Somatic Psychology
Encyclopedia
Somatic psychology is an interdisciplinary field involving the study of the body, somatic experience, and the embodied self, including therapeutic and holistic approaches to body. The word somatic comes from the ancient Greek somat (body). The word psychology comes from the ancient Greek psyche (breath, soul hence mind) and logia (study). Body Psychotherapy
is a general branch of this subject, whilst Somatherapy
, Eco-somatics and Dance therapy
, for example, are specific branches of the subject. Somatic psychology is a field of study that bridges the Mind-body dichotomy
.
Whilst Pierre Janet
can perhaps be considered the first Somatic Psychologist due to his extensive psychotherapeutic studies and writings with significant reference to the body (some of which pre-date Freud), it was actually Wilhelm Reich
who was the first person to bring body awareness systematically into psychoanalysis, and also the first psychotherapist to touch clients physically, working with their bodies. Reich was a significant influence in the founding of Body Psychotherapy (or Somatic Psychology as it is often known in the USA & Australia) - though he called his early work "Character Analysis" and "Character-Analytic Vegetotherapy
"). Several types of body-oriented psychotherapies trace their origins back to Reich, though there have been many subsequent developments and other influences (ref: entry on Body Psychotherapy
and Somatic Psychology is of particular interest in trauma work.
There is increasing use of body-oriented therapeutic techniques within mainstream psychology (like EMDR) and Mindfulness
practice) and psychoanalysis has recognized the use of somatic resonance, embodied trauma, and similar concepts, for many years.
Historically, there are early practitioners, for example, the Persian physician Avicenna
(980 to 1037 CE) who performed psychotherapy only by observing the movement of the patient's pulse as he listened to their anguish. This is reminiscent of both traditional Tibetan medicine and current energy
therapies that employ tapping points on a meridian
. As a contrast to the Western separation of body/mind, some writers describe the "body as a slow mind" and this re-examination of the fundamental mind-body dichotomy
has coincided with research into neuroscience
, embodiment
and consciousness
, and an unconscious mind
that 'speaks' through the language of body.
Dance therapy
or (Dance Movement Psychotherapy) also reflect something of this approach and are considered a study and practice within the field of somatic psychology.
, that energy will bring healing to the affected parts if sufficient awareness is directed there.
of these early experiences, somatic psychology includes the non-verbal qualities that mark most human communication, especially in the first years of life. This understanding of consciousness
, communication and mind-body language challenges some traditional applications of the talking cure
.
Practitioners in this field believe psychological, social, cultural and political forces support the splitting and fragmentation of the mind-body unity. These pressures affect an individual’s mental, biological, and relational health. For example, the writer Alice Miller
in her recent book 'The Body Never Lies' says, Ultimately the body will rebel. Even if it can be temporarily pacified with the help of drugs, cigarettes or medicine, it usually has the last word because it is quicker to see through self-deception than the mind. We may ignore or deride the messages of the body, but it's rebellion demands to be heeded because its language is the authentic expression of our true selves and of the strength of our vitality.
Somatic psychologists tend to bring body, body processes, and body experience into the foreground of psychotherapy
practice.
and likely will continue to change as mechanisitic principles underlying mind and body are disclosed by the scientific method
.
Wilhlem Reich's pre-eminence as founder of the modern field is open to question. His teacher and the founder of psychoanalysis
Sigmund Freud
explored the role of body in neurosis
as well as undertaking research on the therapeutic effects of cocaine (beginning on April 24, 1884 when he ordered his first gram of cocaine from the local apothecary). Freud also showed an interest in the nasal reflex
neurosis and in vital periodicity, explored during a significant relationship with Wilhelm Fliess
between 1887 and 1902. Wilhelm Fliess believed that the nose was the centre of all human illness through its structural deviations to the passage of breath.
In addition the early history of clinical psychology
points to somatic psychotherapy first practiced in Persia around 930 CE.
Body Psychotherapy
Body psychotherapy, also referred to as body-oriented psychotherapy and somatic psychology, is a significant branch of psychotherapy, with origins in the work of Pierre Janet, Sigmund Freud and particularly Wilhelm Reich....
is a general branch of this subject, whilst Somatherapy
Somatherapy
Somatherapy was created by the writer Roberto Freire in the 1970s as a group therapy, based on the research of the psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich. With the objective of freeing the individual to be more creative, the exercises in Soma work with the relationship between the body and emotions are...
, Eco-somatics and Dance therapy
Dance therapy
Dance therapy, or dance movement therapy is the psychotherapeutic use of movement and dance for emotional, cognitive, social, behavioral and physical conditions. As a form of expressive therapy, DMT is founded on the basis that movement and emotion are directly related...
, for example, are specific branches of the subject. Somatic psychology is a field of study that bridges the Mind-body dichotomy
Mind-body dichotomy
The mind-body problem is a philosophical problem arising in the fields of metaphysics and philosophy of mind. The problem arises because mental phenomena appear to be qualitatively and substantially different from the physical bodies on which they appear to depend. There are a few major theories on...
.
Whilst Pierre Janet
Pierre Janet
Pierre Marie Félix Janet was a pioneering French psychologist, philosopher and psychotherapist in the field of dissociation and traumatic memory....
can perhaps be considered the first Somatic Psychologist due to his extensive psychotherapeutic studies and writings with significant reference to the body (some of which pre-date Freud), it was actually Wilhelm Reich
Wilhelm Reich
Wilhelm Reich was an Austrian-American psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, known as one of the most radical figures in the history of psychiatry...
who was the first person to bring body awareness systematically into psychoanalysis, and also the first psychotherapist to touch clients physically, working with their bodies. Reich was a significant influence in the founding of Body Psychotherapy (or Somatic Psychology as it is often known in the USA & Australia) - though he called his early work "Character Analysis" and "Character-Analytic Vegetotherapy
Vegetotherapy
Vegetotherapy is a form of Reichian psychotherapy that involves the physical manifestations of emotions. The basic and founding text of vegetotherapy is Wilhelm Reich's Psychischer Kontakt und vegetative Stroemung , later included in the enlarged edition of Reich's Character Analysis .- Practice...
"). Several types of body-oriented psychotherapies trace their origins back to Reich, though there have been many subsequent developments and other influences (ref: entry on Body Psychotherapy
Body Psychotherapy
Body psychotherapy, also referred to as body-oriented psychotherapy and somatic psychology, is a significant branch of psychotherapy, with origins in the work of Pierre Janet, Sigmund Freud and particularly Wilhelm Reich....
and Somatic Psychology is of particular interest in trauma work.
There is increasing use of body-oriented therapeutic techniques within mainstream psychology (like EMDR) and Mindfulness
Mindfulness (psychology)
Modern clinical psychology and psychiatry since the 1970s have developed a number of therapeutic applications based on the concept of mindfulness in Buddhist meditation.-Definitions:...
practice) and psychoanalysis has recognized the use of somatic resonance, embodied trauma, and similar concepts, for many years.
Historically, there are early practitioners, for example, the Persian physician Avicenna
Avicenna
Abū ʿAlī al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Sīnā , commonly known as Ibn Sīnā or by his Latinized name Avicenna, was a Persian polymath, who wrote almost 450 treatises on a wide range of subjects, of which around 240 have survived...
(980 to 1037 CE) who performed psychotherapy only by observing the movement of the patient's pulse as he listened to their anguish. This is reminiscent of both traditional Tibetan medicine and current energy
Energy medicine
Energy medicine is one of five domains of "complementary and alternative medicine" identified by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States...
therapies that employ tapping points on a meridian
Meridian (Chinese medicine)
The meridian is a path through which the life-energy known as "qi" is believed to flow, in traditional Chinese medicine. There is no physically verifiable anatomical or histological basis for the existence of acupuncture points or meridians.- Main concepts :...
. As a contrast to the Western separation of body/mind, some writers describe the "body as a slow mind" and this re-examination of the fundamental mind-body dichotomy
Mind-body dichotomy
The mind-body problem is a philosophical problem arising in the fields of metaphysics and philosophy of mind. The problem arises because mental phenomena appear to be qualitatively and substantially different from the physical bodies on which they appear to depend. There are a few major theories on...
has coincided with research into neuroscience
Neuroscience
Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system. Traditionally, neuroscience has been seen as a branch of biology. However, it is currently an interdisciplinary science that collaborates with other fields such as chemistry, computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics,...
, embodiment
Embodiment
Embodied or embodiment may refer to:in psychology and philosophy,*Embodied cognition , a position in cognitive science and the philosophy of mind emphasizing the role that the body plays in shaping the mind...
and consciousness
Consciousness
Consciousness is a term that refers to the relationship between the mind and the world with which it interacts. It has been defined as: subjectivity, awareness, the ability to experience or to feel, wakefulness, having a sense of selfhood, and the executive control system of the mind...
, and an unconscious mind
Unconscious mind
The unconscious mind is a term coined by the 18th century German romantic philosopher Friedrich Schelling and later introduced into English by the poet and essayist Samuel Taylor Coleridge...
that 'speaks' through the language of body.
Dance therapy
Dance therapy
Dance therapy, or dance movement therapy is the psychotherapeutic use of movement and dance for emotional, cognitive, social, behavioral and physical conditions. As a form of expressive therapy, DMT is founded on the basis that movement and emotion are directly related...
or (Dance Movement Psychotherapy) also reflect something of this approach and are considered a study and practice within the field of somatic psychology.
Principles
The primary relationship addressed in somatic psychology is the person's relation to and empathy with their own felt body. It is based on a belief, grounded in ancient principles of vitalismVitalism
Vitalism, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is#a doctrine that the functions of a living organism are due to a vital principle distinct from biochemical reactions...
, that energy will bring healing to the affected parts if sufficient awareness is directed there.
Applications
A wide variety of techniques are used in somatic psychotherapy including sound, touch, mirroring, movement and breath. An individual records life experience during a pre- and nonverbal periods differently than during a verbalized and personal narrative period. Working with the client's implicit knowingTacit knowledge
Tacit knowledge is knowledge that is difficult to transfer to another person by means of writing it down or verbalising it. For example, stating to someone that London is in the United Kingdom is a piece of explicit knowledge that can be written down, transmitted, and understood by a recipient...
of these early experiences, somatic psychology includes the non-verbal qualities that mark most human communication, especially in the first years of life. This understanding of consciousness
Consciousness
Consciousness is a term that refers to the relationship between the mind and the world with which it interacts. It has been defined as: subjectivity, awareness, the ability to experience or to feel, wakefulness, having a sense of selfhood, and the executive control system of the mind...
, communication and mind-body language challenges some traditional applications of the talking cure
Talking cure
The Talking Cure was a term originally offered, along with "chimney sweep", by Dr. Josef Breuer's patient Bertha Pappenheim to describe the talking therapy that relieved her of her hysterical symptoms...
.
Practitioners in this field believe psychological, social, cultural and political forces support the splitting and fragmentation of the mind-body unity. These pressures affect an individual’s mental, biological, and relational health. For example, the writer Alice Miller
Alice Miller (psychologist)
Alice Miller née Rostovski was a psychologist and world renowned author, who is noted for her books on child abuse by their own parents, translated in several languages...
in her recent book 'The Body Never Lies' says, Ultimately the body will rebel. Even if it can be temporarily pacified with the help of drugs, cigarettes or medicine, it usually has the last word because it is quicker to see through self-deception than the mind. We may ignore or deride the messages of the body, but it's rebellion demands to be heeded because its language is the authentic expression of our true selves and of the strength of our vitality.
Somatic psychologists tend to bring body, body processes, and body experience into the foreground of psychotherapy
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is a general term referring to any form of therapeutic interaction or treatment contracted between a trained professional and a client or patient; family, couple or group...
practice.
Critique
The concept of body is socially constructed. What has been considered the limits of body has changed significantly throughout the history of medicineHistory of medicine
All human societies have medical beliefs that provide explanations for birth, death, and disease. Throughout history, illness has been attributed to witchcraft, demons, astral influence, or the will of the gods...
and likely will continue to change as mechanisitic principles underlying mind and body are disclosed by the scientific method
Scientific method
Scientific method refers to a body of techniques for investigating phenomena, acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and integrating previous knowledge. To be termed scientific, a method of inquiry must be based on gathering empirical and measurable evidence subject to specific principles of...
.
Wilhlem Reich's pre-eminence as founder of the modern field is open to question. His teacher and the founder of psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis is a psychological theory developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud. Psychoanalysis has expanded, been criticized and developed in different directions, mostly by some of Freud's former students, such as Alfred Adler and Carl Gustav...
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud , born Sigismund Schlomo Freud , was an Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis...
explored the role of body in neurosis
Neurosis
Neurosis is a class of functional mental disorders involving distress but neither delusions nor hallucinations, whereby behavior is not outside socially acceptable norms. It is also known as psychoneurosis or neurotic disorder, and thus those suffering from it are said to be neurotic...
as well as undertaking research on the therapeutic effects of cocaine (beginning on April 24, 1884 when he ordered his first gram of cocaine from the local apothecary). Freud also showed an interest in the nasal reflex
Emma Eckstein
Emma Eckstein was 'one of Sigmund Freud's most important patients and, for a short period of time around 1897, became a psychoanalyst herself': she has indeed been described as 'the first woman analyst....Emma Eckstein became both colleague and patient' for Freud...
neurosis and in vital periodicity, explored during a significant relationship with Wilhelm Fliess
Wilhelm Fliess
Wilhelm Fliess was a German Jewish otolaryngologist who practised in Berlin. On Josef Breuer's suggestion, Fliess attended several "conferences" with Sigmund Freud beginning in 1887 in Vienna, and the two soon formed a strong friendship...
between 1887 and 1902. Wilhelm Fliess believed that the nose was the centre of all human illness through its structural deviations to the passage of breath.
In addition the early history of clinical psychology
Clinical psychology
Clinical psychology is an integration of science, theory and clinical knowledge for the purpose of understanding, preventing, and relieving psychologically-based distress or dysfunction and to promote subjective well-being and personal development...
points to somatic psychotherapy first practiced in Persia around 930 CE.
See also
- Body PsychotherapyBody PsychotherapyBody psychotherapy, also referred to as body-oriented psychotherapy and somatic psychology, is a significant branch of psychotherapy, with origins in the work of Pierre Janet, Sigmund Freud and particularly Wilhelm Reich....
- Mind-Body InterventionMind-Body InterventionMind–body interventions is the name of a U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine classification that covers a variety of techniques designed to enhance the mind's capacity to affect bodily function and symptoms....
- Expressive therapyExpressive therapyExpressive therapy, also known as expressive arts therapy or creative arts therapy, is the use of the creative arts as a form of therapy. Unlike traditional art expression, the process of creation is emphasized rather than the final product...
- Health applications and clinical studies of meditationHealth applications and clinical studies of meditationResearch on the processes and effects of meditation is a growing subfield of neurological research. Modern scientific techniques and instruments, such as fMRI and EEG, are being used to study the body of people who've engaged in meditation in order to determine both how the process of meditation...
- PsychoneuroimmunologyPsychoneuroimmunologyPsychoneuroimmunology is the study of the interaction between psychological processes and the nervous and immune systems of the human body...
- HakomiHakomiHakomi therapy is a form of body-centered, somatic psychotherapy developed by Ron Kurtz in the 1970s and furthered by a group led by Kurtz in the 80s.- Approach and method:...
- BioenergeticsBioenergeticsBioenergetics is the subject of a field of biochemistry that concerns energy flow through living systems. This is an active area of biological research that includes the study of thousands of different cellular processes such as cellular respiration and the many other metabolic processes that can...
- Somatic ExperiencingSomatic ExperiencingSomatic Experiencing is a form of therapy aimed at relieving and resolving the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental and physical trauma-related health problems by focusing on the client’s perceived body sensations . It was introduced in Dr. Peter Levine's 1997 book Waking...
- Trager ApproachTrager ApproachThe Trager Approach is a mind-body approach to movement education. It is a system of gentle, rhythmic movement and touch aimed at facilitating deep relaxation, increased physical mobility, and promoting the body's optimal performance....
- SomaticsSomaticsThe field of somatics encompasses holistic body-centered approaches that help people reconnect with self and transform through movement practices that promote psycho-physical awareness and well-being...
- Sensorimotor Psychotherapy