Becoming an Embodied Practitioner

Katarina Gadjanski and Tasha Colbert

'Becoming an Embodied Practitioner' is a podcast by the Institute of Embodied Psychotherapy. The co-founders Katarina Gadjanski and Tasha Colbert discuss various topics related to the field of body - orientated approaches to therapy and address questions in relation to their therapeutic model: Integrative Embodied Psychotherapy. The aim of this podcast is to offer guidance, resources and support to therapists who wish to become more embodied in their clinical practice; and those interested in somatic approaches to psychotherapy and the therapeutic benefits they offer.

  1. # Bonus: Body Scan in Stillness and Movement & Finding a Safe Place in the Body

    3 SEPT

    # Bonus: Body Scan in Stillness and Movement & Finding a Safe Place in the Body

    In this guided embodied practice, Katarina Gadjanski will take you through a full body scan, bringing mindful awareness to sensations in different parts of the body. She guides this mindfulness of body practice first in stillness and then in movement. This will help you come into sensations and find a safe place in the body, which is important for self-regulation and stabilisation. Being anchored in this safe place in the body we can then start to explore more 'difficult' sensations that different body parts might be holding: like tension/pain/constriction and painful emotions. We teach this practice during Module 1 of our Certificate in Integrative Embodied psychotherapy at IEP: This is a basic practice and part of the ‘ABC’ of working with the body in Psychotherapy. In the introduction to this exercise - Katarina explains how, why and when it is appropriate to use this exercise with psychotherapy clients - as well as when it is not appropriate. Before guiding the body scan, Katarina also guides ‘parasympathetic breathing’ for calming the body and mind. Timestamps: 0:38 - intro 04:40 parasympathetic breathing for calming the body - in on 4 out on 8 07:05 - body scan in stillness - exploring what different parts of your body are holding - noticing and observing sensations non - judgementally 16:40 - Body scan in movement - becoming aware of different parts of the body, while moving 21:40 - Returning to stillness - mindfulness of the whole body 22:22 - finding a safe place in the body 25:15 - exploring difficult sensations in the body - tension/pain/constriction 26:55 back to a safe place in the body 28:05 - drawing a body map If you find this practice helpful please leave us a comment below and subscribe to our channel To find out more about Embodied Psychotherapy and courses that we run at the Institute of Embodied Psychotherapy please visit: https://www.embodiedpsychotherapy.org.uk To listen to IEP's Becoming an Embodied Practitioner podcast: https://www.embodiedpsychotherapy.org.uk/podcast For more FREE embodied guided practices please visit: https://www.embodiedpsychotherapy.org.uk/guided-practices Sound engineering: Benny Lewis https://bennysoundengineer.co.uk/ Music: Malte Marten Starseeds (1111 Hz)

    30 min
  2. Episode 10:  Live Q&A - Season 1 FINALE of Becoming an Embodied Practitioner

    1 JAN

    Episode 10: Live Q&A - Season 1 FINALE of Becoming an Embodied Practitioner

    In this special episode (broadcasted live on 15th December 2024) Tasha and Katarina answer questions from the listeners as well as share some comments from the wider community of embodied therapists about their thoughts about 'What does it take to become an embodied practitioner?’  In this live Q&A session Tasha and Katarina address the questions about the 'bottom up' approach and the importance of creating safety and the therapeutic alliance first; they also address how to start to use movement in psychotherapy practice (if you are used to just doing 'talking therapy' and if you have limited space in the room) and also answer a question: how to recognise if a client starts to dissociate in a session when they close their eyes and go inward to explore sensations. Katarina and Tasha also discuss how embodied psychotherapy approach can be useful in couples therapy and sexual issues resulting from sexual trauma. They complete this last episode of Season 1 - by taking the listeners through some experiential embodied practices that they've been talking about in this podcast, so that you can have the direct experience of the benefits of this type of work. For these videos please click on the links below Experiential Embodied Practice 1, Guided by Tasha Colbert: https://youtu.be/U3RKGV1kQb0 Experiential Embodied Practice 2, Guided by Katarina Gadjanski: This would be released later this month To find out more about Embodied Psychotherapy and courses that we run at the Institute of Embodied Psychotherapy please visit: https://www.embodiedpsychotherapy.org.uk To listen to all other episodes of Becoming an Embodied Practitioner: https://www.embodiedpsychotherapy.org.uk/podcast For more FREE embodied guided practices please visit: https://www.embodiedpsychotherapy.org.uk/guided-practices Podcast intro music: Olafur Arnalds Sound engineering: Benny Lewis

    34 min
  3. Episode 9 - Embodied Approach to Attachment Trauma

    05/10/2024

    Episode 9 - Embodied Approach to Attachment Trauma

    In this episode Tasha and Katarina discuss the topic of attachment trauma and why working with the body is crucial. They discuss how the clients attachment experiences are reflected in the clients  posturing, use of eye contact and non-verbal communication with the therapist. They also reflect on some of the core qualities involved in being the co-regulating ‘other’ to their clients. They go on to reflect on different ways of working somatically with attachment wounds,  such as exploring developmental movement patterns and how to work with abandonment trauma through the body.  They also discuss how early developmental trauma and abandonment trauma affect the nervous system and how to help the client re-wire the nervous system, change survival patterns and practice self-regulation. Becoming an Embodied Practitioner SEASON 1 FINALE SPECIAL LIVE ONLINE SESSION ON 15th DECEMBER 6pm UK time/ 7pm Europe/ 1pm US Eastern/ 10am US Pacific Book your place HERE: https://forms.gle/tgYeEUZWogBDPG1Q8 More info: https://www.embodiedpsychotherapy.org.uk/podcast-live To find out more about Embodied Psychotherapy and courses that we run at the Institute of Embodied Psychotherapy please visit: https://www.embodiedpsychotherapy.org.uk To listen to all other episodes of Becoming an Embodied Practitioner: https://www.embodiedpsychotherapy.org.uk/podcast For more FREE embodied guided practices please visit: https://www.embodiedpsychotherapy.org.uk/guided-practices Podcast intro music: Olafur Arnalds Sound engineering: Benny Lewis

    53 min
  4. Episode 8: Embodied Approach to Working with 'Parts' (Part 2)

    31/08/2024

    Episode 8: Embodied Approach to Working with 'Parts' (Part 2)

    In this episode Katarina and Tasha continue their conversation about the somatic approach to working with ‘Parts’ in psychotherapy. They start by explaining the term ‘Protector Parts’ - and the role that they play in protecting us from feeling painful or overwhelming feelings - such as trauma, shame and vulnerability and keeping the ‘Wounded Parts’ (in IFS known as ‘Exiles’) out of our conscious awareness.  They then discuss how the Embodied Approach is different from IFS and the benefits of working with ‘Parts’ in this way - such as helping the client un-blend from these parts by identifying where they live in their body and externalising them.  They also explain how to help client connect to their most grounded, centred ‘Adult’ self, and how to use the body to evoke ‘Self Energies’. As well as how to pendulate between that safe ‘anchor’ (Adult/Self Energy) and stepping in and out of exploring the protector parts by using titration.  They also discuss how in Embodied Psychotherapy we use drawing, embodiment, working with stones and psycho-drama to help client ‘Map out’ the whole internal system and explore this by externalising (on the floor) their inner world.  They complete this episode by explaining the concept of working with ‘Allies’ - and how to help a client begin to use other, perhaps more compassionate ‘parts’ to take care of the “wounded parts” (Exiles) and help facilitate healing.  If you are interested in attending IEP workshops (online and in-person) on the Embodied Approach to Working with Parts - please check: https://www.embodiedpsychotherapy.org.uk/embodied-therapy-group To access a free guided practice: 'Somatic Parts Work - Tending to the wounded place within us' - please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=629R_phLIzg To access a free guided practice: ‘Connecting to Self Energy’ - please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_W4N5LqrFw To find out more about Embodied Psychotherapy and courses that we run at the Institute of Embodied Psychotherapy please visit: https://www.embodiedpsychotherapy.org.uk To listen to all other episodes of Becoming an Embodied Practitioner: https://www.embodiedpsychotherapy.org.uk/podcast For more FREE embodied guided practices please visit: https://www.embodiedpsychotherapy.org.uk/guided-practices Podcast intro music: Olafur Arnalds Sound engineering: Benny Lewis

    32 min

About

'Becoming an Embodied Practitioner' is a podcast by the Institute of Embodied Psychotherapy. The co-founders Katarina Gadjanski and Tasha Colbert discuss various topics related to the field of body - orientated approaches to therapy and address questions in relation to their therapeutic model: Integrative Embodied Psychotherapy. The aim of this podcast is to offer guidance, resources and support to therapists who wish to become more embodied in their clinical practice; and those interested in somatic approaches to psychotherapy and the therapeutic benefits they offer.

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