Home » Reading List – Somatic Psychology

Reading List – Somatic Psychology (Updated Aug 2023)

Required:

  • Somatic Psychology: Body, Mind and Meaning, Linda Hartley. Whurr/J. Wiley. 2004

We are able to do a one-off bulk order of the book from the publisher and gain a 40% discount, so can offer the book at £29 for current students (List price £46.95). Please make your payment to the IBMT Administration Bank Account to confirm your order by 11th Sept 2023 and we can supply you with the book on the first weekend of the module.

There is a general 20% discount available to all until December 31, 2024. Use Code PSC15 when ordering the book via www.wiley.com

Other Core IBMT Texts:

  • Wisdom of the Body Moving – An Introduction to Body-Mind Centering, Linda Hartley. North Atlantic Books. 1995
  • Sensing, Feeling and Action, Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen. Contact Editions, Northampton, MA. 1993.
  • The Fluid Nature of Being. Ed. Linda Hartley (a collection of writings by 21 IBMT practitioners from the 3 programmes in the UK, Lithuania & Russia.)

Recommended (in no particular order):

  • Body-Mind Psychotherapy, Susan Aposhyan. WW Norton & Co. 2004 (Based on BMC® theory & practice)
  • From Conception to Birth – Alexander Tsiaras. Vermilion, London 2002 (a beautiful, detailed book of digital images charting embryo and body system development)
  • A Child is Born – Lennart Nilsson. Jonathan Cape 2009 (A large Format book of beautiful photographs/digital images from conception to birth. Lots of editions available)
  • Embryogenesis – Richard Grossinger. North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, CA
  • Being and Becoming – Franklyn Sills. North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, CA
  • The Biology of Belief, Bruce Lipton. Hay House. 2005/2008
  • Jaap van der Waal’s website:  www.embryo.nl 
  • The Interpersonal World of the Infant, Daniel N Stern. Basic Books.1985. (Development of the Senses of Self)
  • Lifestreams, David Boadella. Routledge & Kegan Paul, London. 1987. (If available, his work on the germinal layers and splitting/integration of body, feelings and mind)
  • Boundary and Space, Madeleine Davis & David Wallbridge. Penguin Books. 1981. (Good summary of Winnicott’s work around infant relational development)
  • Why Love Matters, Sue Gerhardt. Routledge. 2004. (Summary of recent research in neuroscience and attachment theory)
  • A General Theory of Love, T Lewis, F Amini, & R Lannon.Vintage Books. 2000 (Emotions, neuroscience and attachment theory)
  • The Neuroscience of Human Relationships, Louis Cozollino. WW Norton. 2006
  • Jung & Reich: The Body as Shadow, John P Conger. North Atlantic Books. 1988
  • Waking the Tiger – Healing Trauma,  Peter A. Levine. North Atlantic Books, CA. 1997
  • The Body Remembers – The Psychophysiology of Trauma and Trauma Treatment, Babette Rothschild. WW Norton & Co. Inc. 2000
  • Healing Developmental Trauma: How early Trauma Affects Self-Regulation, Self-Image and the Capacity for Relationships, Larry Heller. Berkeley: North Atlantic Press. 2012
  • Somatic Reality. Stanley Keleman. Center Press 1979 (Short, highly readable text, Keleman presents his theory of somatic psychology)
  • Dreambody, Arnold Mindell. Penguin Arkana.1982
  • River’s Way, Arnold Mindell. Penguin Arkana. 1985
  • Radical Wholeness. Philip Shepherd. North Atlantic Books 2017 (Highly readable exploration of  how culture and language reinforces separation of body and mind)
  • Touch is Really Strange/ Trauma is Really Strange / Pain is Really Strange/ Anxiety is Really Strange. S Haines. Singing Dragon 2022 (Science based graphic illustrated short books, bringing compassion and humour to complex topics.)
  • Stephen Porges – http://stephenporges.com
  • The Polyvagal Theroy in Therapy – Deb Dana – 2018 (an excellent description of a framework to work with clients, for their nervous system regulation)
  • Spirit into Form: Exploring Embryological Potential and Prenatal Psychology Cherionna Menzam Sills. 2021 (Very somatic based approach to embryology and includes movement work)
  • Nurturing Resilience. Kathy Kain, 2018 (Includes work on attachment and touch)
  • The Tao of Trauma – Alaine Duncan & Kathy Kain 2019 (very good on approaches to touch with  trauma)
  • The Practice of Embodying Emotions: A Guide for Improving Cognitive, Emotional, and Behavioral Outcomes. 2022 Raja Selvam
  • The Adventure of Self-Discovery, Stanislav Grof. SUNY Press. 1988. (Describes the origins of the Basic Perinatal Matrix (BPM)
  • The Emotional Brain, Joseph E LeDoux. Phoenix. 1998
  • The Second Brain, Michael D Gershon.
  • Descartes’ Error: Emotion, Reason and the Human Brain, Antonio R Damasio. Penguin. 1994
  • The Psychophysiology of Self-Awareness, Alan Fogel. WW Norton. 2009
  • What We May Be, Piero Ferrucci. Turnstone Press, UK. 1982 (Describes sub-personality development)