Scholarship of Practice (SOP) Lecture Series: Somatic Based Therapy in an Inpatient Psychiatric Setting: The Body as the Foundational Focus to Ignite Healing

Somatic Based Therapy in an Inpatient Psychiatric Setting: The Body as the Foundational Focus to Ignite Healing

Presenter: Mary Ann Sornito, OTR/L

Presentation Abstract & Objectives

Somatic Therapies are holistic body-centered interventions that use mind-body exercises, body movement, breathwork, and manual therapies to help discharge suppressed tension from stress-related disorders; promoting the restoration of self-regulation, wholeness and vitality. Inpatient psychiatric facilities primarily adopt an allopathic focus of medication and talk-based therapies for trauma interventions which is essential but neglects the impact of extreme adverse events on the body. This presentation will define the bottom-up processing of somatic therapies and challenge OTs to consider how to listen and engage the “Living Body” to ignite the body’s own natural healing mechanisms starting with building the therapists’ own capacity to monitor and regulate their nervous system. Experiential techniques for quieting the mind and body will be practiced that can be readily implemented in any treatment setting that benefits both the practitioner and their clients.

At the end of the presentation, attendees will be able to:

1. Identify at least three high energy physical symptoms exhibited by a sympathetic-dominant nervous system to support effective body scanning skills as part of building a daily mindfulness practice for therapists and their clients.
2. Identify at least three low energy physical symptoms exhibited by a parasympathetic- dominant nervous system to support effective body scanning skills as part of building a daily mindfulness practice for therapists and their clients.
3. Identify at least three potential physical signs of discharge of an activated nervous system to determine the efficacy of the somatic intervention for the therapist and offer visual tracking cues for the therapist to observe in the client.
4. Demonstrate on self at least four somatic techniques to ground and stabilize an overactive nervous system to strengthen own self-regulation skills and provide authentic first hand feedback when teaching clients.

Each Scholarship of Practice (SOP) Lecture Series presentation is designed to share evidence-based knowledge relevant to occupational therapy practice. CE credit is available for occupational therapy practitioners who are currently licensed in IL.

SOP Lecture Series attendees who are not UIC OT students can attend the presentations in person or remotely.

SOP attendees seeking to attend remotely must RSVP.

For more information about these presentations or other inquiries, please contact Cassandra Pagliaruli cpagli4@uic.edu.