Somatic Psychotherapy Overview
The word “somatic” is derived from the Greek word soma, meaning “body”.
Somatic Psychotherapy was developed though various contributions, such as Gestalt Therapy, Dreambody Work, Authentic Movement and others.
Currently, it remains one of the central teaching modalities of the Somatic Psychology Department at Naropa University.
In general, this method attempts to bring awareness to feelings, movements, sensations, etc., as an attempt to restore expressive movement.
Expressive movement is seen when one follows his or her inner impulse replacing old patterns with truer movement expressions (Caldwell, 2002).
Somatic Psychotherapy History
Main influencer of Somatic Psychotherapy
Gestalt Therapy
Present-centered approach of Gestalt therapy seeks to renew creativity by freeing blocked energy. This energy often formed by unexpressed or unresolved issues.
Mindell’s Dreambody
An additional contributor, is Mindell’s Dreambody work, which listens for unconscious messages through body sensations, images, fantasies and emotions.
Focusing
Similarly, Focusing, a method developed by Eugene Gendlin, corresponds to somatic psychotherapy so far as it is a process of re-learning how to listen to our bodies. This happens while paying attention to inner messages the body might be sending. (Cornell, 1996).
Authentic Movement
Another main theory that influenced somatic therapy is Authentic Movement, which is a form of dance therapy developed by Mary Starks Whitehouse. Essentially, the goal of Authentic Movement is to gain access to creative expression and to reunite with the wholeness of our being through a mover and a witness.
In theory, as a result of being accurately seen, the mover automatically develops an internal witness and in turn builds a healthy sense of self (Adler, 1999).
Moving Cycle
Finally, the Moving Cycle is an approach to therapy that replicates the ways the body naturally heals itself.
Christine Caldwell created this model.
She noticed that healing, growth and transformation seem to occur in four phases. The phases are Awareness, Owning, Appreciation and Action and will be discussed below.
During a somatic psychotherapy session, each of these phases of the moving cycle will be explored....
Awareness
In the Awareness Phase, your attention is focused on body experiences that had not previously been acknowledged.
As a way to bring focus to the body’s language, the therapist might ask you,
“How big is the tightness in your stomach? Does it have a temperature or a texture? How does it want to move?”
Owning
The Owning phase is about taking deep personal responsibility for one’s somatic experiences.
By owning one’s experiences in this way, new movement that feels truer is achieved.
Owning can be especially important when you have experienced trauma. When our wholeness is threatened, expressive movement decreases, causing our movement to become more primitive because our energy is taken up by unresolved issues (Caldwell, 2002).
Appreciation
As owning is complete, the body can relax and a sense of satisfaction—if not pleasure—occurs because the body has returned to a state of increased wholeness (Caldwell, 2002).
After the efforts of the Owning phase, one spends time bonding with and loving oneself.
Action
When the Appreciation phase is completed, an inner feeling of healing is in place. However, in order for this healing to last it must find a place in the outside world.
As a way to reinforce the healing during the Action phase, it must be practiced within the session before being taken out.
For instance, the therapist could ask you to put into words the healing that has happened and explain one way that it could be added into your daily life.
Application of The Moving Cycle Model
Caldwell uses many different body awareness interventions to assist clients to increase body awareness through the four phases of MC.
It is important for the therapist to keep you conscious of how your physical body wants to move during the session and allow you to make movements (Caldwell, 1996). Several different interventions can assist in recovering expressive movement if it is blocked.
These interventions are:
Intensify a movement,
Contrast a movement,
Repeat a movement,
Generalize a movement,
Specify a movement.
Each intervention will be described below and examples will be given.
Intensify a Movement
To intensify a movement, the therapist will guide you to amplify it so you can become more aware of what a seemingly thoughtless gesture might be trying to say.
For example, if a client rubs her jaw while talking about a stressful event, the therapist might have her continuously rub it without the words and notices what happens?
Contrast a Movement
Whereas contrasting a movement will bring you in touch with the opposite energy of a habitual gesture.
For instance, the therapist could ask the client to use her left hand to rub her jaw instead of her right.
Repeating a Movement
In addition, repeating a movement that appears to be constricted can transform it from a socially acceptable gesture into meaningful communication.
Generalizing a movement
Generalizing a movement brings a movement that is confined to a small part of the body and allows it to be felt throughout.
For example, the therapist could ask the client to rub other parts of her body and notice what arises.
Specifying a Movement
Conversely, specifying a movement brings a large movement that is felt throughout the body to a more confined area.
In Summary...
“The therapist will simply encourages [you] to feel what [you are] feeling exactly the way it is, with the exact amount of intensity that it carries” (Caldwell, 2002 p. 286).
As you connects more fully with you True Self, you will naturally begin to actively love yourself, which can take the form of self-forgiveness, self-compassion, or self-affirmation (Caldwell, 2002).
The therapist will assist this process by listening and helping you tolerate positive affect.
References:
Adler, J. (1999). Who is the witness? A description of Authentic Movement. In Pallaro, P. (Eds). Authentic
Caldwell, C. (1996). Getting our bodies back: Recovery, healing, and transformation through body-centered psychotherapy.Boston, MA: Shambhalap
Caldwell, C. (2002). The moving cycle: A model for healing. In Lewis, P. (Eds). Integrative holistic health, healing,and transformation(273- 294). Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas.
Cornell, A. W. (1996). The power of focusing: A practical guide to emotional self-healing. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.
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