Psychosomatic Therapy Course

Lesson 1 • Mind-Body Communication Pathways

Explains neurological, endocrine, and immune channels linking psychological states to somatic symptoms. Builds biological literacy essential for later intervention chapters.

Lesson 2 • Defining Psychosomatic Disorders

Differentiates functional, somatoform, and psychophysiological conditions using diagnostic criteria. Accurate classification guides appropriate treatment selection.

Lesson 3 • Core Theoretical Frameworks

Examines biopsychosocial, systems, and embodiment models as explanatory lenses. Students apply each framework to interpret clinical presentations.

Lesson 4 • Ethical and Professional Standards

Covers informed consent, scope of practice, and duty of care specific to psychosomatotherapy. Establishes the ethical foundation required before clinical skill development.

Lesson 1 • Emotional Regulation and Dysregulation

Analyses the neurobiological basis of emotional regulation and its breakdown under stress. Links dysregulation patterns to specific somatic complaints seen clinically.

Lesson 2 • Trauma and the Body

Examines how traumatic experience is encoded somatically and neurologically. Prepares students to recognise body-held trauma before applying therapeutic techniques.

Lesson 3 • Stress Response Mechanisms

Details acute and chronic stress physiology, including allostatic load. Connects stress biology to the somatic symptom patterns introduced in Chapter 1.

Lesson 4 • Psychosomatic Symptom Formation

Explains conversion, somatisation, and alexithymia as pathways from psychological distress to physical symptoms. Provides mechanistic understanding needed for targeted interventions.

Lesson 1 • Cultural Competence in Somatic Work

Addresses how cultural background shapes body experience, touch norms, and help-seeking. Culturally responsive practice improves alliance quality across diverse populations.

Lesson 2 • Co-Regulation and Attunement

Teaches the therapist's role in regulating client arousal through presence and attunement. Co-regulation skills directly support trauma-informed somatic work.

Lesson 3 • Creating Somatic Safety

Covers environmental, relational, and procedural strategies for establishing felt safety. Somatic safety is the prerequisite for body-based exploration and trauma processing.

Lesson 4 • Transference and Countertransference

Explores somatic dimensions of transference and countertransference in the therapeutic dyad. Managing these dynamics prevents alliance rupture and therapist burnout.

Lesson 1 • Integrative Case Formulation

Synthesises biological, psychological, and social data into a coherent psychosomatic formulation. The formulation directly drives individualised treatment planning in subsequent chapters.

Lesson 2 • Psychosomatic Interview Techniques

Presents structured and semi-structured interview formats that elicit body-symptom narratives. Effective interviewing integrates verbal and somatic data into a unified picture.

Lesson 3 • Standardised Psychosomatic Instruments

Reviews validated questionnaires and rating scales for somatic symptoms, dissociation, and body image. Standardised tools ensure reliable, comparable baseline and outcome data.

Lesson 4 • Somatic Observation and Tracking

Trains precise observation of posture, gesture, breath, and movement as clinical data. Somatic observation feeds directly into the case formulation process.

Lesson 1 • Touch-Based Therapeutic Approaches

Introduces ethical, consent-based touch protocols for somatic contact and boundary work. Touch interventions require the safety and alliance foundations established in Chapter 3.

Lesson 2 • Movement and Posture Interventions

Applies therapeutic movement, postural adjustment, and gesture amplification to release held tension. Movement interventions address somatic patterns identified during assessment.

Lesson 3 • Body Awareness and Interoception

Develops clients' capacity to notice and interpret internal body sensations accurately. Enhanced interoception is foundational to all advanced somatic processing techniques.

Lesson 4 • Grounding and Stabilisation Methods

Teaches sensory, movement, and cognitive grounding techniques to reduce hyperarousal. Grounding is the first-line stabilisation skill applied before deeper somatic processing.

Lesson 1 • Sensorimotor Processing Methods

Applies mindful movement, impulse completion, and postural intervention to trauma resolution. Sensorimotor methods address the motor action tendencies frozen by traumatic experience.

Lesson 2 • Somatic Experiencing Techniques

Teaches titrated tracking of body sensation, pendulation, and discharge to resolve trauma. Builds directly on the body-awareness skills developed in Chapter 5.

Lesson 3 • Working with Dissociation Somatically

Provides strategies for recognising and working with dissociative states during body-based therapy. Safe dissociation management prevents session destabilisation and client harm.

Lesson 4 • Integration and Post-Processing Care

Covers session closure, integration practices, and between-session support after trauma processing. Proper integration consolidates therapeutic gains and reduces adverse reactions.

Lesson 1 • Skin and Immune-Related Conditions

Examines psychosomatic contributions to dermatological and autoimmune presentations. Stress reduction and emotional processing are the primary therapeutic levers.

Lesson 2 • Gastrointestinal Psychosomatic Disorders

Covers gut-brain axis dysfunction, irritable bowel syndrome, and stress-related digestive conditions. Combines relaxation, interoception, and cognitive reframing for gut-focused therapy.

Lesson 3 • Chronic Pain and Somatic Therapy

Applies pain neuroscience education and somatic techniques to chronic pain management. Integrates assessment data from Chapter 4 with interventions from Chapters 5 and 6.

Lesson 4 • Sleep and Fatigue Disorders

Addresses insomnia, chronic fatigue, and burnout through somatic and behavioural interventions. Combines sleep hygiene, nervous system regulation, and energy management strategies.

Lesson 1 • Goal Setting and Treatment Planning

Translates case formulations into SMART therapeutic goals and phased treatment plans. Structured planning ensures coherent, client-centred progression through therapy.

Lesson 2 • Progress Monitoring Methods

Introduces session-by-session tracking tools for somatic, emotional, and functional outcomes. Continuous monitoring enables timely adjustments to the treatment plan.

Lesson 3 • Termination and Relapse Prevention

Covers planned termination, relapse prevention planning, and long-term self-management support. Effective endings consolidate gains and reduce the risk of symptom recurrence.

Lesson 4 • Adapting Interventions Based on Data

Teaches clinical decision-making for modifying techniques when progress stalls or deteriorates. Data-driven adaptation distinguishes competent from novice practitioners.