United States Association for Body Psychotherapy Announces Eighth Conference on Somatic Psychology

Silver Springs, MD, February 2, 2016 (Newswire.com) - The United States Association for Body Psychotherapy (USABP) is excited to announce its 8th Somatic Psychology Conference entitled, “Sexuality, Spirituality and the Body:  The Art and Science of Somatic Psychotherapy” to be held in Providence, RI at the Rhode Island Convention Center from July 21-23, 2016.  This biannual event is the largest of its kind for clinicians, academics, and laypersons interested in the science and practice of somatic psychology, the mind-body connection, and body-oriented psychotherapy.  Dr. Joan Borysenko (author of Minding the Body, Mending the Mind),  John Gray (author of Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus), and Dr. Barnaby Barrett will deliver the keynote addresses.

Somatic Psychology (also referred to as body mind psychotherapy, body-oriented psychotherapy, etc.) is a holistic form of therapy that respects and utilizes the powerful connection between body, mind and spirit. How we are in this world, how we relate to ourselves and others, is not just purely about the mind or our thoughts, but is also deeply rooted in our bodies and our spirits. Unlike traditional talk therapy or cognitive therapy, Somatic Psychology tends to be more experiential.  It has a long and rich history and is primarily derived from the theories and practices of Wilhelm Reich, a psychoanalyst and student of Sigmund Freud. Since that time it has been influenced by existential, humanistic and gestalt psychology, movement, dance and art therapy, family and systems theory, neurology, Eastern philosophies, and spirituality.

The experience of being in a body invites us all to explore our human sexuality and spirituality. Paradoxically, the sexualization of our society has exacerbated our cultural and individual disembodiment. As we commercialize the body we divorce it from our inherent spirituality and sexuality thus zapping our life force by alienating our body from the source of meaning and vibrancy. The degree to which we, or our clients, are cut off from our bodies and living in our minds is the degree to which we are separate from realizing ourselves as spiritual and sexually alive human beings.

Dr. Beth Haessig, President of USABP

Individuals seek this form of treatment for similar reasons they might look to more traditional therapy—to address stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and sexuality issues, grief and loss, addictions, PTSD, trauma including abuse recovery, and so forth.  It is known to be especially effective for treating both shock trauma and also developmental trauma.  Somatic Psychology has evolved into various modalities through the years.  Some of the most well-known are: Somatic Experiencing (Peter Levine), Hakomi (Ron Kurtz), Focusing (Eugene Gendlin), Bioenergetics (Alexander Lowen), and Core Energetics (John Pierrakos) to name just a few.

For over 20 years USABP conferences have drawn attendees from across the globe.  Our 2016 conference features experiential and didactic workshops addressing the exciting future of somatic psychology and body-mind therapies with regard to three pressing topics in today's culture:  sexuality, spirituality, and the body.  Participants come to hear about the latest research into the mind-body connection, learn how to incorporate body-based techniques into their therapeutic practices, and better understand how accessing the body can yield measurable results for emotional healing. 

Healing the whole person by working with the energies and emotions of our body leads us to questions about the spirituality of each human being and about the ways in which our sexual desires gird so many of our energy blocks and emotional conflicts.  This Conference is especially noteworthy in that participants will have the ability to experience first-hand various somatic-based therapies and approaches.  Additional workshops will address such topics as:

• How somatic psychology techniques are different from traditional counseling and talk therapy
   
• Ways to become conscious of emotional energy held in your body through the context of spirituality and sexuality
   
• Various styles of somatic psychotherapeutic practices and how they address spirituality and sexuality
   
• The implications of working in a body-based model as a client or clinician

A full list of presenters and workshop topics is available on the conference website at:  www.usabpconference.org

Please join the United States Association for Body Psychotherapy in Providence, Rhode Island, from July 21 – 23, 2016 as we discover what the body is trying to teach us and thereby experience the gifts of somatic psychology for both life and work!