Abi Blakeslee, PhD
Hello,
Over the past two decades of practicing and teaching somatic psychotherapy, I’ve had the pleasure and privilege of working with and learning from some of the most innovative minds in our field. What I’ve discovered is that by integrating diverse approaches, we can often achieve breakthroughs that seemed out of reach before.
For example, how many times have you learned a new therapy technique that you’re excited to try out with your clients? Then when you take this technique into your sessions, some of your clients take to the new approach right away, while others simply don’t resonate with this new approach. For some, the technique falls outside of their comfort zone, feels threatening, or their mind or body has never had the experience you’re offering. Maybe they’ve never connected emotions to their body, or they don’t easily think in visual imagery…
Sometimes, you just need to help the client understand the technique better. But other times, no matter how hard you try, the technique may not be a great fit for that client.
Fortunately, Somatic Psychology is a rich, complicated field with many embodiments that resonate with different bodies. It’s growing faster than it ever has, which means that there are more ways to help our diverse clients than there have ever been.
That’s why I’ve spent months having in-depth conversations with some of the most innovative leaders in our field. There are so many people doing incredible work-the new and the brightest in the field should have an opportunity to share their experiences, the depths of their insights, and their work.
You’ll gain insights into the latest developments in somatic psychology and learn techniques that can dramatically impact your effectiveness as a therapist. You’ll be equipped to achieve better outcomes and greater satisfaction for both you and your clients.
It’s not just theory that you’ll be learning through these interviews-I really wanted to invite people to share practical, applicable methods that you can use with your clients. As a result, there are many guided exercises, examples of clinical practice, and metaphors you can bring into your work right away.
My hope is that, as I have, you and your practice will greatly benefit from these new insights and approaches. I hope you’ll feel empowered to reach and connect with even more clients, so you can change their lives with somatic therapy and help them step into their core essential selves.
In this workshop you will learn:
The Epic Realms of Myth and Psyche with Burt Rogers and Thayer Case
This interview discusses the use of nerd culture, pop culture references, and archetypes in somatic psychology and trauma therapy. Burt Rogers and Thayer Case, a.k.a. the "Trauma Nerds," explain how they use elements from video games, movies, TV shows, and other media to help clients connect with their bodies, emotions, and inner experiences. They emphasize the importance of finding resonance and metaphors that clients already relate to, as this can create a safe space for exploring trauma and facilitating healing. The speakers also highlight the value of therapist curiosity and personal exploration of these media as a way to better understand their clients' experiences. This module: Provides creative and engaging ways to help clients connect with and process their trauma Allows you to meet clients where they are, using references and metaphors they already understand and relate to Helps you build rapport and trust with clients by demonstrating an understanding of their interests and inner worlds Gives you more confidence in your ability to help clients heal by providing a structured, safe environment for exploring difficult emotions and experiences Encourages you to be curious about your own responses to media and nerd culture icons, which can deepen your self-awareness and empathy for clients Offers a unique lens for understanding the human nervous system and trauma responses through the lens of nerd culture Enables you to use clients' existing connections to fictional characters and narratives as a pathway to healing and self-discovery
Somatic Inner Relationship Focusing - An Embodied Approach to Parts Work and Attachment with Maureen Gallagher
In this interview, Dr. Maureen Gallagher discusses her innovative approach to somatic psychology, which combines traditional psychology with somatic experiencing and inner relationship focusing. She emphasizes the importance of embodied self-awareness, parts work, and attachment-informed therapy to help clients heal from trauma and develop a more secure relationship with themselves. As a therapist, this approach can benefit you in several ways. This module: Provides a comprehensive framework for understanding and working with the mind-body connection in therapy. The focus on parts work and inner relationship-focusing can help you guide clients in developing a more compassionate, curious, and attuned relationship with different aspects of themselves. The integration of attachment theory can deepen your understanding of how early relational patterns shape a client's sense of self and their ability to form healthy relationships. The somatic focus can help you work more effectively with clients experiencing trauma, as you can help them process and integrate their experiences through embodied awareness and expression. This approach can increase your confidence in your ability to help clients heal, as it offers a structured yet flexible model for addressing a wide range of psychological and emotional issues.
Somatic Attachment Repair in Collective and Individualistic Societies with Amar Huang
This conversation covers techniques for helping clients connect with their authentic selves, regulate their nervous systems, and process early attachment experiences through movement, touch, and sound. Abi and Amar also discuss cultural differences in emotional expression and the balance between individual autonomy and collective needs. You will: Gain a deeper understanding of how trauma and attachment patterns are encoded in the body and nervous system, and how to work with these through somatic interventions. Learn techniques like preference exercises, touch, and sound-making to help clients downregulate, contain fear, and access their authentic emotions and experiences. Develop greater sensitivity to cultural differences in emotional expression and the balance between individuality and community, which can inform a more nuanced approach to therapy. Explore Eastern culture's focus on the collective vs Western psychological ideas around the need for individuation. Increase your confidence in supporting clients with complex trauma and attachment issues by drawing on a range of body-based and relational tools. Discover new ways to help clients connect with their "essential self" and find greater wholeness, beyond just symptom reduction.
Restoring Our Children's Natural Rhythms with Alé Duarte
This interview explores the importance of somatic awareness and embodied approaches in working with children, particularly those who have experienced trauma or are struggling with the impacts of technology and digital environments. Duarte shares his insights on the challenges and opportunities in connecting children to their felt sense, supporting their emotional regulation, and helping them complete cycles of intention and action. The interview highlights the value of this work for psychotherapists, providing strategies for attuning to children's essential selves, navigating power dynamics, and supporting parents in the digital age. Benefits for Psychotherapists: Gain a deeper understanding of the role of the body and embodied experience in children's emotional and psychological development. Learn techniques for engaging children through play, creativity, and somatic awareness, which can be particularly helpful for clients experiencing trauma. Develop skills in observing and supporting children's cycles of intention, action, and integration, which can inform your work with adult clients. Acquire tools for supporting parents in navigating the challenges of the digital age and fostering healthy relationships with technology. Increase your confidence in your ability to help clients, both children and adults, heal and grow through embodied, relational approaches.
Living Attachment and Somatic Belonging in Group Psychotherapy with Carlos Canales
Abi and Dr. Carlos Canales explore the integration of somatic psychology, attachment theory, and group psychotherapy to promote social change and healing. Dr. Canales shares his personal journey, emphasizing the importance of embodied presence, nervous system awareness, and creating a sense of belonging in group settings. Through this discussion you will: Gain a deeper understanding of the somatic and attachment-based dimensions of group psychotherapy, which can enhance your clinical work with clients. (I took out experiencing trauma because these applications are broader than that). Learn culturally sensitive strategies for creating a sense of safety, belonging, and mutual understanding within group settings, fostering deeper connections and healing. Develop skills in attuning to subtle emotional and somatic cues, both in yourself and your clients, to better support the therapeutic process. Explore the use of creativity, play, and humor as resources for emotional healing and personal growth, expanding your therapeutic toolkit. Deepen your own self-awareness and capacity for empathy, which can increase your confidence in supporting clients through their healing journeys.
Integral Somatic Psychology with Raja Selvam
This conversation explores Dr. Raja Selvam's approach, called Integral Somatic Psychology (ISP), which focuses on expanding the embodied experience of emotions to improve cognitive, emotional, and behavioral outcomes in therapy. The discussion covers how ISP can help clients tolerate and process difficult emotions like fear and grief, the scientific evidence behind embodied cognition, and how ISP can complement a wide range of healing modalities. This approach: Helps clients stay with and process overwhelming emotions by expanding their capacity to stay with strong emotion in more parts of the body, rather than avoiding or suppressing them. Provides a scientific framework grounded in embodied cognition research to understand how the body and emotions influence thinking and behavior. Offers techniques to build clients' capacity to tolerate a wider range of emotions, including difficult ones like fear and grief. Can be used to complement other healing and psychological approaches, allowing the therapist to draw from different modalities to best serve the client's needs. Enhances the therapist's own emotional awareness and capacity, which can improve their attunement and resonance with clients.
Intersections of Somatic and Polyvagal Practice with Candice Dickens
This interview explores the powerful intersection of somatic psychology, polyvagal theory, and healing racialized trauma and how these approaches can facilitate profound healing and transformation for clients. You will learn how to: Develop skills to create a safe, attuned space for clients to explore their embodied experience Learn techniques to help clients process trauma and regulate their nervous system Gain tools to support clients in cultivating self-awareness, self-compassion, and resilience Learn how polyvagal theory can support clients who experience racialized trauma as a lens for healing and understanding Integrate somatic and polyvagal principles into your own self-care practices to enhance your presence and regulation as a therapist Increase your ability to facilitate profound healing and transformation for clients experiencing trauma.
Intersections Between Somatic Psychology and Spiritual Practice With Glyndie Nickerson
In this interview you'll discover how somatic therapy and spiritual practices can interact, providing opportunities for responsiveness and deeper connection between client and therapist. Glyndie talks about how a longing for something else - something spiritual, like God, can be what drives people, and understanding that motivation can inform how you approach those clients. This interview will explore: How to work with the cultural and spiritual side of your clients and combine that with somatic approaches. How to be aware of a client's spiritual motivations and how that drive informs their mental and physical embodiment. How a spiritual calling toward a deeper kind of uniting can lead to a dilemma or crisis that they might be seeking help with. Where spiritual dilemmas manifest in the body, and how somatic practices can help your clients to tune into that. A somatic practice to help you tune into your own body.
Meet Your Presenter
Dr. Abi Blakeslee
Dr. Abi Blakeslee is an expert in the field of trauma recovery and the founder of Implicit Psychotherapy. She is senior faculty at the Somatic Experiencing International and additionally legacy faculty for Dr. Peter Levine’s Ergos Institute for Somatic Education. She is the co-founder of Relationship Repair. Dr. Blakeslee holds a Ph.D. in Clinical and Somatic Psychology and is a licensed marriage and family therapist. Her dissertation generated original research on the role of implicit memory in healing trauma.
Dr. Blakeslee integrates the study of implicit memory and psychophysiology in clinical research, secondary trauma interventions, neuro-consulting and the psychobiological principles of attachment and shock trauma. She treats individuals, couples, children and families in her clinical practice. Dr. Blakeslee teaches and consults world wide. She lives in Bozeman, Montana with her husband and enjoys the snow, mountains, and rivers with their three children.
Jasmine Jones –
Amazing speakers and content