Somatic Psychology
Somatic psychology and bodymind therapies are the wave of the future, approaching health and healing as a holistic venture that involves body, mind, soul, as well as the social and natural ecosystem in which the person conducts his or her life’s journey.
This approach has its ground in the experiential awareness of our embodiment, and thus remedies the shortcomings of most 20th-century psychologies that ignore the meaningfulness of our body and its interconnectedness with all that is around it. Somatic psychology teaches us to listen to the way in which our embodiment speaks our stories and our history. Bodymind therapies recruit our whole being in the service of health, healing, and the fullest realization of our life’s potential.
In addition to preparing graduates for licensure as a Mental Health Counselor (Licensed Professional Counselor, or Marriage and Family Therapist), this concentration requires the student to become familiar with bodymind modalities of healing, such as Somatic Experiencing, Hakomi, Rubenfeld Synergy, Process Psychology, etc.
The concentration involves up to five courses in addition to the 60-credit Master of Arts degree, including a required course, Foundations of Somatic Psychology. Other courses are designed according to the needs and interests of the individual student.
Each student works with faculty to customize the following coursework according to the student's interests.
Core courses (15 semester credits):
- Foundations of Somatic Psychology and Bodymind Therapy
- Somatic Psychology and Contemporary Science
- Survey of Bodymind Therapies
- Practices of Bodymind Therapy
- Standards of Practice and Ethical Issues in Bodymind Therapy
