Active Pause ®

With the pandemic, people have to avoid unnecessary contact. Social distancing dramatically affects people’s ability to find comfort in connection. We cannot directly give emotional support to all who need it. But we can teach people simple tools they can use to support each other. See what you can do about it below the video. […]

In this conversation, we explore the notion of grace. We talk about it from a spiritual perspective: the Christian spiritual tradition which is Greg’s anchor, as well as other spiritual traditions. We also explore down-to-earth experiences, such as being a drummer, interacting with other people, structuring one’s day… In so doing, we map out a […]

Social distancing and separation are a big part of what is needed to deal with the pandemic. In this short conversation, we talk about how to counter their effects: we still need to be sensitive to our nervous system’s need to socially engage and connect. Below the video, you will find a transcript. You can […]

This conversation is part of exploring the Somatic Implicit. Karyne Wilner talks about how cell life and neuroplasticity of the brain and body can be enhanced through work with the bioenergetic field. Dr. Karyne Wilner is a licensed, clinical psychologist who practices in Connecticut and Rhode Island. She is director of the Core Energetics Academy, a training center for professionals who wish to add a bodymind and energy focus to their work. She worked closely with John Pierrakos, MD, the founder of Core Energetics. An adjunct instructor at Salve Regina University, she teaches energy psychology to graduate students in the holistic counseling department. In the past, she was Assistant Director of The Institute of Core Energetics, Associate Director of Core Energetics Australia, and Senior Director of Core Energetics in Brazil. Her current interest is in writing about what the body communicates and its connection to sexuality and love. See her website. Published March 2020.

We start talking about language. As we speak from the felt sense, it becomes a conversation about incorporating a mindful attitude into a conversation. And an invitation to enrich our lives with mindful conversations. Marcella Calabi helps people find their voice and live from it. She is an outside-the-box thinker with training in music, negotiation/mediation […]

There is an audio version of this article at the bottom of the page. What happens when we get polarized? How can we avoid polarization to engage in more enriching discussions? I would like to share some thoughts based on an experiential exploration of polarization. The experience I am drawing upon was not a polarized […]

We touch upon the personal and embodied impact of the polarized mind (or fixation on a single point of view to the utter exclusion of competing points of view).

Leslie Ellis talks about how working with dreams engages client and therapist in a co-creative process from which much can emerge.

We explore Climate Change from a perspective informed by somatic psychotherapy.

Loch Kelly talks about effortless mindfulness, and how he sees access to awakening as the next natural stage of human development. Loch Kelly, M.Div., LCSW, is an author, meditation teacher, psychotherapist, and founder of the 501c3 non-profit, Open-Hearted Awareness Institute. Loch teaches in a non-sectarian human being lineage using an adult education style based in […]

In this conversation, David Mars Ph.D. gives us an experiential sense of AEDP for Couples. Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy for Couples is a cutting edge approach that combines affective neuroscience and attachment research into a love-inspiring way for couples and the therapists who treat them to find refreshing, healing and restorative ways to bring about […]

In this talk, Edgardo Riveros Aedo gives a spontaneous demonstration of the kind of inner dialogue that makes it possible for something new to emerge. The video is in Spanish. Even if you don’t speak Spanish, I suggest you look at it (at least part of it): It is a beautiful demonstration of the process of […]

Sharon Stanley talks about what sustains her: the delight of just being alive, and how she gets in touch with that. Dr. Sharon Stanley is a psychotherapist, educator and writer living on Bainbridge Island, Washington.  As a long time student of Dr. Allan Schore, Sharon has integrated a number of somatic practices for healing trauma […]

In this conversation, we talk about a blending of disciplines – – specifically, using exercise science to bridge understanding in somatic psychology interventions. The goal is to bring together the science of the physical body with the science of the emotional body to go beyond symptom reduction and reconnect the self and body. Stacy Reuille-Dupont, […]

In this conversation, Sharon Salzberg talks about how mindfulness helps us gain clarity on what we want to change, why we do what we do, and other aspects of the process of mindful change. Sharon Salzberg is a pioneer in the field of meditation, a world-renowned teacher and New York Times bestselling author. She has […]

In this conversation, Dr. Gregg Henriques explains the Tree of Knowledge System and describes how it provides a way to think about the universe from an objective scientific view and a personal lifeworld view. It achieves this by dividing the universe into four different planes of existence, Matter, Life, Mind and Culture, and the discussion […]

In this talk, Salvador Moreno-Lopez describes a journey of discoveries and surprises: “How I found that using my bodily felt sense helps me orient in my daily life and my work, with much more certainty and precision than I would using only logic and reason disconnected from bodily feelings. This is a great gift of life, […]

This conversation is about using the Polyvagal Theory in clinical practice. Deb Dana talks about how a focus on experientially understanding the role of the autonomic nervous system helps to creatively involve clients in their healing process. Note: See Deb Dana’s talk on the nervous system as a resource for clients. Deb Dana, LCSW, specializes […]

In this conversation, we talk about putting mindfulness and Buddhism in context — the contexts in which they evolved, and in which they are currently practiced in the Western world. Seth Zuiho Segall is a Zen priest in the White Plum Asanga and Zen Peacemaker Order lineages. He is a retired clinical psychologist who served […]

Combining Eastern and Western trauma physiology, Alaine Duncan and Kathy Kain introduce a new map for body-oriented clinicians to help restore balance in their clients. Using concepts from Acupuncture and Asian Medicine (AAM) alongside descriptions of the threat response from Western bio-behavioral science, they describe common physical symptoms, emotional presentations, and paths for healing for […]