Category Archives: Uncategorized

What have we learned during this month? Hopefully, we have a new perspective on our body.When our usual headache kicks in, we can take some time to reflect: “When was the last time I had one? What had happened that is similar to this time? Perhaps I get one when I am stressed and needContinue reading “Learning the language of our body”

We have seen how our body is interconnected, if not inseparable, with our mind, and how this led to its increased integration in psychology and psychotherapy.⁣⁣We have seen how the body speaks at a louder voice than the mind, and informs us about our needs, if we are careful enough to listen.⁣⁣We have seen howContinue reading “Physical exercise and mental health”

Have you ever heard of body psychotherapy?⁣It’s a form of psychotherapy based on the idea that people experience the world simultaneously through their mind and their body. ⁣⁣There are five essential concepts of body psychotherapy:⁣1. Bodymind: the embodied integration of thoughts, feelings, and physical bodily experiences and sensations.⁣2. Armoring and character: armor is a muscleContinue reading “Body psychotherapy”

Sometimes the body knows things our conscience ignores. And this is not only true for somatisation and trauma, it’s not only about expressing what the mind needs or lacks, it’s also much more. When we approach the concept of FLOW, it’s useful to understand an important difference: the one between instinct and intuition. While theContinue reading “The wisdom of our body: the state of FLOW”

Trauma has a way of ‘marking’ the body, other than the mind.⁣M. Guidotti talks about the differences between humans and animals and their respective reactions to trauma.⁣⁣When experiencing trauma, animals often go through a limited freezing. After some time, they burst into an aggression (fight) or they run away (flight), manifesting an actual reaction toContinue reading “Trauma & body”

Today we talk about somatisation. Polyvagal theory is useful once again to see more in depth what are some connections between body and mind. This theory tells us how, based on an internal or external stimulus that we perceive as dangerous or even life-threatening (so, something we elaborate with our brain), our internal system triggersContinue reading “Somatisation”

Cartesian dualism stated that body and mind are fundamentally different, as the former is made of physical matter and the latter isn’t. This created a division that is still, to some extent, sustained by some today. In more psychological – and recent – terms: the mind cannot be reduced to neurobiology and physics.⁣These theories allContinue reading “March theme: BODY”

We have reached the end of our ‘Torches’ month, dedicated to coping.⁣⁣The metaphor with torches is a fitting one because it explains the dual nature of coping: torches help us see in the dark but also help us avoid it.⁣⁣In the first part of the month we highlighted the main forms of coping and whatContinue reading “Coping recap”

Our psyche does that: it protects us from (real or possible) traumas, and as a consequence of this suppression, it ‘copes’ by creating secondary issues. Let’s clear this with some examples. ▪️ You might have suffered from anxieties that despite interfering with your wellbeing, have remained relatively uncovered. They might be too much to handle,Continue reading “What happens when coping is unconscious?”

Multiple shades of coping It’s not only a matter of style. Within those styles, there are different ways we can cope, more or less effectively. We can adapt, changing something in ourselves or our behaviours to better suit the environment we inhabit. We can attack, displacing our discomfort on someone or something else, often inContinue reading “Coping and defense”