Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Date of Degree
9-2017
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Program
Psychology
Advisor
Benjamin Harris
Committee Members
Diana Punales
Steven Tuber
Melissa Ilardi
Rebecca Campon
Subject Categories
Clinical Psychology | Counseling Psychology | Dance Movement Therapy | Mental Disorders | Other Psychiatry and Psychology
Keywords
psychodynamic psychotherapy; body-based psychotherapy; nonverbal attunement; embodiment; dance-movement therapy
Abstract
The distinction between verbal and nonverbal psychotherapies is clearly visible in theory and clinical practice. Moreover, this duality of approaches promotes a split between the body and the mind, defining them as separate from each other. This dissertation helps bridge the divide between the literature in body-based therapies and verbally-based psychotherapy by (i) exploring the conceptual frame used to understand the body in psychodynamic therapy (ii) identifying the areas of overlap between psychodynamic theory and theories that underlie body-based psychotherapies, and (iii) proposing ways in which psychodynamic and body-based theories can inform one another. A clinical case was used to share possible ways in which nonverbal attunement, somatic countertransference, mirroring and embodied use of language could contribute to bridging the gap between the worded and wordless. In the case and the analysis, it becomes apparent those therapeutic interventions that are coming from the field of body-based therapies, could be used in verbal approaches to contribute to a fuller understanding of the therapeutic process.
Recommended Citation
Rayska, Aleksandra, "A Conceptualization of the Body in Psychodynamic and Body-Based Psychotherapies: Areas of Overlap and Possibilities for Integration" (2017). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/2291
Included in
Clinical Psychology Commons, Counseling Psychology Commons, Dance Movement Therapy Commons, Mental Disorders Commons, Other Psychiatry and Psychology Commons