A Focus on Life, Living, and the Free Flow of Energy and Impulse

January 21, 2018Somatic PsychologyDrMartin

Bioenergetic body-mind psychotherapy has a very clear focus on supporting the free flow of life in a person. That is, bioenergetics focuses on enlivening, rather than simply “removing” troubling behaviors. Much of the difficulty that people suffer – from a bioenergetic perspective – is a result of natural and healthy instinctual strivings (e.g., to survive, to … Continue reading A Focus on Life, Living, and the Free Flow of Energy and Impulse →

The Body Knows – Even If “We” Don’t

August 24, 2017Somatic PsychologyDrMartin

Body, feeling, thought, the unconscious, and what is essential in us are all connected. If you’ve ever had a massage, you may have had the experience of registering – in a flash – that you were having surprisingly strong feelings – perhaps of fear, anger, sadness, or joy. Maybe a concrete memory came up … Continue reading The Body Knows – Even If “We” Don’t →

Feeling Ourselves from the Inside Out – Versus Viewing Ourselves from the Outside In

May 26, 2017Somatic PsychologyAwareness, body, ego, ego-ideal, feelingDrMartin

What is the difference between self-awareness and self-consciousness? In short, it is the difference between feeling ourselves from the inside out versus from viewing ourselves from the outside in. Awareness in general and self-awareness in particular are important practices in this alchemical body-mind work. Simultaneously, learning to be in our body (truly inhabiting our … Continue reading Feeling Ourselves from the Inside Out – Versus Viewing Ourselves from the Outside In →

The Role of the Body in Bioenergetic Psychotherapy

April 21, 2017Somatic Psychologybioenergetic analysis, psychotherapyDrMartin

Body-mind psychotherapy stands in contrast to purely verbal psychotherapies by including your bodily self in the therapy session. This can take many different forms. At the most fundamental level, body-mind and bioenergetic psychotherapy operate on the continuity of mind, body, feeling, relationship and environment. As an example, if we feel an (unconscious) conflict about … Continue reading The Role of the Body in Bioenergetic Psychotherapy →

Embodiment, Energy, and Spirituality

March 11, 2017Somatic Psychology, Transpersonal PsychologyDrMartin

It’s common in our language to talk about body and/or mind, matter and/or spirit. A natural extension of this way of thinking is to imagine that to be more in tune with spirit, we need somehow to leave our bodies behind. Or that being fully in our bodies, that we are somehow less spiritual, or … Continue reading Embodiment, Energy, and Spirituality →

Grounding: Embodied Presence

February 26, 2017Somatic Psychology, Transpersonal PsychologyDrMartin

Settled. Solid. Full. Here. It’s a feeling – an experience – that sometimes comes our way. It can settle upon us by grace, perhaps in a moment when we’re sitting on a beach looking out at an ocean or hiking and taking in a mountain vista. Or it may come upon us by our … Continue reading Grounding: Embodied Presence →

Ground, Heart, Intent, Openness, Presence

February 9, 2017Somatic Psychology, Transpersonal PsychologyDrMartin

Modern psychology, organizational research, the new sciences, wisdom traditions, and martial arts have all repeatedly “discovered” five fundamental elements that represent human qualities and behavioral options. These elements of power link to personal development through body-mind practices, and also represent options for satisfying and effective action across domains (e.g., leadership, team building, career development, … Continue reading Ground, Heart, Intent, Openness, Presence →

Dis-ease, Grace, Body, and Spirit

October 17, 2016Somatic Psychology, Transpersonal PsychologyDrMartin

We’ve seen how someone can be technically perfect in a performance (say on a musical instrument, in a dance, or in sports) but not only is the passion missing – the life – but we ourselves don’t rise and fall in pleasure in seeing or hearing the performance. We ourselves are not carried away by the performance … Continue reading Dis-ease, Grace, Body, and Spirit →

The Present Moment – Awareness Is a Master Key

September 7, 2016Somatic Psychology, Transpersonal PsychologyDrMartin

Awareness of what is happening in the present – in the now – is a key practice, a key approach in many meditation and body-mind practices. It’s key to the work that we do. We can call it a key tool, but that doesn’t capture just how incredibly important this is. It’s not just a tool. Awareness … Continue reading The Present Moment – Awareness Is a Master Key →

It’s All Part of It – We Are Not Separate Pieces

May 1, 2016Somatic Psychology, Transpersonal PsychologyDrMartin

This great alchemical work – this journey of personal development – is one of transformation and wholeness. Our bodies, minds, and spirits, our relationships and our embeddedness in the natural world are aspects of one thing. These domains are all integral aspects of the great work that embraces spiritual practices and everyday life. This … Continue reading It’s All Part of It – We Are Not Separate Pieces →

Dr. Charles Martin

Body-mind psychology & psychotherapy