In this detailed discussion, Dr. Bob Coffman, a clinical psychologist based in Los Angeles, delves deep into his extensive career and experience in psychodynamic psychotherapy, bioenergetics, and other somatic treatment modalities since 1973.   He recounts his personal journey into bioenergetics that began with an impactful class at the University of Southern California, where he discovered the profound effects of body-oriented therapy techniques.   Dr. Coffman explains how bioenergetics enabled him to understand and process developmental traumas held within the body, breaking down the interrelatedness of physical and emotional health. He highlights the significant role that relationships play in therapeutic settings, emphasizing a holistic approach that considers both therapist and client bodies.   The conversation also touches upon the critical aspect of touch in therapy, underlining the necessity of proper training to ensure safety and effectiveness. Throughout the interview, Dr. Coffman addresses the evolving landscape of somatic therapies, comparing bioenergetics with other modalities like EMDR, brain spotting, and somatic experiencing.   He concludes by advocating for rigorous training in bioenergetic therapy and providing resources for further learning, including lectures and courses available on his website.   Links:   Dr. Coffman's website: https://drrobertcoffman.com/insights Therapy Wisdom: therapywisdom.com  

Sponsored by www.sciba.org 

Maring Higa's (host) website Andrea Vaz Antunes (host) website @bio.body.talk (Body Talk Instagram)

In this episode of Body Talk, Maring sits down with Dylan for a first look into our mini-series highlighting clients in bioenergetic therapy. With a background in psychology and sociology, Dylan shares their two-and-a-half-year journey transitioning from traditional talk therapy to a somatic approach. They reflect on early challenges, key breakthroughs, and the transformative power of bioenergetic techniques such as somatic tracking and body-based exercises. The conversation explores themes of therapist attunement, trust, and the surprising effectiveness of unconventional interventions like head-holding.

This episode offers a compelling, first-person perspective on the personal growth, emotional clarity, and deepened self-awareness that bioenergetic therapy can foster.

Bio:

Dylan is a passionate creative with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Sociology and an emphasis in Psychology from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. She is the author of Still Learning, a modern confessional poetry collection that delves into the messiness of healing and the complexities of childhood.

Dylan was introduced to the world of Bioenergetic Analysis in late 2021 and has found the methodology to be life-changing. She has worked 1-1 with a private practice therapist and has volunteered as a client for third and fourth-year students in the IIBA Southern California program. 

Dylan is deeply committed to her personal journey with Bioenergetics and hopes by sharing her experiences, she can help make this transformative practice more accessible to others. 

Links:

Substack: https://dylanamelia.substack.com/

@bydylanamelia (instagram)

 

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Sponsored by www.sciba.org

Maring Higa's (host) website Andrea Vaz Antunes (host) website @bio.body.talk (Body Talk Instagram)

Dante Moretti has dedicated over 20 years to working with movement groups and body psychotherapy groups across the globe, including in California, Portugal, Poland, and Moscow. As a psychologist specializing in bioenergetic analysis, Dante integrates group psychoanalysis techniques from Pichon Riviere and Rene Kaes into his therapeutic practice. His work is profoundly influenced by his extensive experience in theater, dance, and martial arts.

  In Brazil, Dante is particularly attuned to cultural nuances, noting how the country's openness to physical touch and eye contact shapes group dynamics. He contrasts this with his experiences in other countries, observing how cultural heritages influence therapeutic practices.   Dante has directed a theater group for over a decade, drawing inspiration from Augusto Boal's methods. He is also a dedicated practitioner of contemporary dance, following the techniques of Klauss Viana, and is a skilled kung fu teacher. His interdisciplinary approach enriches his group work, providing a unique and holistic therapeutic experience.   @dante_moretti   Looking to dive deeper into the powerful connection between body and mind? Dante Moretti’s books are the perfect resource!   "Psicologia Corporal: 100 Perguntas para Entender Melhor a Relação Corpo e Mente" Link to Purchase   "Psicologia Corporal: 100 Perguntas para Entender Melhor a Relação Corpo e Mente"  Link to Purchase   ---   Sponsored by Sciba Find a Bioenergetic Therapist https://sciba.org/ Maring Higa's (host) website Andrea Vaz Antunes (host) website @bio.body.talk (Body Talk Instagram)

In our latest episode, we dive deep into the world of bioenergetic analysis with the remarkable Homayoun 🌟 From his early fascination with Wilhelm Reich's work to his transformative journey in body psychotherapy, He shares profound insights into the relational aspects of therapy. We discuss how true healing happens through connection, mirroring, and the powerful role of the therapeutic relationship. If you're curious about how body and mind intertwine in the healing process, this episode is a must-listen! 🎧

Bio: 

Homayoun is a Certified Bioenergetic Therapist (CBT) with over 17 years of experience, specializing in developmental and shock traumas. His therapeutic approach is relational, focusing on the client’s verbal and non-verbal expressions to attune empathetically to their current and past experiences. He creates a safe, nurturing environment where clients can heal from early relational wounds, fostering spontaneity, freedom, and the capacity to love and be loved.

Homayoun holds a graduate degree in Clinical and Somatic Psychology from Santa Barbara Graduate Institute, where they received extensive training in modalities such as Sensory Awareness, Authentic Movement, and Somatic Experiencing. His work is also informed by psychodynamic theories and the latest neuroscience research.

Prior to pursuing a career in psychotherapy, Homayoun had a successful 30-year career as an electrical engineer and entrepreneur in Silicon Valley. This diverse background enriches their holistic understanding of the mind-body connection, enabling them to guide clients toward deeper healing and transformation.

Homayoun's Website

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Sponsored by Sciba Find a Bioenergetic Therapist https://sciba.org/ Maring Higa's (host) website Andrea Vaz Antunes (host) website @bio.body.talk (instagram)

In this episode we delved into Jim's profound journey into Bioenergetics, exploring its life-changing impact. Jim shared how this powerful practice helped him connect deeply with his emotions and body, spurred by a lifelong pursuit of self-discovery. His unique blend of art and Bioenergetics brings an emphasis on creativity, community, and healing.

One notable takeaway: "It's about recognizing we're part of a pulsating, vibrational world, and our need for connection and being seen is vital."

Bio:

Jim Elniski, MFA, MSW, LCSW, CBT maintains an independent bioenergetic therapy practice in Chicago, Illinois and Santa Fe, New Mexico. He has been the local trainer and former Director of the Chicago Society for Bioenergetic Analysis, is currently on the Board of Trustees of the IIBA, and a local trainer of the Southern California Institute for Bioenergetic Analysis.

Jim is also a practicing artist whose individual and collaborative work has been profiled in Visual Inquiry: Learning & Teaching Art, Launching the Imagination, and Parabola and is Professor Emeritus at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

He was the co-editor, together with Jacqueline A. Carleton, of the USABP Journal issue commemorating Alexander Lowen.

 His special interest, as therapist, clinical consultant, educator, and artist, is the pulsatory nature of being alive and how we contact, shape, and are shaped by the world around us.  In collaboration with his wife, artist Frances Whitehead, he has developed three projects that repurposed existing buildings as sustainable live/work spaces. Jim's particular contribution to these projects is his focus on the literal ways we are all interconnected and to make visible aspects of the communal common ground that all too often remains invisible.

Jim has been an urban beekeeper since 2005. Through the metaphor of Hive Mind, he has begun to formulate a more explicit set of theoretical and practical connections between community-centered art practice, clinical social work, somatic psychotherapy, and service work with art for marginalized, special populations.

Jim's Website

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Sponsored by Sciba

Find a Bioenergetic Therapist

https://sciba.org/

Maring Higa's (host) website

Andrea Vaz Antunes (host) website

@bio.body.talk (instagram)

 

 

In this episode, Fernando Suarez shares his personal journey into Bioenergetic therapy, starting from his early life in San Diego to his introduction to Bioenergetics through his therapist, Garet Bedrosian. Fernando delves into his experiences with various forms of therapy, his passion for breathwork, the impact of spiritual practices, and how he has integrated Bioenergetics into his life. He discusses the concepts of armoring, healthy aggression, and the significance of relational connections in therapy. Fernando also highlights his experiences at bioenergetic conferences and his aspirations of pursuing a career as a certified bioenergetic therapist.

Bio:

Fernando has an undergraduate and graduate degree from the University of San Diego School of Business and has worked in the Supply Chain Management field for over 20 years, currently with a large international emphasis, primarily in Asia.

His personal work with Bioenergetic Analysis influenced and inspired him to pursue and complete a master’s in counseling psychology with the intention of becoming a certified Bioenergetic Therapist. He completed a Bioenergetics one-year introductory program as well the first year of the Bioenergetic Analysis certification program through the Southern California Institute of Bioenergetic Analysis. He is currently awaiting his Associate Marriage and Family Therapist Number from the California Board of Behavioral Sciences to work toward his licensure.

Fernando views the values and principles of bioenergetics as helpful to creating a way of life with greater self-awareness and freedom.

Sponsored by Sciba

Links mentioned from episode: 

The Way To Vibrant Health

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Find a Bioenergetic Therapist

https://sciba.org/

Maring Higa's (host) website

Andrea Vaz Antunes (host) website

@bio.body.talk (instagram)

Vincentia Schroeter, PhD. has practiced as a Bioenergetic Analyst since 1980. She is past editor of the clinical journal of Bioenergetics (2008-2018), is a member of SCIBA, and teaches nationally and internationally as part of the IIBA faculty.

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In this episode, co-host Maring interviews Vin, an expert in bioenergetics, about the profound ways in which somatic therapy intersects with attachment theory and character styles. Vin shares her journey into bioenergetics, highlighting the impact of grounding and the mind-body connection on personal growth.

The conversation covers

• the foundational aspects of attachment theory
• the development of various character structures in early childhood
• and how these influence adult behavior.

Vin explores how different attachment styles — avoidant, anxious, and disorganized — relate to character structures such as schizoid, oral, borderline, narcissist, masochist, and rigid. 

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Links:

-"Bioenergetics" by Alexander Lowen - "Pleasure: A Creative Approach to Life" by Alexander Lowen - "Depression and the Body" by Alexander Lowen - "Betrayal of the Body" by Alexander Lowen - "Character Transformation" by Stephen Johnson - Works by Guitonella on attachment style and bioenergetics

Find a Bioenergetic Therapist

https://sciba.org/

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Maring Higa's (host) website

Andrea Vaz Antunes (host) website

@bio.body.talk (instagram)

Kristen Smith tells us how she came to find Bioenergetic Analysis and the lasting impacts it has had on her life.

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Show Notes:

Bio:

Kristin is both a healer and on a journey of healing. She has a masters in psychology and has spent time counseling in private practice and in clinical settings, as well as guiding and supervising therapist trainees. Her undergraduate work was in philosophy which, along with her experience and training in psychology, informs her humanistic and nuanced approach to healing for herself and others. Kristin practices and advocates a holistic view of healing through art, poetry, movement, connecting to intuition and welcoming all parts of ourselves as part of her daily healing practice.

SCIBA Website

[email protected]