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Digital Seminar

Advances in Traumatic Stress Treatment: Somatic Experiencing Informed Psychotherapy


Faculty:
Christopher Walling, PsyD, MBA, C-IAYT, SEP
Duration:
1 Hour
Copyright:
Oct 23, 2021
Product Code:
POS058674
Media Type:
Digital Seminar
Access:
Never expires.


Description

The field of somatic psychology, also referred to as body psychotherapy, is a rich multi-method tradition of psychotherapies that incorporate the body as an additional aim of therapeutic intervention and a thematic focus of fostering a direct experience of a bodily based self within the clinical relationship.  Sensorimotor and somatic trauma psychotherapies achieve this focus by addressing nonverbal, implicit elements including somatic phenomena, and accessing the subcortical (noncognitive) levels of experiential processing that are thought to support the patient’s ability to resolve painful implicit memories that may in turn lead to alleviating their symptoms of autonomic dysregulation.  These “embodied” approaches are informed by the findings of leading traumatological research that explains the relationship between the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and social behaviour. These polyvagal theory (PVT)-informed methods work to leverage the sensory and motor components of the ANS through the mechanism of the brainstem’s regulation of physiological state.  This session will describe the history and development of sensorimotor and somatic psychotherapies; describe the neuroscientific principles that explain why these modalities are effective; explore the unique visceral (interoception) and musculoskeletal (proprioception and kinesthesis) focused principles of Somatic Experiencing (SE) developed by Dr. Peter Levine; and examine the effectiveness of SE relative to cognitive psychotherapeutic modalities.

CPD


CPD
- PESI Australia, in collaboration with PESI in the USA, offers quality online continuing professional development events from the leaders in the field at a standard recognized by professional associations including psychology, social work, occupational therapy, alcohol and drug professionals, counselling and psychotherapy. On completion of the training, a Professional Development Certificate is issued after the individual has answered and submitted a quiz and course evaluation. This online program is worth 1 hours CPD for points calculation by your association.

Handouts

Faculty

Christopher Walling, PsyD, MBA, C-IAYT, SEP's Profile

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Chris Walling, PsyD, MBA, C-IAYT, SEP, is a licensed clinical psychologist, researcher and an active leader in the biobehavioral sciences. His work in academic medicine has included the administration of multidisciplinary leadership teams in hematology-oncology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and geriatric psychiatry at some of the top academic medical centers in the United States. His clinical focus in the behavioral sciences has examined the intersections of neuro-psychotherapy, affect regulation, and psychophysiology. Dr. Walling is an Adjunct Professor of Somatic Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies, Pat-President of the United States Association for Body Psychotherapy, and an Associate Deputy-Editor of the International Body Psychotherapy Journal. He is a Clinical Supervisor at the Wright Institute of Los Angeles, a Clinical Associate at the New Center for Psychoanalysis, and is a Clinical Research Fellow at the Traumatic Stress Research Consortium located at Indiana University where he and his colleagues are working to advance scientific insights from trauma psychology. Dr. Walling maintains a private practice in Los Angeles, California.

 

Speaker Disclosures:

Financial: Dr. Christopher Walling has employment relationships with the California Institute of Integral Studies, the Wright Institute Los Angeles (WILA), Embodied Philosophy, the Prema Yoga Institute, and and Soma Psychological Services. He receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc., and he has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.

Non-financial: Dr. Christopher Walling is a member of the International Association for Relationship Psychoanalysis & Psychotherapy, the International Psychoanalytic Association, the American Psychoanalytic Association, the American Psychological Association, the United States Association for Body Psychotherapy, and the International Association of Yoga Therapists.


Objectives

  1. Assess the processes by which sensorimotor and somatic trauma psychotherapies promote a direct experience of the body within the clinical relationship.
  2. Distinguish the underlying neuroscientific principles that explain the relationship between the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and social behaviour, and why polyvagal theory (PVT)-informed methods are effective for nervous system regulation and trauma resolution.
  3. Differentiate the unique qualities of Somatic Experiencing™ and other body-based psychotherapies from cognitive-based psychotherapies and the relative effectiveness of each in addressing patients’ trauma in the clinical setting.

Outline

  • Describe the history and development of body-based psychotherapies and their position with in traditional psychotherapeutic framework
  • Demonstrate the underlying neuroscientific principles that explain why somatic/body-based modalities are effective
  • Through the lens of the leading traumatological research, explore the unique principles of SE and the use of Polyvagal-informed methods to promote nervous system regulation
  • Examine the effectiveness of SE relative to cognitive psychotherapeutic modalities in promoting nervous system regulation and trauma resolution in the clinical setting

Target Audience

  • Counselors
  • Social Workers
  • Therapists
  • Marriage & Family Therapists
  • Case Managers
  • Psychologists
  • Other Mental Health Professionals

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