Somatics

[Pekoe]

Has anyone heard of somatics in psychology? My interest is in body movement and how it relates to health, and the psychological state and how it affects the physical. Only three colleges offer degrees in somatics, and I am wondering if anyone has ever heard of it and if it's legit.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[4thought]

Hello,
I am just beginning to research graduate programs in psychology, and I have a strong interest in finding a program that values somatic work such as EMDR, visualization, movement, etc; however, it seems (here in the beginning of my search anyway) as if all the programs that specifically mention these are on the (very) rough edge of the field. Does anyone know if any "regular" universities that have faculty with strong research interests in these areas (for Ph.D. or Psy.D., too)?
Thank you!

 

[Pekoe]

I know what you mean about the rough edge of the field! They are at schools in California for umm, free thinkers. I am afraid that I will have to work in somatics into an interdisciplinary masters in psychology degree.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

EMDR....ugh. (My own bias, it is junk).

That is definitely some fringe stuff. i'd look long and hard at any program that pushes stuff like that. The research doesn't really support it, but not everyone agrees with everything. Visualization, moderation, and the like can be PARTS of therapy (minus EMDR), but within certain orientations for specific reasons...but to have therapy JUST based on that stuff.....sketchy.

-t

 

[4thought]

Hi T and P,
Thanks for your input. T, just wondering why you think EMDR is junk? Would love to hear your view. Is there a pre-existing thread on this?
P, I've been thinking lately that the best route for me is to study traditionally and then use continuing ed. to add the elements that make sense afterward. (And then see if they still make sense based on training.)
G

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Hi T and P,
Thanks for your input. T, just wondering why you think EMDR is junk? Would love to hear your view. Is there a pre-existing thread on this?
P, I've been thinking lately that the best route for me is to study traditionally and then use continuing ed. to add the elements that make sense afterward. (And then see if they still make sense based on training.)
G

I'm not sure if there has been an official thread about it, but if you do a lit review you'll start to see some issues. I'm not an expert on the area, and I haven't picked through the research methodology that deeply....but from what I remember seeing, there sure was a lot of 'home cooked' research. I think one of the biggest issues is not being able to effectively isolate the EMDR from other possible factors that may contribute to positive pt outcomes. For instance, the role of the therapuetic relationship seems to produce the positive response, and the EMDR is a hanger-on (I know...a very scientific term!) I'm going from the top of my head, so if I get a chance to look over some research, I may pop back in.

If anyone wants to dig around in the research and post your findings, I think it would be an interesting read (pro and con for EMDR).

-t

 

[Pekoe]

Hi T and P,
Thanks for your input. T, just wondering why you think EMDR is junk? Would love to hear your view. Is there a pre-existing thread on this?
P, I've been thinking lately that the best route for me is to study traditionally and then use continuing ed. to add the elements that make sense afterward. (And then see if they still make sense based on training.)
G

I was looking in to schools out of state and my husband and I decided that me being gone for a semester at a time will be too much on our family if I go the psych route. I'll probably do something local and bring in my other interests.

 

[4thought]

If anyone wants to dig around in the research and post your findings, I think it would be an interesting read (pro and con for EMDR).

-t

This is my first time writing on a forum-- will people find this conversation to add to or is this a good time to start a new thread if we'd like to keep reading about EMDR?

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

You'd probably get more input in the PhD / PsyD forum. You can start a thread over there about EMDR, and I can post a link in this thread to point over there.

-t

 

[4thought]

Will do!
G

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

EMDR thread.

-t

 

[veesie]

The Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis offers classes in Somatics. I only know because I just enrolled and am taking one of them. You might want to check them out.

 

[WannaBeDrMe]

I think it's probably a regional thing. Biofeedback, EMDR, etc have always been associated with psychodynamic practices... in my mind. No research to back it up... just saying it seems like my colleagues trained in the north are more open to those approaches. A professor of mine actually purchased a 1.5 million dollar biofeedback computer machine, system, something for his office and does good business with it money-wise.

It makes some sense to me.

If ninjas can do it, the rest of us should be able to as well... no?

That being said, I have no real information for you... just wanted to comment.

 

[sunlioness]

It makes me wonder when people say things that look a bit out of the ordinary "have no research to back them up" if they've actually tried to look up the research.

Though it's probably not worth getting into now as the original post is almost a year gone now.

 

[4thought]

Oh, please DO go into it-- I wrote the original post and I'm still reading!

 

[Ollie123]

I haven't seen ANY good research on EMDR so if you know of some good stuff on it sunlioness, I'd actually be very interested in checking it out. I admit I haven't exactly researched it extensively, but all I've seen has placed it in the realm of fairies and magic pixie dust.

Biofeedback - not my area but I thought there was some evidence showing it could be helpful in certain cases (anxiety, panic attacks).

 

[sunlioness]

There is some decent stuff out there on EMDR, but you'll have to bear with me for a bit. I don't have the citations on the top of my head unfortunately and I'm in the middle of transitioning from residency to practice, which is busy and stressful. Not to mention I don't know if I have access to the library anymore.

I think EMDR has gotten a bad rap in large part because of how Francine Shapiro operates. She kinda has this rigid strangle-hold "my way or the highway" approach, which isn't very scientifically minded and not in the best interest of allowing anything to grow and improve with time. And initially all of the research was coming out of her own EMDR Institute, which is inherently suspect. However, in recent years, EMDRIA (the EMDR International Association) has been established as separate from Shapiro's Institute and the research has become more unbiased. There's an EMDR journal now too.

I admit to not knowing much of anything about biofeedback.

 

[WannaBeDrMe]

I didn't mean no research to back the modalities up... I meant no research to back up my assumption that they are associated with psychodynamic practice.

I take no stance one way or another. I'd love to believe they worked but I am not trained in either so I steer clear of the debates.

 

[sunlioness]

Oh. Sorry for misunderstanding you, then.

 

[4thought]

I didn't understand those last two notes, but I'd still be interested in hearing about what you know of research sources, sunlioness, whenever you get libraried again!

 

[thewesternsky]

Salkovskis P (2002). "Review: eye movement desensitization and reprocessing is not better than exposure therapies for anxiety or trauma". Evidence-based mental health 5 (1): 13.

 

[supasteve]

Hi all! Wanted to bump this thread back up since it seems a lot has happened in the field over the past decade. Anyone know of any programs doing research on some of the newer varieties of therapy treatments like IFS, somatic experiencing, EMDR, etc? Thanks!

 

[deleted343839]

Hi all! Wanted to bump this thread back up since it seems a lot has happened in the field over the past decade. Anyone know of any programs doing research on some of the newer varieties of therapy treatments like IFS, somatic experiencing, EMDR, etc? Thanks!

I know academics who do research on hypnosis, integration of yoga/Tai Chi/exercise into behavioral interventions, biofeedback, and emotional expression interventions for pain and somatic symptoms. I also know people who are doing work on placebo, which is probably the best way of understanding the efficacy of most alternative and complementary medicine treatments. There is even some funding for this work: Placebo Effect

There are a number of ritual healing-type interventions for trauma that are described in the language of psychology ("tapping" comes to mind), and probably work via placebo response, but they are not actually developed using scientific methods. They are not products of psychological research so you won't find many research programs that focus on them. Training in these methods is usually offered not through academic institutions but through private organizations.

 

[Student in debt]

There are a number of ritual healing-type interventions for trauma that are described in the language of psychology ("tapping" comes to mind), and probably work via placebo response, but they are not actually developed using scientific methods. They are not products of psychological research so you won't find many research programs that focus on them. Training in these methods is usually offered not through academic institutions but through private organizations.

Peter Levine's institute comes to mind: Somatic Experiencing Traumatic Institute.