focus on embodiment in Turkey/Istanbul. The curriculum represents an integration of perspectives from various body psychotherapy schools. Findings of the pilot are encouraging and may serve as a template for the development of similar schemes with support from professional bodies such as the European and United States associations of body psychotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This two-part article looks at what is appropriate research for the psychotherapy profession today, mainly from a perspective in Europe, where psychotherapy is establishing itself as an independent profession, distinct from psychology and psychiatry. Given the wider parameters and the different nature of psychotherapy training, modern research methods more appropriate to clinical practice, the client-therapist relationship, and greater interest in the therapist's desire to tailor the therapy to the client's needs, are discussed. The second part of the article looks at a particular mainstream within psychotherapy, that of Body Psychotherapy (body-oriented psychotherapy/somatic psychotherapy), and examines its researched evidence-base and what appropriate methods exist to support it being considered as an empirically validated form of treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is about the development of the EAP's Project to Establish the Professional Competences of a European Psychotherapist. It is both an invitation and a challenge to all Body Psychotherapists and Somatic Psychotherapists. It encourages readers to identify and differentiate those professional competences that are special, specific, and even unique to Body/Somatic Psychotherapy, and to the different modalities within this mainstream. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I determine how body psychotherapists can support clients' recognition of belonging to the natural world to support greater resilience and healing. The research begins by determining what multidisciplinary fields are saying about the importance of the relationship between humans and Earth. It then researches approaches from body psychotherapy that support resilience and healing, and highlights ways this overlaps with the research from multidisciplinary fields. From here, the Seasonal Attunement model was created. A case study shows the Seasonal Attunement model supporting a client in reclaiming her anger and the potential this suggests for bigger societal change. This leads to a discussion of possible implications of this research for the field of body psychotherapy, including why supporting clients' relationship to the natural world is imperative for well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a reflection on transformation as the goal of overcoming inner crises, and the ultimate goal of a psychotherapy process. The key concepts of a body psychotherapy therapeutic path are presented in light of the different personal planes - physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual - that are involved and transformed. Finally, the two key themes of a modern psychotherapeutic pathway are explained: evolution and integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquaphotomics is a new discipline that uses spectroscopy to examine how water molecules change conformation under certain stimuli or perturbations (Tsenkova, R., 2006, 2009; Bazar et al., 2015; Muncan & Tsenkova, 2023; Tsenkova et al., 2018). Here we describe a novel non-invasive method for collecting NIR spectra from the palms of participants in body psychotherapy sessions at the Bulgarian Neo-Reichian Institute for Analytical Therapy, which after multivariate data spectral analysis allowed us to decipher structural changes in their water molecular matrices at the end of each session. Our results point to a structural coherence between the participants, as well as a healthier, more energized, and stress-free water matricidal signature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual life is an important part of daily life and it influences the quality of life and well-being. There are four aspects of life, the equilibrium of which is required to create and maintain mental, emotional, social and spiritual health. Any difficulties in making and keeping this balance or obstacles to it may cause various diseases, complains, problems or dysfunctions in sexual life. This paper will show the importance of good, regular sexual life and how it will influence the improvement in the quality of life on one hand and will help protect against or reduce the severity of many sexual disorders on the other hand. It will demonstrate how the balance model from the positive psychotherapy approach can work together with techniques of body psychotherapy in the treatment of different sexual disorders.

Anisha Pandya's recent Transactional Analysis Journal article entitled "Touching Practice: An Exploration of Runanubandh, Touch, and Contact in Psychotherapy" offers a detailed overview of her work with physical touch in transactional analysis practice. In referencing the author's (Novak's) work with clinical touch, Pandya showed how she made use of his ideas while retaining her own unique ways of thinking about and working with touch. In this way, Pandya advances the profession's need for multiple perspectives on working with clinical touch. Of particular interest to the author here is relational aspects of clinical touch, including transference and countertransference. This included emphasis on and recognition of how both client and therapist are experiencing touch rather than the therapist being seen as an unimpacted observer. Pandya's informed and disciplined approach to touch can be witnessed in the clinical case she offered in her paper. Her work invites us to think more deeply about when and how to make use of clinical touch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This brief article reviews three books about case studies and announces a project to develop a second book about body psychotherapy case studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I decided to describe the review of 50 years of psychotherapy on the basis of my personal path, since I have encountered most of the important trends and protagonists. It started with university psychology in the 1960s, which brought about a major upheaval: from a German rather philosophically oriented psychology to a hundred percent Anglo-American shaped empirically-experimentally derived science of behavior. Psychoanalysis, too, found it difficult to assert itself against this trend. However, humanistic therapies soon emerged as a counterpoint, which unfortunately still do not have enough empirical research and are therefore even less able to assert themselves than psychodynamic therapies. The second necessary antithesis was systemic therapy. Luckily, behavioral therapy has always been fertilized by all other psychotherapies and not only had to draw from its own well of evidence. This is also how my current status of psychotherapeutic work can be seen: mentalization-promoting behavioral therapy, in which behavioral, cognitive, emotive, systemic, depth-psychological and humanistic-body-oriented thinking and procedures are combined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We will present our experience of running an experiential group based on the method of Biosynthesis, realized both online and in person from 2020 to 2022 (seven courses with a total of 68 participants) for students and employees of Charles University. As leading the group was not intended as research, the article is formulated as a case study complemented by a qualitative analysis of data from the fi nal anonymous evaluative questionnaire. In the introduction, we will present biosynthetic psychotherapy as an integrative psychotherapeutic school combining psychodynamic, humanistic and body psychotherapy elements. The following section describes the specifi c format of the group and how it differs from group therapy: creating a safe space; structure of the meetings and methods of biosynthetic groupwork (moderated discussion, body work etc.). The next part describes the target groups, the team, examples of the discussed topics. In the last part, we will present the gains and challenges that the group brought. The main benefi ts of the group were self-knowledge, the possibility of sharing and connecting with other participants. The participants positively evaluated the activities, discussion topics and group facilitation, but had reservations about the organization. The main challenges are refl ecting on emerging group dynamics and good group composition. The biosynthetic group represents a benefi cial format for students, with and without specifi c needs, as well as for staff, while the benefi t for Ukrainian students is questionable. Our results are only preliminary in nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essay mirrors the process of self-experience of a German body-psychotherapist who came into contact with the corona crisis already in the beginning of January 2020. The author`s close virtual communication with colleagues in China by social media opened up a process of mutual experience and support on body oriented and psychological crisis counselling. This process challenged both: the Chinese colleagues and and the author in the way that one had to find a way, a relationship and a (self-) support to navigate without a compass, without a best practice just like living in a dense fog. The author decided to choose the literary form of an essay to invite interested readers to take part as if they were "part of the game". The author is convinced that this literary form is the adequate form to communicate such an experience in such a strange and scary time. The author is also convinced that this form is the adequate professional response in order not to create the impression of "we know what it is all about and we know what is to be done".

Sexual assault leaves a lasting imprint on the life of a survivor. This impact is commonly reported on in the medical literature as physical and mental health conditions associated with sexual assault trauma. The life-threatening nature of a sexual assault frequently elicits, at the time of the assault, a biological involuntary reflexive response known as tonic immobility. Research into sexual assault has traditionally focused on these two areas, the incidence of tonic immobility and the resultant comorbidities. Clinical intervention research to support and guide practice for therapists who work somatically with women who have been sexually assaulted is limited. This qualitative case study aims to address this by exploring the somatic interventions a therapist uses when treating women presenting with sexual assault trauma involving tonic immobility. The findings of this study describe the specific exercises, movements, body awareness training, and breathing and grounding techniques used by a body psychotherapist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this discussion of Nick Totton's book, Embodied relating: the ground of psychotherapy, author Mark Sossin reflects on its relevance to body psychotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last years, the integrative view of the mind‑body inter‑relationship has gained more visibility, both in research and practice, and also a more solid scientific ground thanks to the psychoneuroimmunology discoveries. Recent studies in trauma treatment have given prominence to the benefit of having somatic approaches, mind‑body techniques being included in the psychotherapy process. However, the psycho‑emotional support regularly provided to suffering people barely includes body‑centred approaches; therefore, it is important to validate and prove their efficiency. This research is a qualitative analysis based on interviews of psychotherapists specialised in various approaches that either mainly use body‑centred psychotherapeutic processes, or just include specific mind‑body techniques. Two of the main aims were to identify the benefits and limitations of body psychotherapies and mind‑body techniques from a practitioner’s perspective and to analyze the relationship such approaches have with talk and cognitive therapy. The results revealed an improvement in the beneficiaries’ contact with what they feel, integration of their traumatised parts, physical, emotional and interpersonal benefits as well as benefits on a deeper level – the relationship with the self. Directions for further research are discussed and proposals for social work programmes are put forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author reflects on his choice of profession in the context of parental and societal influences. Psychotherapy has always been a reflection of social conditions too. Does psychotherapy support the emancipation of the individual or his adaptation? The theoretical and practical differences from 40 years of medical- psychotherapeutic practice in the DDR and in the united Germany will be reflected. Here, psychotherapy is understood as a unique intersubjective relationship process, which has to be lived without theoretical narrowing, with multimodal practice and with never ending self-experience of the therapist. For the author, »Psychotherapie als Lebensweg« is the basis for the struggle for dignity for both patient and therapist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES), a common phenomenon in neurological settings, are regarded as a paroxysmal type of functional neurological disorder (FND). In a substantial proportion, PNES are disabling with poor long-term outcomes and high economic costs. Despite the clinical and financial consequences of PNES, there is still a lack of controlled clinical trials on the treatment of this challenging disorder. The study aims to evaluate the feasibility and collect first evidence of the efficacy of a group based-intervention in PNES-patients. Methods: A pilot randomized controlled feasibility study with a parallel-group design was performed in adult outpatients with PNES to evaluate a new body-focused group therapy (CORDIS) versus guided self-help groups. Self-assessment of dissociation (Dissociation Experience Scale—DES-20) and seizure severity (Liverpool Seizure Severity Scale—LSSS) were assessed two weeks before and two weeks after the treatment intervention and also six months after treatment as primary outcome parameters. Results: A total of 53 patients were recruited from a specialized outpatient clinic, and out of those, 29 patients completed either the body-focused group therapy program (n = 15) or a guided self-help group (SHG) therapy (n = 14). When analyzing the ITT sample (n = 22 CORDIS group, n = 20 SHG), both groups showed an effect on seizure severity and level of dissociation. In the per protocol sample (n = 13 CORDIS group, n = 12 SHG), CORDIS was superior to the self-help group for reducing seizure severity 6 months after the treatment. Significance: CORDIS is a newly developed body-focused group therapy program for adults with PNES. Further studies should include a multicentric design with a higher number of participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the growing relevance and applicability of elements based on and derived from the embodied mind paradigm, body psychotherapy (BPT) appears not to be a well-established treatment option. This might be due to a lack of proof for its efficacy. We searched electronic databases (Pubmed MEDLINE, PsycInfo, and PSYNDEX) for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining predefined BPT interventions. A total of 2,180 references were screened, of which 113 studies were scrutinized in detail and 18 RCTs finally included. The observed effect size (ES) demonstrated medium effects of BPT on primary outcomes psychopathology and psychological distress. In case of significant statistical heterogeneity, exploratory subgroup analyses revealed diagnosis and the degree of control group activity as noteworthy moderators. For secondary outcomes, evidence was scarce, and an improvement could be demonstrated only for coping abilities. The identified evidence indicates that BPT is beneficial for a wide spectrum of psychic suffering. There is a strong need for high-quality studies with bigger samples and for well-defined diagnostic entities to underpin its effectiveness.

Body psychotherapy in Hungary has a relatively short history, as the repressive political environment did not allow any substantive contact with Western developments in the field before the 1990s. Over the past three decades, there has been a growing presence of various body-oriented schools of psychotherapy in Hungary. This paper provides a brief introduction to the training model currently applied in the Hungarian Institute for Body Psychotherapy, as well as a range of related activities offered primarily through the Hungarian Association for Body Psychotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of group therapy, Family Constellations is a practice that remains mysterious. This phenomenological group process has opened a great many emotional doors in family systems. However, there are numerous components in the practice that operate without considering therapeutic safety. While Family Constellation work has shown itself to be impactful, it neither prepares individuals to participate, nor does it conclude in a manner that supports the aftermath experiences of those involved. The approach discussed in this paper provides a theoretical layer that could be integrated into the Family Constellation model to combat this lack of structure, safety, and regulation for all those involved. This proposed model includes a number of body psychotherapy practices that support facilitators in using somatic interventions to create a stronger therapeutic container, track participant regulation, and successfully close the experience in a way that diminishes the potential for harm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trauma experienced by past generations, or intergenerational trauma (ITT), may affect clients' current functioning. Trauma, while stored in the body, is also transmitted from person to person on a body level through biological and environmental means. While many trauma experts are beginning to learn the importance of somatic interventions for the healing process, there is limited research on the use of somatic interventions for help with symptoms resulting from ITT. This paper explores the implicit nature of the transmission of ITT and posits that body psychotherapy is uniquely positioned to help clients working with challenges related to this type of trauma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the growing relevance and applicability of elements based on and derived from the embodied mind paradigm, body psychotherapy (BPT) appears not to be a well-established treatment option. This might be due to a lack of proof for its efficacy. We searched electronic databases (Pubmed MEDLINE, PsycInfo, and PSYNDEX) for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining predefined BPT interventions. A total of 2,180 references were screened, of which 113 studies were scrutinized in detail and 18 RCTs finally included. The observed effect size (ES) demonstrated medium effects of BPT on primary outcomes psychopathology and psychological distress. In case of significant statistical heterogeneity, exploratory subgroup analyses revealed diagnosis and the degree of control group activity as noteworthy moderators. For secondary outcomes, evidence was scarce, and an improvement could be demonstrated only for coping abilities. The identified evidence indicates that BPT is beneficial for a wide spectrum of psychic suffering. There is a strong need for high-quality studies with bigger samples and for well-defined diagnostic entities to underpin its effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Working therapeutically with and through embodiment is a topical issue in the psychoanalytic literature. Vice versa, body psychotherapy is deeply rooted in psychoanalytic theory and practice. This paper will explore corresponding themes, historic developments, and recent literature with reference to their actual and potential mutual influences, aiming to demonstrate: (1) that contemporary body psychotherapy practice continues to be informed and influenced by psychoanalytic theory, in particular the relational emphasis in psychoanalysis; and (2) that psychoanalytic psychotherapy, in turn, can be enriched and furthered while utilizing the theoretical paradigm of embodiment and body-oriented, experiential intervention strategies developed in body psychotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Disturbances in bodily well-being represent one key source of suffering and impairment related to cancer. There is growing evidence that body psychotherapy (BPT) is efficacious for the treatment of various mental disorders. However, with regard to cancer patients, evidence is scarce. The aims of this project are to evaluate whether bodily disturbances in post-treatment cancer patients can be improved by group BPT, and to estimate the efficacy of intermittent smartphone-triggered bodily interventions. Methods The project is a bi-center study with two participating centers in Switzerland, applying a pre-post convergent parallel design of a weekly group BPT using a waiting-period comparator, including a nested RCT during the group BPT phase. During the BPT phase, either a smartphone-triggered bodily intervention or a smartphone-triggered control intervention is provided at random over 5 consecutive weeks, on 6 days weekly. Patients who had received curatively intended treatment for any malignant neoplasm (treatment being completed ≥3 months) and are suffering from bodily disturbances are screened to assess eligibility. Sample size estimation is based on an a priori power analysis. We plan to include a total of N = 88 subjects, aiming at at least 52 completers. Patients are surveyed three times (baseline assessment (T0), pre- (T1) and post-intervention assessment (T2)), and on a daily basis along BPT during five consecutive weeks. The primary outcome, bodily disturbances, is assessed using the ‘Body Image Scale‘(BIS). For the secondary outcomes standardized questionnaires are used to assess changes in experience of presence and vitality, mood, body mindfulness, somatic symptoms and somatic symptom disorder, quality of life, anxiety, and depression including suicidal tendency, vitality and mental health, as well as group cohesion. Using semi standardized interviews (at T0 and T2), we aim to explore the relation of BPT with bodily disturbances and body image in post-treatment cancer patients, as well as the acceptance and burden of the intervention. Discussion The proposed study has strong potential benefits for cancer patients, as it may pave the way for new therapeutic approaches to treat bodily disturbances, which persist despite curative tumor therapy. These may considerably improve patients’ biopsychosocial well-being and quality of life. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03707548 (registered 9 October 2018; retrospectively registered).

Abstract Background Clinical outcomes for patients with heterogeneous somatoform disorder (bodily distress disorder, including medically unexplained symptoms) are suboptimal, new treatments are required to improve acceptance. Body-oriented psychological therapy approaches have been identified as potentially beneficial additions to the portfolio of treatments. This study was aiming to assess the acceptability, the potential benefits, and associated change processes of manualised group body psychotherapy (BPT) for outpatients with Somatoform Disorder. Methods A randomized controlled feasibility trial was carried out with follow-up at 6 months after baseline assessments using the Primary Health Questionnaire (PHQ), Somatic Symptom Screening Scale (SOMS-7), quality of life ratings (Short-Form Health Survey-36; SF-36) and body image measures (Dresden Body Image Questionnaire). Acceptance was assessed with the Helping Alliance Scale (HAS). Results A total of 24 patients were recruited to participate. Sixteen patients were randomly assigned to receive either manualised BPT or TAU, eight patients were directly assigned to BPT. Drop-out rates were acceptable, patients reported to be highly satisfied with the group intervention. Somatic symptom levels reduced significantly in the BPT group. Additionally, a significant effect on self-acceptance and the mental component of quality of life was observed. Conclusion Group body psychotherapy is a feasible and acceptable treatment for patients with somatoform disorder and a larger trial studying the effectiveness of BPT in these patients should be conducted. Trial registration Retrospectively registered SRCTN12277345; Trial Registraton Date: 27/03/2019.

This author provides a model for using the pelvis to 'anchor' the mind in the body and, therefore, the present moment, enhancing the therapeutic relationship through embodied connection. For somatic therapists, the body plays a pivotal role in the therapeutic process, especially the use of the therapist's own body and body awareness; somatic therapists are specifically taught to track their body sensations and remain in connection to the body while in relationship with a client. The pelvic bowl could provide unique support since across cultures the pelvis is regarded as the centre and the root of the body. Additionally, the pelvis may become an anchor for therapists, potentially cultivating a greater depth of embodiment in their relationships with clients. This model guides therapists through possible movements, visualisations, and contemplative practices to increase pelvic awareness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intersubjectivity impairment has been considered the main pathogenic nucleus of schizophrenia. Enriching this concept with references to Scheler's phenomenology, our hypothesis is that schizophrenic subjects are affected by a deeper impairment: the inability to resonate with unipathic affectivity. Fragmentation of the Leibschema, valueception impairment, and the lack of vital impulse are, in our hypothesis, the original alterations of the schizophrenic bodily experience from which all relational impairments originate. Our proposal is, therefore, to enhance a psychotherapy that does not only focus on the verbal level, but endeavors to touch the patient's Leib, focusing on emotional sharing and on the development of a sense of cohesion of one's body as the starting point for accessing intersubjectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Working at deeper and more intimate parts of the self requires an altered treatment that corresponds to the client's movement into these sacred parts of the self. Eric Berne theorized this space as where the client's real self resides and where moments of real intimacy are achieved. Winnicott wrote about another part of the self that is more private. To symbolize this private quality, he placed this part of the self in the core and used the term the isolate. These two parts of the self require distinct types of therapy, and in this article the author explores characteristics of both. A clinical case demonstrates how one client and the author were able to create the therapeutic frame that enabled the client to reclaim and transform those parts of her self. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article represents a brief overview of 40 years as a therapist, from my first role in the NHS to my work today. It describes my struggle to become embodied and to learn to understand and integrate my body's messages over time. It suggests that the body is a vital part of the therapeutic process, encompassing concepts of embodiment and body identity, the body as character and messenger of the unconscious, the keeper of the psyche's secrets, dreams and memories. In reflecting on our current global climate crisis it suggests how psychological insights and connection to our embodied selves can assist us to come to terms with our future on a critically endangered planet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of grounding is accepted and common among dance movement therapists and body psychotherapists. It expresses a stable physical and emotional presence – “supported by the ground.” The assumption is that embodied emotional knowledge is expressed through the manner of physical holding and in the emotional experience in the world. However, along with the clinical use of the term, an empirical tool for examining grounding is lacking. The goal of the study was to examine the reliability and validity of an observation tool for assessing the quality of grounding, the Grounding Assessment Tool (GAT), which was created for the present study on the basis of theory, research, and clinical knowledge in the field. Forty three adult participants (age, M = 28.2 years, SD = 8.54) were recruited for an experimental and controlled session, the session included guided movement for approximately 10 min. The movement was recorded on video. The quality of the movement was rated by two raters and was scored using the GAT. The study findings indicated that the GAT is a reliable and valid tool – with good internal consistency (α = 0.850) and high interrater and intrarater reliability (Kendall’s ’range from 0.789 to 0.973 and intraclass correlation coefficient range from 0.967 to 1.00, respectively). The exploratory factor analysis showed that four factors are involved in the assessment of grounding quality: fluid and rhythmic movement, emotional expression in movement, pattern of foot placement, and lack of stability and weightiness. The results of this study expand the theoretical understanding of the concept of grounding. They contribute to the understanding of the benefits of body focus, dance and movement in psychotherapy and to validating body psychotherapy and dance movement therapy (DMT). The existence of a reliable and valid tool is essential for assessment and diagnostic processes, for formulating therapeutic goals focused on the body, and for examining their effectiveness.

This article aims to introduce the development of Japanese body psychotherapy by focusing on Dohsa-hou, an original Japanese psychotherapy created by Gosaku Naruse. First, this article introduces psychotherapy in Japan, including the licensing of clinical psychotherapists and mainstream psychotherapy in Japan. Second, it introduces body psychotherapy, prominent psychotherapists, and people's acceptance of touch in Japan, while comparing Western and Eastern cultures and psychotherapy. In addition, the article shows how Dohsa-hou has been developed in the fields of children with disabilities, by practicing Dohsa training, and people with mental illnesses by using clinical Dohsa-hou. Next, the authors discuss some issues as a Dohsa-hou therapist, current topics in Japanese mental health amid the COVID-19 pandemic, such as "depressed mood brought on by stress from quarantine" and "quarantine fatigue," and the possibilities of online Dohsa-hou. Last, a proposal is made for the future of psychotherapy. The spread of Dohsa-hou will be significant for the development of body psychotherapy in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author researches, explores, and proposes a new way of looking at, and living with, the adversities of human life in its environment and within earthly systems. From the beginning of life, and far before human life appeared, nature has demonstrated how, throughout evolution, life forms maintained themselves by relating, adapting, including the necessary, and excluding the unnecessary. We humans can learn from life's millions of years of experience, and from how ecology works to preserve life wherever it exists. The author shows that what are considered impurities may well be the very systems we depend on to survive, and makes connections between the human psyche, relationships with the environment, and relationships with others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a theoretical model of play therapy that blends developmental neurobiology perspectives with tenets of body psychotherapy. The author suggests that the current application of neurodevelopmental principles in play therapy can be bolstered by somatic interventions that foster integration between the body and mind of the developing child. The topics of regulation, attunement, and interoception are explored from a somatic lens, and therapeutic applications are considered. This paper sets forth an integrative, trans-theoretical approach of incorporating body psychotherapy principles in the playroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compares the author's observations of the processes of transformation and therapeutic change in herself and her clients. Nine phases were observed and titled the EsenciArt System: The 9 Phases of Transformation. The research question is: Are there common phases and elements within transformational and healing processes induced by different therapies or methods? What do they have in common, and what are the differences between them? A 21-question survey was used based on the 9 phases observed by the author. 155 practitioners from 35 countries and from 32 therapies/modalities took part in the study. 120 participants were female; 35 participants were male. Ages ranged from 18 to 74 years. Expertise ranged from no professional experience (students) to 40 years of professional practice. These participants classified their work within one of these three approaches: Mind approach, Body approach, and Body-Mind approach. Results show that professionals from different modalities and approaches do identify and value common phases and elements in transformational and healing processes as described in the EsenciArt System: The 9 Phases of Transformation, with an average correlation of 9 out of 10. The Body-Mind approach was found to be closest to the EsenciArt System. All professionals rated the 9 phases with average correlations ranging between 7.8 and 9.9. The qualitative analysis also showed correlation by pointing towards the importance of practitioners being present, connected, respectful, trusting, and caring - these being the right conditions to activate an organic healing process in human beings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the Realization Process, a method of body psychotherapy that includes a series of inward attunement exercises for experiencing unitive consciousness as the basis of deepened contact with one's own being and with other people. The paper focuses primarily on this method's understanding and facilitation of embodiment. In the Realization Process, embodiment is viewed as the experience of being present everywhere in one's body simultaneously, as unitive consciousness. This is a shift from being aware of the body, to inhabiting the body. The paper describes how the Realization Process utilizes the embodiment of unitive consciousness to heal deficits in contact with oneself and others, and to refine the therapist's capacity for empathy. Brief attunement practices from the Realization Process are included to illustrate this shift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of grounding is accepted and common among dance movement therapists and body psychotherapists. It expresses a stable physical and emotional presence – "supported by the ground." The assumption is that embodied emotional knowledge is expressed through the manner of physical holding and in the emotional experience in the world. However, along with the clinical use of the term, an empirical tool for examining grounding is lacking. The goal of the study was to examine the reliability and validity of an observation tool for assessing the quality of grounding, the Grounding Assessment Tool (GAT), which was created for the present study on the basis of theory, research, and clinical knowledge in the field. Forty three adult participants (age, M = 28.2 years, SD = 8.54) were recruited for an experimental and controlled session, the session included guided movement for approximately 10 min. The movement was recorded on video. The quality of the movement was rated by two raters and was scored using the GAT. The study findings indicated that the GAT is a reliable and valid tool – with good internal consistency (α = 0.850) and high interrater and intrarater reliability (Kendall's 'range from 0.789 to 0.973 and intraclass correlation coefficient range from 0.967 to 1.00, respectively). The exploratory factor analysis showed that four factors are involved in the assessment of grounding quality: fluid and rhythmic movement, emotional expression in movement, pattern of foot placement, and lack of stability and weightiness. The results of this study expand the theoretical understanding of the concept of grounding. They contribute to the understanding of the benefits of body focus, dance and movement in psychotherapy and to validating body psychotherapy and dance movement therapy (DMT). The existence of a reliable and valid tool is essential for assessment and diagnostic processes, for formulating therapeutic goals focused on the body, and for examining their effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to briefly introduce the development of body psychotherapy in Brazil. Initially focused on distinctive Brazilian approaches, methods from abroad were later incorporated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing body of literature and educational trainings advocate multicultural awareness in counseling. Traditionally, discussions and measures of cultural competence on race focus on racism's impact on people of color, and rarely ask white counselors to examine cultural countertransference in relation to racial identity. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, much needs to be done to address disparities in mental health services, which at least in part can be shown to be a result of counselor bias and stereotyping (2001). This paper aims to highlight the importance of cultural awareness in counseling, and poses the following questions: How can the concept of "embodiment" support multicultural and social justice competency? How can somatic modalities aid counselors' insight into their cultural countertransference? To establish a current and meaningful framework for a discussion on cultural countertransference and equity in counseling, definitions of race and barriers to equity in clinical practice are reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Observed through the lens of the fascial system, a new understanding of body armor and its relevance in body psychotherapy emerges. Body armor is recontextualized as layers of fascial tensions and atrophy patterns elicited from socio-emotional contexts and physical traumas such as surgeries and falls. Fascial work and psychotherapy have remained separate due to ethical considerations, cultural taboos, and the resulting moratorium on research in this area. Whether or not a body psychotherapist wishes to include myofascial release in treatments, it behooves clinicians to familiarize themselves with the fascial system due to its intimate connection to the nervous system. The author applies fascia research familiar to bodyworkers to body psychotherapy. The author shows that indirect myofascial release and body psychotherapies, like Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, are viable frameworks for the integration of fascial work and body psychotherapy by utilizing a composite case example from the author's practice. Body psychotherapists with touch licenses can integrate fascial work to address body armor. The result is that clients simultaneously address fascial tensions and atrophy patterns created by both emotional and physical events while examining conscious and unconscious meaning-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perseveration - a rigid, habitual pattern of repetitive thoughts - is a common symptom of depression, anxiety, and other mood-related emotional disorders. Perseveration, including rumination and worry, has historically been challenging to treat clinically. Most therapeutic treatments for perseveration are currently comprised of top-down, cognitive therapeutic techniques and the use of pharmacological methods to reduce symptomatology. Perseveration can have cognitive, affective, and somatic impacts on individuals. Sustained perseverative thinking can lead to adverse health conditions connected to cardiovascular, autonomic, and endocrine systems. A theoretical body psychotherapy model, Pause, Breathe, and Feel, which addresses somatic regulation and interoceptive experience, is proposed to work with perseveration. Using body psychotherapy interventions like breathwork in counseling can help clients interrupt perseveration's cyclical pattern by learning to be present, utilizing their interoceptive capacities, and identifying specific areas of their bodies to promote emotion regulation and self-regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Body is subject to a paradox within Jungian psychotherapy. At times, it is described as an isolated system, with its drives, desires, and workings. At others, it is linked to the mind and viewed as part of the psyche. This alleged ambivalence percolated to the post-Jungians, resulting in the body receiving comparatively little interest in analytical psychology until recently. In a psychology that seeks to understand communications from the unconscious, dismissing the body is a missed opportunity. Jung did use the body and bodily expression in his academic and psychotherapeutic work. He did not write on the subject in depth, however. While his attitudes have a reputation for ambiguity, a consistent theory relating to the mind, body, and their heterogeneity can be discerned from his writings. In this review, this theory will be discussed, along with the Jungian and post-Jungian attitude towards the body. A Jungian contribution to the field of body psychotherapy has the potential to offer new insights, given the expansive subject matter in Jung's collected works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Body psychotherapy is almost 100 years old, and extensive research and a wide-ranging variety of clinical practices have supported its development. What are the common points between its different orientations? What are the recent scientific discoveries that validate its clinical experience? What are the new clinical practices? The author gives an initial overview of these important questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]