USABP ViewPoint Articles

Training to Support Victims of the Ukraine Conflict

Mon, 19 Jun 2023 18:55:38 GMT

INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION TO TRAIN THOUSANDS OF MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS TO SUPPORT VICTIMS OF THE CONFLICT IN UKRAINE

London, UK, 9 June 2023—Babette Rothschild, specialist educator in the treatment of trauma and PTSD, is partnering with the Complex Trauma Institute (CTI), in the UK and W. W. Norton & Company, the international publishing house, to bring training to 3,000 Ukrainian therapists.

“CTI is providing a platform for internationally recognised trauma specialist Babette Rothschild to hold a 3-day online event on Somatic Trauma Therapy from 28 to 30 June 2023. This event is being made freely available to Mental Health professionals in Ukraine and over 3,000 participants are expected to attend online.”

Dzmitry Karpuk—Director, the Complex Trauma Institute, York

Babette Rothschild explains: “At the time the war broke out in Ukraine, I was in regular contact with colleague and former student Hanna Kemp and was deeply concerned for her and her family’s welfare. At the same time, I was immersed in reading a book about a woman surviving in Second World War Paris. This led me to wonder what I might need if I found myself in a similar situation. Firstly, I realized I would want those outside my country to know and remember what was happening and to care. As a result, I started sending contributions to organizations that were beginning to help in the crisis. At Hanna’s request I helped spread the word about needing ‘humanitarian corridors’ so refugees could pass safely out of Ukraine.

“We began to discuss if there was anything of my professional expertise in trauma and PTSD, as well as self-care for therapists that might be useful to Ukrainian therapists and others. In July 2022, Hanna organized and gathered an all-volunteer team of translators and hosts to conduct a 12-hour professional training, held over three consecutive days, for about 200 Ukrainian therapists and other helping professionals. Following the success of this session, Hanna teamed up with Dzmitry Karpuk from the Complex Trauma Institute, again, with a team of volunteers to organize a program to be held in June 2023 where I would speak to 3,000 Ukrainian therapists.

“One of the many things I learned from Hanna about fleeing within or from a war-torn country is that saving books cannot be a priority. This knowledge inspired me to contact Pamela O’Reilly at W. W. Norton to see if they might donate professional books to those who left them behind when seeking safety. As a result, Norton is donating not just a few, but thousands of professional e-books to Ukraine therapists. To my knowledge, this level of generosity from a prominent world-wide publisher is unprecedented! That, among other things, makes me so proud to be a Norton author!”

Babette Rothschild—Master of Social Work, body-psychotherapist and specialist educator in the treatment of trauma and PTSD

“When Babette Rothschild approached W. W. Norton with the idea of running workshops directly with Ukrainian therapists, we were pleased to be able to help. Babette’s relationship with Hanna Kemp and the Complex Trauma Institute presented the perfect opportunity to create a partnership and donate a total of 5,000 copies of two of Babette’s ebooks (Help for the Helper and Revolutionizing Trauma Treatment) to participating therapists working on the ground with displaced Ukrainians.”

Julia Reidhead—President, W. W. Norton & Company, New York

Complex Trauma Institute

This event is part of a larger pioneering programme of membership services provided by CTI, with the support of the University of York, which have been made freely available to Ukrainian Mental Health professionals. Since the invasion began this programme has allowed CTI to organise regular free group supervision and to host training events for Ukrainian professionals. CTI’s 4th International Trauma conference in September 2022 was attended by around 2,000 Ukrainian colleagues. Read more about CTI at complextraumainstitute.org.

W. W. Norton & Company

W. W. Norton & Company is the largest book publishing house owned by its employees. In light of the on-going war in Ukraine, we are in a position to help, even if only in a small way. One of the core principles of W. W. Norton’s co-founders was a dedication to the dissemination of knowledge to the public, especially in times of conflict and uncertainty. This year as Norton celebrates the centenary of our company, that philosophy remains truer than ever. Read more about Norton’s 100-year celebration at wwnorton.com.

In Memorium: Ilana Rubenfeld, 1934-2022

Mon, 22 May 2023 02:16:31 GMT

Body/mind therapist and teacher Ilana Rubenfeld passed on December 23, 2022, while residing at the Rogue Valley Manor, Medford, Oregon.

A pioneer in the body/mind movement, she created the Rubenfeld Synergy Method ® (RSM) because she came to realize that for people to understand their emotional state, they would have to learn how to listen to their bodies.

Ilana’s first love was music. After studying orchestral conducting at Julliard, she began to learn alternative methods of healing because of the physical challenges she experienced caused by conducting. She first discovered the Alexander Technique (originated by F. M. Alexander) while seeking relief for her back and shoulder pain, and as a result, Ilana was inspired to become an Alexander teacher.

At the same time, she sought out talk therapy because of triggered emotions that the Alexander teacher was not qualified to help process.

Ilana then found that the talk therapist would not use touch when she verbally expressed the memories and feelings that had emerged from her body. She longed to have a single professional to do both, and soon embarked on a journey of discovering how to become that “someone”.

In the mid-1960s Ilana met Fritz Perls at Esalen Institute. He invited her to place her Alexander-trained listening hands on his clients while they talked with him. Thus, it was while studying Gestalt Therapy with Fritz and Laura Perls that the concept of integrating physical touch with talk was born.

After Fritz Perls’ death, Ilana continued to attend Esalen, meeting many of the pioneering spirits of the day who presented their work there, including Virginia Satir, Charlotte Selver, and many others. It was here in 1972, that Ilana met and began to study with Moshe Feldenkrais. She completed his first North American Feldenkrais training in San Francisco in 1978.

Ilana started a series of classes incorporating her previous trainings in Feldenkrais, Alexander, and Gestalt and in 1977, developed the RSM Training Program. She taught her method to hundreds of students and guided thousands of participants in countless workshops in her long career.

Ilana had an instinctive knowing that “emotions and feelings are embedded in the body and in the brain, and that to reach them touch is needed – non-verbal communication – and talk.” RSM became a dynamic integration of body, mind, emotions, and spirit that combines both talk and listening touch at the same time. Ilana’s remarkable presence, her mastery in listening on many levels simultaneously, her insightful intelligence and quick humor supported life-changing results in thousands of lives over the years. She came to be referred to as the ‘Grande Dame of the body-oriented therapy movement’.

Being one of the first in her field, she influenced many other teachers who incorporated her methodology into their own practices. She traveled extensively in North & South America and Europe giving workshops, bringing emotional and physical healing to a great number of participants.

As well as teaching for many years at the Esalen Institute, Ilana taught in many other venues including the Omega Institute in NY, Rowe Conference Center in MA, and other places of study.

In 1994, Ilana was given the “Pathfinder Award” by the Association of Humanistic Psychology (AHP) for her outstanding contributions to Humanistic Psychology.

In 2002, Ilana received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the United States Association for Body Psychotherapy.

When Ilana moved to Ashland, OR, from New York City in 2000, she re-embraced her love of music by becoming a patron of and champion for many musical organizations in the Rogue Valley.

Ilana Rubenfeld is survived by her younger sister, Lydia Yohay of New York, NY, and Lydia’s children Leora Grace Yohay and Joseph Yohay.

A list of organizations to which donations can be made in Ilana’s name is available through contacting INARS: https://www.rubenfeldsynergy.com/.

USABP Vacant President Position

Fri, 01 Apr 2022 02:17:03 GMT

USABP currently has a vacant President position on the Board of Directors (BOD). In the interim, the BOD is working diligently to serve its members per the Society’s Mission and Goals. If you are interested in nominating yourself/or a colleague to join and lead this highly passionate and dedicated group, please complete the “NOMINATE” form below.

If you have questions, please email angie@usabp.org.

USABP President Position Description:
To lead the Board of Directors with the support of the Executive Director. The President’s term is for two years and they must be a member in good standing.

The President may be elected by a majority vote of the current Board. Please be sure that the nominee is aware of submission for this role.

Nomination Survey Questions to Submit with Your Nomination:

Submitter’s First and Last Name
Submitter’s Email Address
Nominee’s Name
Nominee’s Email Address
Why is the nominee a good fit to serve as USABP President?
Nominee’s Professional Website

Make Your Nomination

Celebrating the Life Anna Halprin August 20

Thu, 29 Jul 2021 00:34:12 GMT

We are grateful for the life and legacy of Anna Halprin, founder of the Tamalpa Institute - An Official USABP Independent Body-Centered Training Institute Member - Level 1.

Few dance artists have been as influential as Anna Halprin. She has been credited to have redefined dance as a tool for healing (NPR).

In 1978 she began offering the first movement-based expressive arts therapy training and art-based, somatic movement therapy training program in the field. The Institute continues to be a center for research, collaboration, workshops, training programs, and performance. You'll find their events listed in our events calendar.

In Remembrance there will be a special online event:

Honoring Anna Halprin: Halprin Work and Legacy ~ with Janice Ross
Friday, August 20, 10-11AM PDT

Educational Scholarship Available for Interoceptive Awareness Training

Cynthia Price — Sun, 27 Jun 2021 21:05:53 GMT

The non-profit Center for Mindful Body Awareness offers trainings to therapists who want to learn how to teach clients fundamental strategies to access and sustain mindful interoceptive attention to enhance client embodiment, self-awareness, and emotion regulation. Based on strategies from evidence-based approach Mindful Awareness in Body-oriented Therapy (MABT), this training is focused on fundamental skills that develop and increase client capacity for interoceptive awareness. The MABT approach is particularly helpful for clients who are disconnected from their bodies due to high stress or patterns of experiential avoidance, chronic pain, or trauma. The Liberated Body podcast interview is a great way to learn about the MABT approach and research.

The next professional training is September 12-18, 2021 at the Whidbey Institute in WA State.

Two educational scholarships are available to therapists working in community settings with underserved populations; applications will be accepted until July 18^th.

Our 2020 - 2021 Inaugural Scholarship Recipient Announced!

Thu, 13 Aug 2020 02:13:01 GMT

The United States Association for Body Psychotherapy Board is pleased to announce it has granted its inaugural Scholarship in the amount of $7,500 to Mystique Hargrove from North Carolina for the 2020-2021 academic year!

Mystique is a first year doctoral student at Capella University.

Mystique is currently working on her dissertation topic for approval in hopes to focus her research on race based trauma among Black LGBTQ+ individuals.

Outside of her doctoral studies, Mystique is a single parent to a very energetic and loving 5 year old, who she homeschools as well. Mystique is also a community birth worker who is certified as a full spectrum doula as well as a community lactation professional who services Black bodies and other bodies of color in Greensboro, NC and surrounding areas.

Mystique says she is working "to improve accessibility in offering more inclusive services and support for Black bodies and other bodies of color, especially in the LGBTQ+ community.”

Her vision is to provide the needed research as well as mental health and wellness services centered around identifying, assessing and treating minority stress and race based trauma within these communities.

On behalf of all of us at USABP, congratulations Mystique!

USABP in partnership with the Dillon Fund has awarded $290,000 for trauma recovery research.

Thu, 13 Aug 2020 01:42:21 GMT

Kinsey Institute Receives $290,000 Gift to Further Trauma Research

The United States Association for Body Psychotherapy (USABP) in partnership with the Dillon Fund has awarded a $290,000 gift to the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University. The gift will provide funding for trauma recovery research being conducted at the Kinsey Institute Traumatic Stress Research Consortium (KI-TSRC). “We are excited about the promising research the KI-TSRC is producing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and are happy to continue our shared support of this valuable and unique mission,” said Dr. Christopher Walling, President, USABP.

Led by Distinguished University Scientist Dr. Stephen Porges, the KI-TSRC’s mission is to explore the science of human connection and the role that stress and trauma experiences play in disrupting a person’s ability to feel safe and to socially engage. KI-TSRC research emphasizes that social engagement is essential to health and wellbeing across the lifespan. With the collaboration of over 700 therapists specializing in trauma, the KI-TSRC is collecting data on the therapeutic needs of trauma survivors and the clinical practices of their therapists in order to advance research, develop innovative tools and methodologies, and further clinical care.

Dr. Jacek Kolacz of the KI-TSRC is currently leading a study that seeks to learn about coping behaviors and mental and physical health during the COVID-19 pandemic and how they are impacted by prior trauma history. “In times when funds are scarce, philanthropists can make a difference and partner in the healing process by funding KI-TSRC research to uncover the diverse needs of our fellow humans today and offer accurate, effective support for trauma recovery tomorrow,” said Katherine A. Wolovsky, MA, Co-Director, The Dillon Fund.

In addition to this impactful gift of $290,000, the USABP and The Dillon Fund previously gave $260,000 in 2019 to support the KI-TSRC’s trauma research and archival preservation. “We are incredibly grateful for the ongoing support of the USABP and The Dillon Fund. The continued confidence and generosity of our donors and Advisory Council members allows our research faculty to stay at the forefront of important and timely scientific research, including the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on health and wellbeing,” said Dr. Justin Garcia, Executive Director of the Kinsey Institute.

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About the USABP

The United States Association for Body Psychotherapy was founded in 1999 to help develop and advance the art, science, and practice of body psychotherapy and somatic psychology in a professional, ethical, and caring manner in order to support their members as they promote the health and welfare of their clients.

About the Kinsey Institute

For over 70 years, the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University has been the premier research institute on human sexuality and relationships and a trusted source for evidence-based information on critical issues in sexuality, gender, and reproduction. The Kinsey Institute's research program integrates scholarly fields including neuroscience, psychology, anthropology, history, and gender studies. The Kinsey Institute Library and Special Collections encompass over 500,000 items spanning 2,000 years of human sexual behavior and are a destination research collection for scholars and students. Kinsey Institute outreach includes traveling art exhibitions, public scholarship, research lectures, and a continuing education program.

For more information about the work of KI-TSRCplease visit kinseyinstitute.org or contact trauma@indiana.edu

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To continue these types of impactful services we draw upon readers like you to help us out.

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Carl H. Shubs Recognized for His Outstanding Practice

Fri, 07 Aug 2020 20:38:03 GMT

We are pleased to announce that USABP Member Carl H. Shubs, Ph. D. is deeply honored and appreciative of having been given the Award for Outstanding Practice 2020 by The American Psychological Association (Division 56 – Trauma Psychology) “to celebrate you and your fantastic work for Trauma Psychology [and] your amazing contributions to the field.”

Stella Resnick's work to be a part of the Special Collections of the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University

Fri, 03 Jul 2020 23:32:17 GMT

We are thrilled to announce that Stella Resnick, PhD has been contacted by the Kinsey Institute Library and Special Collections Director to say that they would be honored to have her collection of books, papers, and memoranda to be a part of the Special Collections of the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University. IU is her alma mater where she graduated with a PhD in Clinical Psychology at the age of 26.

In fact, the Kinsey Institute with its Special Collections will be moving to Lindley Hall, where she spent an intense five years of her early twenties, with all the insecurities and self-doubts of a young woman embarking on a highly competitive venture. And now my life’s work in the field of sexual education and body-based sex therapy, will be housed in a place of honor in this same building.

The prior director of the Kinsey Institute is Dr. Sue Carter, Biology Professor at IU and author of the brilliant article, Love as Emotional Medicine in the IBPJ, Spring/Summer 2019 and wife of Dr. Stephen Porges, our own Research Director of USABP.

BIO
Stella Resnick, PhD is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Beverly Hills, CA, specializing in relationship and sexual enrichment. Her latest book is Body-to-Body Intimacy: Transformation Through Love, Sex, and Neurobiology. Her previous two books are, The Heart of Desire: Keys to the Pleasures of Love and The Pleasure Zone: Why We Resist Good Feelings has been translated into nine different languages, and is considered a classic.

A prominent speaker and seminar leader, Dr. Resnick is a regular presenter at professional conferences, including the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality (SSSS), the American Association for Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT), and the Association for the Advancement of Gestalt Therapy (AAGT).

Help Us Generate Evidence Based Reseach

Wed, 17 Jun 2020 22:40:56 GMT

Attention Somatic Practitioners and Body Psychotherapists! Join our Global Research Initiative. Learn what is involved below. Click the link to get started. Don't wait. Time is running short on getting survey's in.

Please take the questionnaire for clinicians and trauma workers, a collaboration between the Traumatic Stress Research Consortium (TSRC), the United States Association for Body Psychotherapy (USABP) and the European Body Psychotherapy Association Science and Research Committee (EABP SRC). To protect confidentiality, you will not be able to save your responses to return later.

Please make sure to set aside about 45 minutes for the questionnaire. It will take about 15 minutes to complete the first part of the questionnaire (socio-demographics and data on your profession) and another 30 minutes to complete scales on your personal experience relevant to your clients.

You are eligible for this study if:

1. You are a body psychotherapist or member of a body psychotherapist association

2. You are 18 years or older

3. You are fluent in English

If you are eligible and wish to continue, please click the red arrow button below.

Take Me To The Survey

Distinguished USABP Member Stella Resnick, PhD Receives the 2020 AASECT Award for Integrative Approaches to Sex Therapy

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 23:23:35 GMT

With this award, the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists is acknowledging her decades of writing about, developing, and practicing a holistic sex therapy, utilizing a somatic-experiential Gestalt approach, enhanced by breath work, and informed by the latest research and advancements in sexual health, interpersonal neurobiology, child and adolescent sexual development, and the science and psychology of pleasure, especially sexual pleasure.

This work is the basis for the Embodied Relational Sex Therapy (ERST) training.

We are delighted to receive the news that Stella Resnick, PhD been chosen to receive the 2020 AASECT Award for Integrative Approaches to Sex Therapy

Stella Resnick, PhD is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Beverly Hills, CA, specializing in relationship and sexual enrichment. Her latest book is Body-to-Body Intimacy: Transformation Through Love, Sex, and Neurobiology. Her previous two books are, The Heart of Desire: Keys to the Pleasures of Love and The Pleasure Zone: Why We Resist Good Feelings has been translated into nine different languages, and is considered a classic.

For more info ERST Training and more visit, https://www.drstellaresnick.com/professionals

USABP Board, "United We Stand"

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 22:48:15 GMT

Dear USABP Colleagues,

We are horrified and saddened by the tragic loss of life and the ongoing, multi-generational perpetuation of white supremacy in the United States and elsewhere. This is the outcome of generations of betrayed human connection, abuse, denial of human rights, loss, and unending grief and rage. Beyond social justice, it reveals the shadow of a larger dark force rising. The United States seems to be at a critical point, awakening to the fact that freedom requires consciousness and engagement. The choice for democracy or dictatorship is upon us all.

Peaceful protests and riots have emerged simultaneously. Statements of solidarity are co-opted by violence and looting. This fits what trauma recovery teaches us: when we come out of freeze, or out of denial, we escalate from protest to indignation, and from anger to rage — a heightening of sympathetic responses, a call to action to counteract the hopelessness that threatens to plunge us into collapse or the overwhelming pain that can send us back into denial. When we have endured centuries' worth of pain, it is not surprising that we are ill-prepared to face the sympathetic charge underneath. The indignation and rage are in proportion to the suffering caused by white supremacy, greed, sadistic abuse, and the obliteration of the unimaginable suffering that follows in their wake.

As somatic practitioners, how do we move forward in a political climate that thrives on hatred, division, and dread?

How do we support the distinction between powerless freeze, uncontrolled anger, and the skillful navigation of dangerous times?

Our community has watched with heavy hearts over the last weeks and months as racialized violence has unfolded at a terrifying rate, although we recognize, of course, that this is nothing new. And we are aware of the tragically disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on people of color.

We mourn the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breanna Taylor, Toni McDade, and the countless others who have died or otherwise suffered at the hands of police brutality. We recognize that many of us can only imagine the distress and trauma caused by these injustices, knowing that others in our community are directly impacted by them.

We stand in solidarity with the black community against all forms of racism, systemic violence, and blatant injustice in the United States and throughout the world.

We hold the knowing power of our profession and put the restorative tools we have at our disposal in service of those who need us now.

The United States Association for Body Psychotherapy

Dr. Chris Walling, President

Dr. Aline LaPierre, Vice President

Dr. Karen Roller, Secretary

Mahshid Hager, MFT, Treasurer

Additional Resources/Links Can Be Found Here:

https://culturalsomaticsuniversity.thinkific.com/courses/cultural-somatics-free-5-session-ecourse?fbclid=IwAR2p-KjtmHx2FP_G097V0WvknLQTN9jRCbqw03fM9F0w-vGplAdP2j0kzTs

https://andrewgoodman.org/news-list/saytheirname/

https://antiracismcenter.com/national-antiracist-book-festival

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PrAq4iBNb4nVIcTsLcNlW8zjaQXBLkWayL8EaPlh0bc/preview?fbclid=IwAR3NRYunPLuLuGqOCxoMJhSP8cQZxBkabxb_hYygHjUNrdmaoNdgyIhDUNQ&pru=AAABcpq8c14%2AC_JncXmFmMjf8og2gUGURA

USABP Announces Grant to Dr. Stephen Porges at the Kinsey Institute Traumatic Stress Research Consortium

Thu, 30 May 2019 20:30:02 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATELY RELEASE: Today the United States Association for Body Psychotherapy (USABP) announced it has granted a $30,000 research grant to Dr. Stephen Porges at the Kinsey Institute Traumatic Stress Research Consortium (TSRC). USABP President Dr. Christopher Walling joined Dr. Porges in addressing the USABP members regarding this award, the largest research grant in USABP history. Dr. Walling stated in the address, “It was clear after my visit to Kinsey Institute and surveying Dr. Porges’ lab that the future of body psychotherapy in the United States would be secured by the vision of this research.”

The TSRC at Kinsey Institute is located at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. The Consortium is designed to create an interdisciplinary and international community of clinicians and clinical researchers to improve the outcomes of survivors of trauma. It will study the impact of trauma and abuse on mental health, physical health, relationships and sexuality and examine the neurophysiological, psychological, developmental, and social processes through which trauma disrupts and compromises the human experience. The TSRC at Kinsey will also create an international consortium of trauma therapists comprised of many therapists from both the United States Association for Body Psychotherapy, the European Association for Body Psychotherapy (EABP) and beyond. Consortium therapists will provide information about their practice including issues related to treatment and outcome.

Dr. Walling discussed how this partnership which also names Dr. Porges, the 2018 USABP Pioneer Award recipient, as its honorary Director of Research. In that role Dr. Porges will help mentor various researchers at USABP and EABP alike in advancing the findings of the TSRC as they apply to body psychotherapy education and clinical advancements. Dr. Porges noted, “On behalf of my entire research team at Kinsey Institute, we are extremely grateful for this generous gift, and are eager to make good use of these funds to help us achieve the mission of TSRC and USABP to help advance the science and practice of polyvagal-informed psychotherapies like those practiced by USABP members.”

Watch Dr. Porges and Dr. Walling discuss the research plans and the impact it will have in. View it here at the Members Services Webinars and Events section .

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Wilhelm Reich Infant Trust Summer Conference

Mon, 15 Apr 2019 19:50:37 GMT

Wilhelm Reich Infant Trust
Summer Conference at the Wilhelm Reich Museum
July 8-12 2019, Orgonon, Rangeley, Maine

WILHELM REICH’S WORK DEMOCRACY

Between the years 1938 and 1945, Wilhelm Reich wrote six important texts on work democracy:

1939: The Natural Organization of Work in Work Democracy
1941: Further Problems of Work Democracy
1942: “The Biological Miscalculation in the Human Struggle for Freedom”
1943: “Give Responsibility to Vitally Necessary Work!” and “Work Democracy versus Politics: The Natural Forces for the Mastery of the Emotional Pest.”
1944: “Work Democracy in Action”

Attendees are encouraged to read these ahead of time. When you register prior to the conference, three will be sent to you. The others are included as the final three chapters of The Mass Psychology of Fascism. We will explore the development of Reich’s ideas but also how we can put them to use in our own lives, to get practical benefit and to help others.

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE (subject to change):

Monday 8 July
9:00 am -10:30 am - Welcome, introduction to the topic: James Strick, PhD
10:45 am – 1:00 pm - Reich’s articles on work democracy, part 1: Philip Bennett, PhD
2:30 pm – 4:00 pm - Sit in closed Orgone Room for visual observations (weather permitting—we will do it on the first sunny, low humidity day)
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm - Lakeside Theatre, Rangeley, screening of “Love, Work and Knowledge: the Life and Trials of Wilhelm Reich”

Tuesday 9 July
9:00 am – 1:00 pm - Reich’s writings on work democracy, part 2: Philip Bennett, PhD
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm - Lakeside Theatre, Rangeley, screening of “Love, Work and Knowledge...”

Wednesday 10 July
9:00 am – 1:00 pm - Reich writings on work democracy, part 3: David Brahinsky, PhD
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm - International panel discussion from a variety of different perspectives about Reich’s ideas on work democracy (various participants from the US, Mexico, Germany, Norway)

Thursday 11 July
9:00 am – 10:30 am - Patricia Estrada, MA, Using Reich’s Principles in a Current Organization
10:45 am - 12 noon - Thomas Riepenhausen, MA, Work Democracy in Practice Today
12 noon - 1:00 pm - Open discussion
2:30 pm – 4:30 pm - Hike to Cascade Gorge (bring a bathing suit if you want to swim)
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm - 2009 video interview with Mary Boyd Higgins, Trustee of WRITF 1959-2019

Friday 12 July
9:00 am – 10:30 am - Audio tape from the Reich archives on Reich’s use of work democratic ideas in his own organizations
10:45 am - 12 noon - Discussion of tape
12 noon – 1:00 pm - Panel discussion with all speakers

Spanish translation will be provided.

Saturday 13 July (optional)
For those who can stay through Saturday night, a concert of standards from the great American songbook will be performed by renowned jazz pianist Andy Kahn on Saturday evening July 13^th.
(see info at www.rangeleymaine.com/calendar/event/4705)

GENERAL INFORMATION

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION FEE (good though 20 May 2019) - $275.00
After 20 May, fee will be $325.00
Includes tuition, information packet, daily homemade breakfast and refreshments. A 25% discount is available for full-time college students who can document their status and for those traveling from outside the US and Canada. Registration may be made using check Mastercard, Visa, or American Express. Call (207) 864-3443, send check to Orgonon, PO Box 687, Rangeley, Maine 04970 USA, or e-mail wilhelmreichmuseum@gmail.com

MEETING PLACE
Conference Building at Orgonon (Wilhelm Reich Museum) located on Dodge Pond Road in Rangeley, Maine

TAX DEDUCTION
IRS regulations permit an income tax deduction for educational expenses to maintain or improve professional skills.

ACCOMMODATIONS
Hotels, motels, bed & breakfasts, lakefront cottages and other rentals, and campgrounds are available in and around Rangeley. We encourage you to make reservations early as this is the busy season. Try https://www.vrbo.com/ or AirBNB, or for information, contact the Rangeley Chamber of Commerce: Tel. 1-800-685-2537o r email: mtlakes@rangeley.org

TWO SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE
To apply for the Mary Boyd Higgins and Chester M. Raphael Scholarships, please contact us at: wilhelmreichmuseum@gmail.com
All applications must be received by May 15, 2019.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Call us at (207) 864-3443, or e-mail: wilhelmreichmuseum@gmail.com

Passages from selected articles by Wilhelm Reich:

• Work democracy implies the triumph of rational thinking, work, knowledge, and natural love over mysticism, serfdom, political chicanery, pornography, deception, disenfranchisement, and exploitation of the masses.

• Whoever tells the people, “I can’t promise you anything, I can’t help you, you and you alone must bear the responsibility for your lives”–this is the one who doesn’t release them from their responsibility but rather enlightens them and charges them with it; this is the one who will have understood the true meaning of work democracy.

• Work democracy is not an ideological system. Nor is it a “political” system, which could be imposed upon human society by the propaganda of a party, individual politicians, or any group sharing a common ideology. Natural work democracy is the sum total of all functions of life governed by the rational interpersonal relations that have come into being, grown and developed in a natural and organic way. What is new in work democracy is that for the first time in the history of sociology, a possible future regulation of human society is derived not from ideologies or conditions that must be created, but from natural processes that have been present and have been developing from the very beginning.

• Work democracy consciously develops formal democracy, which is expressed in the mere election of political representatives and does not entail any further responsibility on the part of the electorate, into a genuine, factual, and practical democracy on an international scale. This democracy is borne by the functions of love, work and knowledge and is developed organically. It fights mysticism and the idea of the totalitarian state not through political attitudes but through practical functions of life, which obey their own laws. In short, natural work democracy is a newly discovered bio-sociologic, natural and basic function of society.

Complex PTSD is Now Recognized!

Tue, 08 Jan 2019 23:38:23 GMT

Complex PTSD is Now Recognized!

In June 2018, nearly 40 years after the APA controversially yet officially recognized Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a mental disorder that required clinical treatment, the World Health Organization released the ICD-11 including a new diagnosis: Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD).

This diagnosis has the potential to completely revolutionize the world of mental health.

Understanding the long-term impact of unresolved early trauma is indeed a world health issue. Attachment, relational and developmental trauma – which crosses all cultures, religions and communities – impacts the neurobiological development of children and creates life-long patterns of disorganization within the body, mind and relationships. Perhaps a greater understanding of Complex Trauma can help us understand the underlying causes of the disorders our clients are struggling with, in addition to the increasing social challenges like substance abuse, systemic injustice and violence. A trauma-responsive perspective brings great hope.

While PTSD evolved the field of psychology in a major way nearly 40 years ago, those of us that have worked in this field know that there are limitations to the diagnosis and the treatments addressing it. C-PTSD helps us evolve our understanding of trauma. Now that C-PSTD has been officially recognized, the next step is to finding treatments that are specifically geared to addressing Complex Trauma.

Many of us have experienced frustration with clients dealing with complex trauma due to their lack of progress in therapy, as well as those clients who make good progress only to regress back to old, stuck patterns of self-sabotage, hopelessness and despair. These are usually the clients that therapists bring to consultation.

The question we as NARM consultants get asked repeatedly – how can I most effectively help my client?

To answer this, let’s revisit The ACEs Study (Adverse Childhood Experiences). The ACEs Study has a fascinating origin. Originally, it was designed as a weight-loss program until the head of the program, Dr. Vincent Felitti, observed that despite making successful gains toward their weight-loss goals, nearly 50% of the participants were dropping out. This did not make sense to Dr. Felitti at the time: why participants would leave the program as they were losing weight and coming close to meeting their weight-loss goals. He created a questionnaire to understand this phenomenon and discovered that a majority of those that dropped-out had experienced childhood trauma. Thus began the monumental research project we now refer to as the ACEs Study.

One fascinating aspect here is the underlying mechanism of self-sabotage. One would think that the closer a participant got to their goals the more motivated they would be to complete their program. But whether it’s weight loss, or a student dropping out their senior year of college just a few credits shy of graduating, or someone who has been sober and returns to their substance use, we see so many examples of people getting closer to health, wellness and success turn to behaviors that are self-sabotaging and self-destructive.

We are now unwinding this puzzle through recognizing the “survival” function of shame and self-hatred. As young children, everything revolves around staying connected to our caregivers via attachment – this is essential for our basic survival and well-being. When there has been failure, whether from our caregivers or from the environment, our basic survival is threatened. A child is unable to experience themselves as being a good person in a bad situation. Therefore, unconsciously, psychobiological mechanisms turn on to assure our basic survival. A main survival strategy is what we might refer to as shame and self-hatred; that children experience themselves as bad as a way to protect themselves from their failures of their caregivers and/or environment.

One of the things we have observed in consulting many somatic-oriented therapists internationally is that despite very effective and powerful somatic work, therapeutic process still gets thwarted without recognizing and working directly with the survival-based developmental strategies. Clients begin to get better and then repeatedly have set-backs or sabotage it in a number of ways. Going back to the original weight-loss program, something is threatening about moving forward in life toward greater health and well-being. That something is the way we learned to protect our early caregivers and environment through foreclosing fundamental aspects of ourselves, even if those fundamental aspects are positive like growth, healing and aliveness.

So what does this have to do with somatic therapy? What happens when a client is moving toward greater embodiment, self-regulation and empowerment (“bottom-up”), but we fail to recognize the underlying shame-based wounds that have led to the dysfunctional strategies, behaviors and symptoms? Or for traditional, talk-based therapists, what happens when we work with the psychodynamics of shame, self-hatred and self-sabotage (“top-down”) without shifting the physiological and emotional patterns that are fueling the self-limiting beliefs and behaviors? And, what happens when we are working with early attachment wounds and don’t recognize our own countertransference (our own unresolved trauma patterns and triggers) and how this impacts the therapeutic process?

The NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM) is a therapeutic approach designed to work with the unresolved wounds and patterns leftover from early trauma. This integrated “top-down” (psychodynamic-based) and “bottom-up” (somatic-based) approach works with the psychobiological patterns of shame and self-hatred within a deeply mindful, relational context. With a framework that identifies the developmental wounds from early trauma, our clients have a possibility of moving forward unencumbered by these unconscious survival strategies that have come to dominate their lives. Freedom from childhood trauma is possible.

While research on this is still in its infancy, we at the NARM Training Institute are buoyed by clinical reports and early research demonstrating how effective the NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM) is in resolving attachment, relational and developmental trauma. We have trained thousands of mental health clinicians throughout North America and Europe, and are rapidly expanding our NARM training programs throughout the world and online.

If you have clients that are struggling from unresolved early trauma and would like more information on how to provide more effective therapeutic support for your clients, we invite you to learn more about the NeuroAffective Relational Model in our online or live training formats.

To learn more about this revolutionary method to treat this paradigm-shifting diagnosis, please visit our website at: www.narmtraining.com.

The Passing of Another Pioneer Christa Ventling

Thu, 15 Nov 2018 19:22:08 GMT

Dear Colleagues

It is with great regret that I have just heard the news that Christa Ventling has died. She was a female pioneer in European Bioenergetic Analysis and - most importantly - in qualitative research in Body Psychotherapy.

She published several ‘research’ papers in various journals over a considerable time period, including a couple of excellent edited books: Body Psychotherapy in Progressive and Chronic Disorders (Karger, 2002), with 4 of her articles in it; and also Childhood Psychotherapy: A bioenergetic approach (Karger, 2001), which was translated into Italian by Livia Geloso & Vanessa Poloni, and published by FrancoAngeli.

Her ‘ResearchGate’ entry page lists 33 items; some of them very technical in cell biology and cancer research; some in English, some in German. Her somewhat seminal article: "Efficacy of Bioenergetic Therapies and Stability of the Therapeutic Result: A Retrospective Investigation" by Christa D. Ventling, DPhil. was published in the USABP Journal Vol. 1, No. 2, 2002 and reprinted in About the Science of Body Psychotherapy, Edited by Courtenay Young (Body Psychotherapy Publications, 2012). She was incredibly concerned about and supportive of women and women having babies: another of her papers: Sensitivity training of pregnant women: A possible prevention of neurosis of the child? was presented at the 2002, 3rd National USABP Conference in Baltimore.

I last met with her - by arrangement - when I was going through Lausanne, in about 2015 and she had come down on the train from her home in Basel and we had lunch together in the station buffet. It was lovely, friendly and very animated. She said that she was still working with groups of women with certain issues.

She will be missed a lot from within the Body Psychotherapy community.
Yours
Courtenay Young

Stanley Keleman: In Memoriam

Wed, 29 Aug 2018 15:29:33 GMT

Stanley Keleman: In Memoriam
November 1931 - August 2018

Stanley Keleman died peacefully in his sleep on Aug.11th, 2018, just two months after completing his latest book: “Forming your Aging”.

David Boadella encloses a personal tribute to Stanley, as a poem to celebrate a close friendship with him over sixty years:

Soul Brother

We were bonded together
through our work, on teaching our trainees
to listen to their bodies and create more ease
so as not to get flooded by trauma.

We swam in the same somatic sea together
and kept truly meeting each other
for sixty years of living our dying,
in a friendship that felt like flying
on parallel tracks, each of us founding
in our own way, our understanding of grounding.

Poems crossed the oceans between us,
and built a presence
for the essence
of contact, which could appear
in the letters which flowed
between us as swimmers
born in the same year.

So far away yet so near
the pain eventually came
out of the blue,
when death claimed you
my soul brother.
No other
man can replace you as a life companion
in creation:
your aging has ended.
Your soma could no longer be mended.

I carry you with me in my heart
as a pulse of remembered life, beyond the dark.
I embody you still in my dreams, at night
as you keep me company on my journey towards light.

- By David Boadella
(written August 19, 2018)

Stanley Keleman was an American writer and therapist, who created the body psychotherapy approach known as Formative Psychology. He was one of the leaders of the body psychotherapy movement nationally and internationally.