1 Beth Haessig with Peter Levine “the HUB of all things somatic psychology” Understanding Embodied Research Webinar Wednesday Night .......... Research Review ......................... NEWS and Upcoming Events....... Southern California Bioenergetic Conference ................................... Somatic Perspectives Conversation: Michael Picucci.. USABP Message ......................... INSTITUTIONAL EVENTS CAN BE FOUND ONLINE Getting Your Work into the World A message from USABP President Beth Haessig, Psy.D. USABP was at its finest in the Berkshires this past week showing off four different ways to marry mind and body in the field of psy- chology. Bioenergetics, Somatic Experiencing, Core Energetics, and Yogic and psychotherapy, were given a day to present their work to 50 professionals, who wanted to learn about our field, with back- grounds ranging from psychiatry and nutrition, to physical therapy and psychology. Participants traveled from all over the United States to partake in the Sampler Series of Somatic Psychology at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. in Lenox Massachusetts. Our member institutions were thrilled to enlarge their mailing lists, as well as receive multiple inquiries about their training programs. 2 3 4 5 6 7 MEMBERSHIP DUES! MANY MEMBERSHIPS ARE UP FOR RENEWAL THIS MONTH -- DON’T FORGET TO RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP WITH USABP Lisa Loustaunau Core Energetics
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Beth Haessig with Peter Levine
“the HUB of all things somatic psychology”
Understanding Embodied ResearchWebinar Wednesday Night ..........
Research Review .........................
NEWS and Upcoming Events.......
Southern California Bioenergetic Conference ...................................
Somatic Perspectives Conversation: Michael Picucci..
USABP Message .........................
INSTITUTIONAL EVENTSCAN BE FOUND ONLINE
Getting Your Work into the World
A message from USABP President Beth Haessig, Psy.D.
USABP was at its finest in the Berkshires this past week showing off four different ways to marry mind and body in the field of psy-chology. Bioenergetics, Somatic Experiencing, Core Energetics, and Yogic and psychotherapy, were given a day to present their work to 50 professionals, who wanted to learn about our field, with back-grounds ranging from psychiatry and nutrition, to physical therapy and psychology.
Participants traveled from all over the United States to partake in the Sampler Series of Somatic Psychology at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. in Lenox Massachusetts.
Our member institutions were thrilled to enlarge their mailing lists, as well as receive multiple inquiries about their training programs.
Are you curious about research in Somatic Psychology and Body Psychotherapy? Join us on Wednesday, October 15 for our latest webinar: Understanding Embodied Research. Given by Somatic Experiencing Research Coalition Chair, Michael Changaris, PsyD and USABP Research Chair, Jennifer Tantia, PhD, this webinar is an introduction to understanding the unique nuances of embodied research with some helpful advice on how to conduct embodied research. This webinar is for all USABP members, including clini-cians, students and researchers in somatic psychotherapy.
During the webinar, we will cover issues such as:
• Why body psychotherapy is integral to the larger field of research• What are the differences between qualitative and quantitative research• How to create embodied research studies• Resources for helping to get your article published• …and more!
Michael Changaris, PsyD, is the current chair of Somatic Experienc-ing Research Coalition (SERC) and the chair of the research commit-tee with SETI. Dr. Changaris is the training coordinator for an integrat-ed health psyjoys meditation, music and a good hike with friends.
Jennifer Frank Tantia, PhD, MS, BC-DMT, LCAT is a somatic psychology author, educator and clinician. Dr. Tantia currently serves on the board of directors as Research Chair for the USABP and the research sub-committee of the ADTA.
The “Research Review” section of the USABP newsletter is a venue for provid-ing our readers with summaries and discussion on new and relevant research articles in somatic psychology and adjacent fields that support our work. Each month, research committee members Nevine Sultan and Sharon Stopforth will summarize studies and share their insights into the limitations and values of them here. The Research Review is sponsored by the USABP Research Committee.
Jennifer Frank Tantia, PhD, BC-DMT, LCATUSABP Research [email protected]
The Impact of Body Awareness on Subjective Wellbeing: The Role of Mindfulness
Brani, O., Hefferon, K., Lomas, T., Ivtzan, I., & Painter, J. (2014). The impact of body awareness on subjective wellbeing: The role of mindfulness. International Body Psychotherapy Journal, 13(1), 95-107.
The following study was attempting to fill the gap in research on the body and its role on subjective well-being. The authors were attempting to find a relationship between body awareness and subjective well-being, mind-fulness and subjective well-being, and if the relationship between body awareness and subjective well-being was moderated by mindfulness. The researchers used online surveys featuring three questionnaires to measure the variables of interest. One hundred and nineteen participants completed the survey. Findings indicated that there was a strong correlation between body awareness and subjective well-being and a strong correlation between mindfulness and subjective well-being. The research indicated that there was no moderating effect of mindfulness between body awareness and subjective well-being. The authors concluded that both body aware-ness and mindfulness each provide unique contributions to well-being and that one concept cannot be reduced to another. The authors suggest that individuals can benefit from becoming more bodily aware to increase their sense of well-being.
This research study was unique in that it looked at subjective well-being in the general population rather than strictly on clinical populations. It also addressed the importance of including the body when considering en-hancing an individual’s well-being in several life areas. I liked how the authors stressed the importance of the mind-body connection and discussed the construct of “the body” and “embodiment”. While the authors did differentiate between the physiological body and the “felt experience” of the body, the authors could also have discussed the concept of “the lived body”. This dimension would have added a feminist, political aspect to the importance of rectifying the mind-body split in our society.
The authors discussed the limitations of their study regarding participants having prior knowledge or experi-ence with the concept or practice of mindfulness or Body Awareness Therapy and the limits of using self-report scales. I was curious to know how they recruited their participants online and if that may also have been a limit-ing factor as one of the authors admitted to being Greek and that the majority of the participants were of Greek nationality. Perhaps the results would have been more generalizable had they used a particular sampling strategy such as random sampling.
The study does contribute to the field of body psychotherapy in that it implicates the necessity of body awareContinued on following page
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ness as an imperative part of subjective well-being. As a field, body psychotherapy is making great strides in theContinued on following page domain of psychology with regards to including the body in diagnosis and treat-ment of psychological disorders. In this study, body psychotherapy is also well placed to add to an embodied perspective to the area of positive psychology that looks at resilience in individuals. I look forward to future studies that can build on this study and continue to make connections between embodiment and resilience.
USABP Research CommitteeChair: Jennifer Tantia
Nevine Sultan, MA, Heather Brewer, MA, Dan Lewis, MA, Sharon Stopforth, MA, Christine Caldwell, PhD, Ellen Goldstein, MA, Denise Saint-Arnault, PhD, RN and Michael Changaris, PsyD
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Sharon Stopforth
Sharon is a Certified Integrative Body Psychotherapy practitioner with a Masters degree in Clinical Social Work. Sharon has been practicing mind/body counseling for the past 15 years and specializes in the areas of anxiety, depression, addictions, self-es-teem, trauma and abuse. Sharon is currently working on her Ph.D. to further research in the field of Body Psychotherapy.
NEWS and Upcoming Events notice:Fall is a busy time for USABP! We have a lot of things going on throughout the re-mainder of this year that will benefit our dues-paying members:
NEXT MONTH INSTITUTION OF THE MONTH: HAKOMI
December is HOLIDAY MONTH! USABP will be taking the month of December to upgrade some Membership Area and introduce our Forum for 2015 - but DON’T miss our early month’s Webinar with Hakomi!
United together we can influence modern medicine in ways that are otherwise impossible.
LOOK FOR INFORMATION ON OUR 2016 CONFERENCE COMING SOON!
The Southern California Bioenergetic Conference is a communal, inspirational, educational, and experiential weekend designed to
encourage spontaneity and reconnect us with our true selves.
2015 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA BIOENERGETIC CONFERENCE Thursday, February 26 - Sunday, March 1, 2015
AT THE UCLA CONFERENCE CENTER IN BEAUTIFUL LAKE ARROWHEAD, CA
• Inspiring Presentations
• Related workshops: A variety of didactic and experiential workshops are offered by Bioenergetic Therapists and will center on some aspect of the conference theme.
• Small Group Process: As a conference participant, you will have the opportunity to work Bioenergetically in one of the following groups:
• Therapist Groups: These groups are structured for therapists with limited or no experience with Bioenergetic Analysis. Participants will have an opportunity to personally experience and learn about the developmental, relational, and somatic approach to Bioenergetic Analysis.
• Non-Therapist Group: If you are not a psychotherapist, this group is for you. Group members often have a range of experience in Bioenergetic therapy. For some, this may be the Þrst time participating in a process group. The facilitators will provide support to build trust and safety as you explore your inner world.
• CertiÞed Bioenergetic Therapist Group: For those of you who have completed Bioenergetic training, these groups offer the stimulation of working with fellow Bioenergetic therapists. Process group leaders are generally from other than Southern California societies. This offers a different working experience for most group members.
Beautiful Mountain Setting
Great Accommodations and Food
18 MFT and LCSW CEUs offered
To learn more about Bioenergetic Analysis follow this link: http://www.bioenergetics-sciba.org/
To learn more about the 2015 conference follow this link:http://bioenergetics-sciba.org/conference/2015/
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NOVEMBER CONVERSATION WITH SERGE PRENGEL
Michael Picucci talks about Focalizing
This is to let you know about the new conversation in the “Somatic Perspectives on Psychotherapy” series. This month, it is with Michael Picucci, about Focalizing.
The “Somatic Perspectives” series is edited by Serge Prengel, LMHC. Every other month, there is a new conversation. Each conversation lasts approximately a half hour. You can lis-ten to it on the website, or download it as an MP3 audio file. You can also read it as a PDF transcript (available on the same page).
Dr. Michael Picucci, PhD, MAC, SEP, brings decades of investigation and experience to his practice of Psychotherapy, Focalizing and Consulting. His professional expertise spans a wide-range of disciplines as a Psychologist, Licensed Psychotherapist, Master Addictions Counselor, Sexologist, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner and Organiza-tional Consultant.
Recipient of the National Institutes on Health “Outstanding Leadership in Research Award,” the last 30 years of Dr. Picucci’s exploration in Social Sciences, Organization-al Development and Energy Psychology has focused on addictions, trauma healing, sexuality, and interpersonal and group dynamics. During this time he has been ob-serving and creating rituals for sane, healthy living for individual clients, couples, groups and organizations.
