Introduction to Body-focused Interventions in Schema Therapy

17th January, 2025 (online)
(9.00am - 3.30pm)

Janis Briedis, Consultant Psychologist

This introductory one-day workshop presents the theory and experiential approach to integrating body-focused techniques to enhance schema therapy practice in a time-limited manner. These strategies are particularly useful for clients who present with complex needs and have histories of severe childhood neglect or trauma, and who have difficulties engaging with traditional schema therapy techniques.

This workshop is designed for psychologists, psychotherapists, psychiatrists and other mental health professionals who wish to incorporate somatically-focused interventions in schema therapy.

Topics covered at the workshop:

Understanding the role of the body in trauma – the neurobiology underpinning complex trauma and fragmentation of self
Addressing barriers to working with the body both for the client and the therapist and how to overcome them
Tracking the body to identify triggers for modes and schemas
Understanding the principles of working safely - helping clients stay within their Window of Tolerance while processing traumatic material
Working with traumatic reactions and animal defences, including freeze and submit states, and understanding their relationship to schema modes and schemas
Somatic resourcing to facilitate grounding and a sense of safety in the present moment
Steps of working with the body and designing somatic experiments
Working on the therapist’s own body awareness to enhance self-regulation and to facilitate higher levels of attunement with and co-regulation of the clients in the therapeutic space.