Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
Interventions for Trauma and Attachment
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from Wish List failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
Buy Now for $33.99
-
Narrated by:
-
Paul Brion
About this listen
A book for clinicians and clients to use together that explains key concepts of body psychotherapy.
Written for therapists and clients to explore together in therapy, this book is a practical guide to the language of the body. It begins with a section that orients therapists and clients to the volume and how to use it, followed by an overview of the role of the brain and the use of mindfulness. The last three sections are organized according to a phase approach to therapy, focusing first on developing personal resources, particularly somatic ones; second on utilizing a bottom-up, somatic approach to memory; and third on exploring the impact of attachment on procedural learning, emotional biases, and cognitive distortions.
The concepts and interventions introduced in this book are designed as an adjunct to, and in support of, other methods of treatment rather than as a stand-alone treatment or manualized approach. By drawing on the therapeutic relationship and adjusting interventions to the particular needs of each client, thoughtful attention to what is being spoken beneath the words through the body can heighten the intimacy of the therapist/client journey and help change take place more easily in the hidden recesses of the self.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
©2015 Pat Ogden (P)2020 TantorThis book helped me to understand my experience of “overwhelming/bad” feelings that do not have a labeled emotion as “animal defences”. The framework does not contain specific adaptations for neurodivergence but you can read between the lines to understand your system in a way that will be missed by the majority of mental health professionals.
Bottom up processors read this!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
However, the book also includes elements that I would consider pseudoscience. For example, the author states:
“Grounding, for our purposes, involves making an energetic and physical connection with the Earth, or ground, so that the energy of the body is directed downward.”
The issue with adding interventions like this—simply because the author has a likability bias toward them—is that it creates a conflict with evidence-based thinking. Firstly, evidence based people (like myself) that, live in the real world, and search for objective truth, and don’t believe things just because I like the sound of them. When we read a book that has pseudoscience added to it, we lose interest in the author’s credibility and their methodology. Secondly, it can lead people in a pseudoscientific direction on the topic being discussed, and also encourage a broader interest in pseudoscience, rather than focusing on approaches that are more likely to produce reliable results.
There are many interventions such as exercise, yoga, and insight meditation that have strong evidence supporting their effectiveness. In comparison, spending time walking barefoot on the ground or placing crystals on the body to heal ailments can distract from practices that are likely to be much more effective.
That said, a small percentage of ideas currently considered pseudoscience may eventually prove to have some truth or scientific basis. However, adopting explanations like “energy is directed downward” does not support a strong or accurate mental model of how the body works.
I do think there is still a place for experimenting with practices like earthing, crystal healing, Reiki, and similar approaches—but not because of the explanations often attached to them. Rather, they may provide benefits through imagination, relaxation, and giving someone a break from a difficult mental state. When used alongside evidence-based methods, they can be complementary. The problem arises when the underlying pseudoscientific explanations are taken as truth, which can steer people in the wrong direction.
My objective here is to encourage both psychotherapists and individuals interested in healing to prioritise approaches that are supported by solid evidence, and to move in a direction that maximises real, measurable progress.
Loads of good content, soothing narration, with a little bit of pseudoscience
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.