It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

I’ve been at my job as an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist for about a year and a half now and my career focus is coming into formulation. Due to COVID, things have changed significantly with my personal goals involving my career. Because of the hoops and requirements of the ADTA, I’m no longer pursuing a certification in dance therapy. I’ve realized my physical body can’t hold up to the rigors dictated by the dance profession and have learned about Somatic Psychotherapy. Below is what I can do using somatic psychotherapy:

“Practitioners of somatic psychotherapy can help individuals both become more aware of these bodily sensations and learn to use therapeutic techniques to release any tension the body is holding. Techniques often used in therapy include breathing exercise and sensation awareness, physical exercise such as dance or other movement, voice work, massage, and grounding exercises. During the session, the person in treatment may be encouraged to reflect on patterns of behavior and identify any impact these patterns may have on any new emotions, experiences, or concerns that come up in therapy.”

So, moving my focus off “dance therapy” and to “Somatic Psychotherapy” affords me the opportunity to immediately begin practicing the principles of somatic psychotherapy without the restrictions of the ADTA. There are other names for the type of therapy I do and want to pursue, such as; body psychology, somatic psychology, and somatic therapy. These are words and phrases I can now utilize without bothering the ADTA and have them calling their lawyers.

I’m doing this weekly with clients at the center at which I work and have a book I use for specific interventions. My education and training in this niche is going to be continually expanding as I learn more and how to apply the principles. I have already seen results by quantifying client’s anxiety and pain levels before I do an intervention. I’ve had great results of lowering anxiety and pain levels in some cases. The more severe the the injury or pain the more time and care that needs to be taken in providing the interventions.

Because my daily work is dictated by my superiors, I have to use other methods of psychotherapy in groups and mainly do talk therapy but I get almost immediate results with interventions in somatic therapy. I prove it to myself every day as I utilize physical activity to help my own mood regulation.