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Dr. Johnson is the Director of the Institute for Embodiment Studies, a non-profit educational organization dedicated to advancing interdisciplinary scholarship in embodiment studies. She is the former Chair of the Somatic Psychology Department at the Santa Barbara Graduate Institute, former Director of the Body Psychotherapy Program in the Somatic Counseling Psychology Department at Naropa University and the founding Coordinator of Student Crisis Response Programs at the University of Toronto. Her research and clinical interests include the somatic impact of oppression, embodied critical pedagogy, and feminist somatic research methods. Laury Rappaport, Ph.D., REAT, ATR-BC, is the Founder/Director of the Focusing and Expressive Arts Institute, a Certifying Coordinator and Trainer with The Focusing Institute in NY.  Based on over thirty years of clinical application, Laury pioneered the development of the integration of Focusing with the expressive arts, known as Focusing-Oriented Arts Therapy (F

In this conversation, Alice Ladas reflects on the drive and energy that has fueled her professional activities and her zest for life. Alice K. Ladas, Ed. D., is a pioneer for body psychotherapy, educated childbirth, breastfeeding, and sexuality education.  The research she and her husband did (Women and Bioenergetic Analysis)  led to meeting her co-authors on the NY Times best seller The G Spot and Other Discoveries About Human Sexuality. Alice was chair of the research committee of the US Association for Body Psychotherapy (USABP) for many years. In 2008, the USABP honored Alice by naming its research award The Alice Kahn Ladas Research Award to honor her for her tireless efforts to further research in Somatic Psychotherapy. She is a licensed psychologist in New Mexico. Published December 2011. See other conversation on this site with Alice Ladas and conversation with her about therapy.

Babette Rothschild, MSW, LCSW, is the author of five books, all published by WW Norton: – The Body Remembers–The Psychophysiology of Trauma and Trauma Treatment (2000) (bestseller) – The Body Remembers CASEBOOK–Unifying Methods and Models in the Treatment of Trauma and PTSD (2003) – Help for the Helper–The Psychophysiology of Compassion Fatigue and Vicarious Trauma (2006) – 8 Keys to Safe Trauma Recovery (2010)  (bestseller) – Trauma Essentials: The Go-To Guide. (2011) She has been a psychotherapist and body psychotherapist since 1976 and a teacher and trainer since 1992. After living and working for 9 years in Copenhagen, Denmark, she returned to her native Los Angeles. There she is writing her next books while she continues to lecture, train, and supervise psychotherapists, body psychotherapists, and psychologists worldwide. See: SomaticTraumaTherapy.com. December 2011. See: Printable PDF transcript.

Anthony “Twig” Wheeler is a Cultural Animator and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner/Consultant from Washington state. His background includes extensive study in human ecology, social change theory and the healing arts. Twig has assisted extensively in the SE trainings helping graduate hundreds of SE practitioners. He offers sessions and consultations at all levels of the SE training. Twig focuses on the translation and outreach of SE principles and guidelines worldwide. He has consulted in war affected communities in DR Congo, crisis clinics and violence prevention programs in the US and with helping professionals on four continents. In 2011 Twig produced an autobiographical “One-Man Show” titled Stories of Completion detailing his personal transformation out of PTSD with the aid of Somatic Experiencing. His website LiberationIsPossible.org showcases his various projects including his SE Reflections blog specifically designed for SE oriented practitioners. Twig is dedicated to wholeness and liberation: hi

In this conversation, Jonathan Foust talks about the moment of change. Jonathan Foust, MA, CSA is a senior teacher with the Insight Meditation Community of Washington,  a founder of the Meditation Teacher Training Institute and former President of Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health.  He is a certified trainer in Focusing and incorporates the principles of Focusing and meditation with clients, students and classes.   Jonathan has been leading retreats and training teachers for over 25 years.  He is based in the Washington DC area. Website: http://www.jonathanfoust.com/ Published November 2011

Stephen W. Porges, PhD, is a professor of psychiatry and the director of the Brain-Body Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is a former president of the Society for Psychological Research and also the Federation of Behavioral, Psychological, and Cognitive Sciences.  He is a former recipient of a National Institute of Mental Health Research Scientist Development Award.  He has published more than 200 peer-reviewed scientific papers across several disciplines including anesthesiology, critical care medicine, ergonomics, exercise physiology, gerontology, neurology, obstetrics, pediatrics, psychiatry, psychology, space medicine, and substance abuse.   His research has been cited in several thousand peer-reviewed articles and has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health since 1975. In 1994 he proposed the Polyvagal Theory, a theory that links the evolution of the vertebrate autonomic nervous system to the emergence of social behavior.  The Polyvagal

In this conversation, Judyth Weaver talks about how to be in the moment, in a practical, down-to-earth way. Judyth O. Weaver was a modern dancer in NYC and SF when, in 1965, she went to Japan where she studied Kabuki and Noh and other forms of movement and then entered a Zen Buddhist monastery.  Upon her return to the U.S. in 1968 she studied T’ai Chi Ch’uan and Sensory Awareness, becoming certified to teach both.  She earned her Ph.D. in Reichian Therapy in 1979. She is also certified as a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, in Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy, and in Prenatal and Birth Therapy. She is a Rosen Method practitioner and senior teacher.  Judyth was professor at the California Institute for Integral Studies for 25 years; is co-founder of Santa Barbara Graduate Institute and creator of its Somatic Psychology doctoral program; she has developed her own integrated manner of working which she calls ‘Somatic Reclaiming.’ She has a private practice in Seattle, Washington, and tea

“I live and work on the west coast of Vancouver Island where I have had a private trauma psychotherapy practice for 10 years. Much of my current clinical work is with early developmental trauma and attachment and I work as a counselor educator with both the SE Trauma Institute and the University of Victoria. “I have been blessed to work in a number of First Nations communities and have been taught how communities survive multi-generational trauma, the importance of spirituality in healing, and the overlap between SE and some traditional ways of healing. This experience informs and affects my work with both First Nations and non-First Nations people. “I work from a body-oriented perspective, incorporating SE, movement, touch and touch awareness. “I also work and play with a fabulous team of SE-affiliated people, surf, build parts of my house with my husband and play, play, play with my young son.” Published October 2011.

Garet Bedrosian says: “My life’s path has been motivated by curiosity and a desire to know the world around me at a deeper level.  I sensed energy and knew there was more which was evidenced in always wanting to know the “why” of things; therefore I’ve dedicated much of my life to self-exploration and following my wonder about people, relationships, and diverse cultures. I believe the mind and body are inextricably linked.  in more than 30 years of psychotherapy experience I have trained in Bioenergetic Analysis, Expressive Arts Therapy, Imago Couples Therapy, EMDR, and Addictions.  I am currently the Executive Director of the Southern California Institute for Bioenergetic Analysis as well as a faculty in the Certification Program. I am also a member of a Playback Improvisational theater group, I dance and practice yoga, so being alive and energetic is a personal commitment for me.” See: GaretBedrosian.com. Published October 2011. See:&n

In this conversation, David Smith talks about the creative process, and how to enhance creativity. David Smith is a certified Focusing teacher with a special interest in how Focusing can enhance the creative arts. As a published author and an award-winning playwright, he draws upon his own background in the arts – including creative blocks – to offer creativity coaching to other artists. Additional background includes writing for New York children’s television and winning an award for a video project with Simon and Schuster Publishers. He has developed a self-discovery practice called Experiential Journaling, which is based upon the principles of Focusing. He teaches this practice in workshops and has also produced a CD. See: thewritefocus.com Published September 2011

Dr. Mary Giuffra has been a therapist for over 35 years. She received her doctorate from New York University and is a New York State Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, a Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Psychiatric Mental Health, and a New York State Registered Professional Nurse. Dr. Giuffra has also been recognized for her pioneering efforts as an educator and specialist in curriculum development.  She has served as a tenured member of the faculty at New York University and the College of Mount Saint Vincent. She has been the recipient of several major grants from the federal government and is the author of countless articles in peer reviewed journals, and book chapters. For many years, Mary has been an SE  Senior Assistant  and approved at all levels for sessions, consults  and group consultations in SE and SE Touch.  She has assisted in Canada, Hong Kong and both US Coasts. See website. Published September 2011. See other conversation with Mary Giuffra. 

Diana Fosha, Ph.D., is the developer of AEDP, a healing-based, transformation-oriented model of psychotherapy. She is the author of The Transforming Power of Affect: A Model for Accelerated Change (Basic Books, 2000), and of numerous articles and chapters on transformational processes in experiential psychotherapy and trauma treatment. She is the editor, along with Dan Siegel and Marion Solomon, of The Healing Power of Emotion: Affective Neuroscience, Development, and Clinical Practice (Norton, 2009), part of Norton’s Interpersonal Neurobiology Series. A DVD of her AEDP work with a patient has been released by the American Psychological Association, as part of their Systems of Psychotherapy Video Series (APA, 2006). Throughout her career, she has been exploring different aspects of the change process. Her work on transformational studies has focused on integrating recent developments in attachment theory, affective neuroscience, emotion theory and developmentally-based understandings of the dyadic r

In this conversation, Dr Scaer gives an overview of how the thinking brain and the emotional brain interact, and what happens in stress and trauma. Robert Scaer, M.D., is Board Certified in Neurology, and has been in practice for 36 years, 20 of those as Medical Director at the Mapleton Rehabilitation Center in Boulder, CO.   More recently he has pursued the study of traumatic stress and its role in emotional and physical syndromes and diseases. Now retired from clinical medical practice, he writes and lectures in the field of traumatology. He has published two books for professionals: The Body Bears the Burden: Trauma, Dissociation and Disease (2001 & 2007), and The Trauma Spectrum: Hidden Wounds and Human Resiliency (2005).  He also wrote a book for the general public, 8 Keys to Brain-Body Balance, published by Norton in 2012. See: traumasoma.com Published August 2011. See other conversation with Robert Scaer.

Lidy Evertsen, originally a professional classical singer and voice teacher, was trained as a Unitive Body Psychotherapist in the early nineties. Soon she became involved in the Bodynamic System. Now she is a certified Bodynamic Therapist, Bodynamic Shock Trauma Therapist and a trainer in the Foundation and Shock Trauma Training. Lidy has a private practice in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. She runs international Bodynamic Trainings in cooperation with Lisbeth and Ditte Marcher, also in Amsterdam. Since October 2010 Lidy has been the president of the European Association for Body Psychotherapy (EABP). Lidy’s special interest is working with dissociation and working with clients who endured long term trauma. See: Bodynamic.nl. August 2011. See: Printable PDF transcript.

Robert Lewis, M.D., in private practice in New York, is a senior trainer on the International institute of Bioenergetic Analysis faculty, and a member of the clinical faculty of the NYU/Mount Sinai Medical Center. He has published extensively on the integration of early developmental and relational issues into the basic Bioenergetic approach. His elucidation of Cephalic Shock and way of working with the head, voice, and diaphragmatic connections to the pelvis, are beyond words. Bob finds the data of recent neuroscience confirming of his emphasis on an implicit, bodily- based approach to what is healing in the therapeutic relationship.He leads workshops in Europe and the Americas, and residential intensives on Long Island, NY. See: BodyMindCentral.com. July 2011. See: Printable PDF transcript.

In this conversation, Robert Althouse presents a perspective on Zen that is grounded in Western science and psychology. He describes how mindful awareness impacts on the way we experience our lives. Roshi Robert Althouse is a fully empowered Zen teacher in the White Plum lineage and a fully ordained Zen Buddhist Priest. Roshi Althouse and his wife, Rev. June Ryushin Tanoue, co-founded the Zen Life & Meditation Center in Oak Park, IL. He is the Abbot of the Zen Center and its primary teacher. Roshi Althouse began teaching in Hawaii where he and his wife co-founded the Zen Center of Hawaii in 1993. They moved to California in 2001 to work for the Peacemaker Community with Roshi Bernie Glassman, where Roshi Althouse served as the Director of the Zen Peacemaker Order for two years. He has studied with the following Zen Masters: Roshi Taizan Maezumi, Roshi Robert Aitken, Roshi Bernie Glassman, and his transmission teacher, Roshi Nicolee Jikyo McMahon. He studied with the following Tibetan Vajrayan

Judyth O. Weaver, Ph.D. in Reichian Psychology, began studying with Charlotte Selver in 1968, after returning from three years in Asia, most of them spent in a Zen Buddhist monastery. She is also certified as a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, in Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy, Gestalt Therapy, and in Prenatal and Birth Therapy. She is a Rosen Method practitioner and senior teacher; and a master teacher in T’ai Chi Ch’uan, which she has been practicing since 1968.  Judyth taught at the California Institute for Integral Studies and other S.F. Bay Area graduate schools for 25 years. She co-founded Santa Barbara Graduate Institute and created its Somatic Psychology doctoral program.  She has developed her own integrated manner of working with people which she calls ‘Somatic Reclaiming.’ She maintains a private practice in Seattle, Washington, and on Cortes Island, B.C., Canada in the summers, as well as teaches internationally. See: JudythWeaver.com. June 2011. See: Printable P

In this conversation, Chris Frey talks about how to find that you are less alone in adversity than you might think. He speaks from his experience as a cancer survivor. Chris Frey, MSW, LCSW is a psychotherapist in St. Louis, MO.  For several decades, Chris has been a leading voice and popular workshop leader in men’s issues, addiction recovery, relationships and sexuality. As a Stage IV throat and neck cancer survivor, Chris was the 2009 recipient of an Armour Foundation sabbatical, which assists in funding creative works. From this sabbatical sprung: I’m Sorry, It’s Cancer: A Handbook of Help and Hope for Survivors and Caregivers, an inspirational and practical guide to creating the optimal medical, emotional, social and spiritual care team for the journey through cancer. Frey is the author Men at Work: An Action Guide to Masculine Healing and the co-author of FatherTime: Stories on the Heart and Soul of Fathering. See: chrisfreycounseling.com Published June 2011

Judith Blackstone, PhD, developed the Realization Process, an integrated method of somatic psychotherapy, embodiment, relational healing, and spiritual awakening. She is a psychotherapist in private practice in New York City and offers classes, workshops and teacher trainings in the Realization Process, throughout the United States and Europe. She is the author of The Empathic Ground, The Enlightenment Process, The Subtle Self, Living Intimately (to be republished in Fall, 2011 as The Intimate Life) and the upcoming Belonging Here. She has been a student of Eastern contemplative traditions for thirty-five years. She is founder of Nonduality Institute in New York City. See: JudithBlackstone.com. May 2011. See: Printable PDF transcript

Iin this conversation, Cheri Maples talks about her experience as a high achiever who sacrificed being in favor of doing… and how she came to find balance between both. For 25 years Cheri Maples worked in the criminal justice system, as an Assistant Attorney General in the Wisconsin Department of Justice, head of Probation and Parole for the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, and as a police officer with the City of Madison Police Department, earning the rank of Captain of Personnel and Training. In 2008 she was ordained a dharma teacher by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, her long-time spiritual teacher. She is now a dharma teacher and organizational consultant and trainer. She works with individuals and organizations in the justice system and the helping professions who must manage the emotional effects of their work, while maintaining an open heart and healthy boundaries. See: mindfulnessandjustice.org. Published: May 2011