Implicit predictions and expectations of ourselves, others and the world are reflected in the autonomic arousal, movement, and posture of the body. This workshop will examine how the body’s patterns forecast the future and look at the role of the body in the treatment of trauma and attachment disturbances. The different impact of trauma, attachment and relational strife (societal and individual) will be explored. Body-oriented approaches that mitigate trauma-related dysregulation will be differentiated from those that help resolve the strong emotions, cognitive distortions and intimacy issues associated with relational strife. Additionally, the role of the body in fostering resilience in the face of current trauma, such as the pandemic and systemic oppression, will be explored. This approach will be illustrated through lecture, cases examples, brief experiential exercises and a few worksheets to foster resilience that can also be used with clients.
Adapting Sensorimotor Psychotherapy to an online format presents particular challenges and opportunities. The second part of this workshop will look at the challenges of body therapy in an online format, addressing office set-up, use of props, tips to maintain an emotional connection and special considerations in working with posture and movement in a telehealth format.
Throughout the webinar, Dr. Ogden will weave in considerations with regard to the current COVID 19 pandemic, racialized trauma and systemic oppression.
Course Objectives
- Describe two reasons why addressing the body is important in therapy
- Explain two interventions to regulate arousal and enhance resilience
- Describe the role of the body in fostering resilience
- Describe two challenges of working with the body via telehealth and how to address them
About the Presenter
Pat Ogden, PhD, a pioneer in somatic psychology, is the Founder and Education Director of the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute, an internationally recognized school specializing in somatic–cognitive approaches for the treatment of posttraumatic stress and attachment disturbances. Her Institute, based in Colorado, has 19 certified trainers who conduct Sensorimotor Psychotherapy trainings of over 400 hours for mental health professionals throughout the USA, Canada, Europe, and Australia. The Institute has certified hundreds of psychotherapists throughout the world in this method. She is co-founder of the Hakomi Institute, past faculty of Naropa University (1985-2005), a clinician, consultant, and sought after international lecturer. Dr. Ogden is the first author of two groundbreaking books in somatic psychology: Trauma and the Body: A Sensorimotor Approach to Psychotherapy and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy: Interventions for Trauma and Attachment (2015) both published in the Interpersonal Neurobiology Series of W. W. Norton. Her third book, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy in Context: Sociocultural Considerations will be published in spring of 2021, and she is working on a fourth book Sensorimotor Psychotherapy for Children, Adolescents and Families with Dr. Bonnie Goldstein. Her current interests include Sensorimotor Psychotherapy for groups, couples, children, adolescents, families; Embedded Relational Mindfulness, culture and diversity, challenging clients, the relational nature of shame, presence, consciousness and the philosophical/spiritual principles that guide Sensorimotor Psychotherapy.
