Suzanne L. Cohen, Ed.D., CGP Licensed Psychologist One Hollis Street, Suite 135 Wellesley, MA 02482 Phone 781 235 2260 ext 1 suzannecohen88@gmail.com |
The following is an abstract of a paper that will appear in the International Journal
of Group Psychotherapy in 2011. Coming to Our Senses: The Application of Somatic Psychology to Group Psychotherapy Suzanne L. Cohen, Ed.D. Suzanne L. Cohen is a psychologist in private practice in Wellesley, MA; a licensed instructor of the Nia Technique; and adjunct faculty, Lesley University, Cambridge, MA. She is a Fellow of the American Group Psychotherapy Association and a Certified Group Psychotherapist. ABSTRACT Somatic psychology, the interplay of the body, the mind, the emotions, and the social context, significantly contributes to the theory and practice of group therapy. The processing of sensory experiences in the here-and-now of the therapy group helps group members to develop self-awareness, the ability to understand their relationships with others, and the capacity for empathy. When group members know what they experience they can understand how others feel and resonate emotionally with those feelings. Neurobiology, sensory processing and attachment theories help us to understand how the sense of self develops somatically. Principles of somatic therapies are applied to group therapy practice in working with attachment disorders, transference impasse, and trauma. The importance and implications of the group therapist's embodied attunement are explored. For a pre-print of the full article, please contact Suzanne Cohen |