Body/Mind Therapies

For many years now I’ve observed a myriad of therapeutic practices and their clinicians using the descriptors “Mind/Body Therapy”, “Somatic Therapist”, or “Wholistic” to define their work. I am no longer willing to give these folks a pass. My bias is this: anyone using the terms mind/body, body/mind, somatic, soma, wholistic, etc. to define their work when touching of the human being is not included is presenting an oxymoron. How can anyone include the words body or soma when no real contact with the physical and corporeal self is made? Human beings grow out of and through the material body just as a tree or plant grows up and out of its roots. Even Sigmund Freud would occasionally place his hands around the heads of his patients as a way of fostering free association. And of course, Wilhelm Reich, Freud’s associate, would directly manipulate the patient’s body as a way of removing defenses and body armor so as to access the authentic self. More thoughts to come…