BodyMind: Goodbye to Dualism

Since the era of Descartes, harmful ideas about mind-body dualism have permeated Western culture. This mindset separates the body from the self, resulting in low somatic awareness and a sense of being disconnected from the sensual. The body holds memories, emotions, experiences, joys, pleasures, and pain. The intense effort many people put into not feeling in the body results in a host of psychological and physical problems, including depression, anxiety, obesity, and repression, among others. This course is the first in a series on Mind/Body/Spirit, the whole-system approach to living and understanding the self.

This introductory level course is accessible for practitioners of all orientations and all levels of experience. It contains seven audio interviews by the ever-thoughtful and kind Dr. David Van Nuys (transcripts provided). The first section, on Bodymind Healing, contains an interview with Dr. Michael Mayer. This interview introduces the listener to the concept of Bodymind, orienting the listener to the rest of the course. The second section, Healing Without Medication, contains an interview with somatic expert, Dr. Maggie Philips, on the role of the body in recovering from pain. She is heavily influenced by Dr. Peter Levine’s work on Somatic Experiencing.

The third section, The Brain, contains an interview with psychiatrist Dr. Robert Hedaya on treating brain imbalances without psychiatric medication, and an interview with fellow psychiatrist Dr. John Ratey on the exciting restorative opportunities of exercise for the brain. The fourth section, Eastern Medicine, contains interviews with Eastern Medicine practitioners Randy Clere and Dr. Bernard Seif. This section discusses the power of acupuncture, ritual, martial arts, and hypnosis to help clients heal. The fifth section, Psychotherapy and Adventure, contains a riveting interview with Dr. Jason Holder on meeting young clients in the somatic, “play” realm. Additional resources and references are provided for further study, but they are not part of the course.

“You are not a mind being carried around by a body; you are a body that thinks.”
– Nick Walker, MA

Disclaimer: This course is purely educational and does not intend to serve as a license (or permission) to mental health professionals to prescribe or practice any of the approaches discussed in this course unless they fall within the scope of practice of your profession. Check with your licensing board about the scope of practice of your profession to make sure you practice within that scope.It also does not serve as a permission to title yourself in any specific way.