Somatic Approaches in Therapy Summit

Introduction

• Presenter: Kaleigh Isaacs, founder of the Awake Network
• Guest: Dr. Pat Ogden
  • Pioneer in somatic psychology
  • Creator of the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Method
  • Co-founder of the Hakomi Institute
  • Author of key books in somatic psychology
• Focus of the Talk: Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, key concepts, tools, and practices

Key Concepts in Somatic Therapy

Bridging the Gap Between Talk Therapy and Somatic Therapy

• The body reflects experiences of attachment and trauma.
• Patterns in the body (e.g., posture indicating fear) can hinder resolution in talk therapy alone.
• Trauma impacts subcortical, instinctive defensive responses, and physiological arousal.
• Somatic therapy directly addresses these issues through somatic resources like self-touch and grounding.

Instinctive Defenses

• Instincts such as fight, flight, freeze, and others are innate.
• Trauma can form patterns of instinctive defenses from past experiences.
• Sensorimotor therapy can help empower these defenses in a therapeutic setting.

Resourcing in Trauma Work

Importance of Resourcing

• Helps regulate arousal within the 'window of tolerance'.
• Teaches clients to recognize signs when arousal approaches the window's edge.

Somatic Resources

• Self-touch: Different forms can provide comfort and reduce arousal.
• "Stop sign" gesture: Can help some clients establish boundaries and calm down.
• Breath: Complex resource; deep breathing is not universally effective.

Experiential Learning

• Adjusting posture can align with emotions and cognitive beliefs.
• Integration of parts work: Avoid overriding parts with positivity.

Tracking and Therapeutic Process

Tracking the Body in Therapy

• Tracking involves noticing body movements and expressions holistically.
• Looking for how a client's body reflects their psychological issues.
• Exploring movements like reaching can reveal attachment issues.

Top-Down and Bottom-Up Integration

• Mindfulness is used to integrate both cognitive and body-focused approaches.
• Shift in body is often needed to change cognitive beliefs and emotions.

Role of the Therapist

Avoiding Overwhelm

• Therapists should aim to work at the edges of the client's window of tolerance.
• Empower clients to recognize their own signs of dysregulation.

Integrating Sensorimotor Practices in Talk-Based Therapies

• Get curious about body movements and their significance.
• Observe clients and others to see how bodies reflect psychological states.

Foundational Principles and Practices

Philosophical and Spiritual Foundations

• Importance of principles like organicity (belief that healing intelligence is within the client).
• Unity of mind, body, and spirit.

Experiential Integration

• End sessions with integrative movement exercises to embody learning.

Conclusion

• Dr. Ogden emphasizes the importance of a philosophical foundation and the body's role in therapy.
• Encourages therapists to foster curiosity about the body and its therapeutic potential.