Body-Mind (or somatic) Therapy is an approach to healing and growth that looks at a person as an integrated whole: mind, body, and spirit. In contrast to traditional psychotherapy or “talk therapy,” which focuses on life history and the analysis of thought, the Body-Mind therapist appreciates not only these aspects, but also is interested in the relationship between a person’s mental, physical, and spiritual experiences. This approach is also called Holistic or Integrative. Techniques used in Body-Mind Therapy include mindfulness, breathing, meditation, grounding, centering, neurofeedback, and biofeedback among others. I incorporate a variety of these tools to customize and individualize an approach to working with each of my clients.
Psychotherapy is usually a very mental activity. People are talking about thoughts, feelings, memories and goals. This is all valuable work and is a significant part of what happens in my sessions. However, in recent times there have been a growing number of therapists working with the mind-body connection (somatic psychology) and others working with the spiritual realm (transpersonal psychology). My approach to therapy is truly integrative because it incorporates the body, mind, and spirit.