ABSTRACT
The author introduces his rationale for including embodied therapy with touch in psychoanalytic psychotherapy. For more complete treatment and healing, patients with physical trauma (e.g., physical abuse, sexual abuse, childhood abandonment) require direct attention to their traumatized bodies in ways that progress beyond talk therapy. The author addresses the need for detailed processing of physical contact with the patient in order to keep the work informed and disciplined. The final section of the chapter speaks to the integration of embodied therapy and psychoanalytic psychotherapy, which can facilitate patient transformations at both embodied and psychic levels.
