Friday, November 10, 2017
8:45am: Registration
9am-4pm: Workshop

Center for Applied Psychology
41 Gordon Rd, Suite C, Piscataway, NJ

5.5 CE Credits
Instructional Level: Introductory

The bedrock of therapeutic healing from a neuroscience perspective occurs when therapists are able to offer their own regulated brain processing when relating to their clients. This is a foundational feature of brain-based psychotherapy and may appear as a wordless experience that occurs when the therapist is relaxed and grounded in the present moment. The therapists’ regulated state is “borrowed” by the client, thus promoting integrative neurogenesis between the limbic system and the “social brain”. Known as “the therapeutic alliance” this is one of the most important principles in psychotherapy. In addition, successful psychotherapeutic outcomes are similarly dependent upon the amount the client is in contact with their own present moment experience, as they attend to what is called a “bodily felt sense.” Body-centered mindfulness methods are shown to support right-brain integration and build the middle prefrontal cortex regions involved with self-awareness, emotional regulation, empathy, self-compassion and present moment awareness.

In this experiential workshop, you will learn to:

(1) Summarize the important brain regions and networks associated with trauma, anxiety, and

depression.

(2) Discuss the implications of attachment theory in relation to implicit memory, brain & body-

centered psychotherapy, and the therapeutic alliance.

(3) Demonstrate ways to introduce yogic practices into treatment.

(4) Practice body-based intervention strategies such as affect regulation, wordless awareness,

and presence techniques.

(5) Observe a demonstration of a body-centered psychotherapy session.

 

 

 

 

Beth L. Haessig, Psy. D., licensed psychologist, certified somatic psychotherapist, and IAYT-certified yoga therapist, is the former President of the United States Association for Body Psychotherapy (www.USABP.org). After graduating from GSAPP, she studied 4 more years to become a certified somatic psychotherapist (Core Energetics) plus a 5th year post graduate year, and a 6th year with Radical Aliveness/Core Energetics in Mexico. She is a Kripalu-certified yoga teacher as well as a yoga therapist certified by the International Association of Yoga Therapists. Dr. Haessig began her career as a school psychologist in 1990 working primarily with children and families, before moving into alternative technologies and integrative body-based modalities for the past ten years. Her work expanded to include veterans and other trauma survivors, as her specialization in PTSD, trauma, anxiety, and other body-based challenges (eating, conversion, psychosomatic, psychogenic movement, encopresis, etc.) are highly responsive to body-based, mindfulness-based, cognitive-behavioral interventions. As president of USABP, Dr. Haessig has provided training and leadership in the field of somatic psychology. At present, she works in an urban hospital with those suffering from morbid obesity, and has a private practice in Denville NJ.