Somatic Psychology is generally thought to have its beginnings with Freud, or his student Wilhelm Reich. See the graphic below for an overview of the most well-known individuals and approaches over the last century that have varying levels of relevance to what is offered in our program.
Many prominent individuals in Somatic Psychology are not listed here. Some techniques utilized at PCAB may be similar to or may contain elements derived from the practices and people listed on this page, though what our program offers not constitute formal training in any of these.
Vipassana meditation, also known as insight meditation, involves the observation of body sensations without striving to maintain or change them. The effect is not one of calming the mind but rather a retraining of the mind, perhaps by rewiring circuits that are involved in habitually moving towards desired states and moving away from undesired states. Research on vipassana has shown significant anatomical changes in the insula as well as changes in activity patterns in brain regions associated with self-concept processing. Due to its inherent somatic nature, it can often be retraumatizing and create dissociative states in individuals with significant trauma.
How Relationships, the Mind, and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are and Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation.