9:00-11:00 New York/ 14:00-16:00 London/ 21:00-23:00 Beijing & HongKong/ 23:00 – 01:00 Sydney

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**This event will be recorded. Registrants will receive the recording link via email after the live session.**

Webinar Description

In this ground-breaking book the current dualistic framework in Western healthcare, with its separation of body and mind, is abandoned in favour of a more holistic, integrated, embodied approach. It is also possible that shifts in our understanding of neurobiology will strengthen support for the use of The BodyMind Approach (TBMA) over time. Medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) which are distressing bodily symptoms for which tests and scans return normal are now included under the umbrella term ‘body distress disorder’ and therefore the authors have named them both as somatisation. Both conditions are associated with excessive anxiety, can be incredibly debilitating conditions and people seek healthcare frequently. They are common world-wide, yet there are few interventions available to help those suffering with the physical and/or emotional pain they cause. TBMA presents a solution using an embodied, expressive, biopsychosocial, facilitated groupwork programme. It helps patients self-manage the anxiety associated with body distress disorder as well as their bodily felt experience. We have adopted the term ‘Bodymindfulness’ to acknowledge the connections patients make between their sensory experiences and their mind.

Whilst we would acknowledge the influence of dance movement psychotherapy (DMP), particularly adaptive authentic movement, in the development of TBMA it is important that we make clear the key differences. DMP is only one element in the evolution of a totally new biopsychosocial approach to medically unexplained and explained symptoms with co-morbid anxiety. Most especially TBMA is not a psychotherapy but rather an embodied biopsychosocial learning model employing expressive arts practices. This distinction is vital to its appeal to people with somatisation (medically unexplained symptoms/body distress disorder) – at least in the early stages of their acceptance of engaging with TBMA. Chronic bodily symptoms whether explained or not can lead to excessive emotional distress, so the individual seeks frequent support from the health services.   Sadly, disengagement with mental health services by people with medically unexplained symptoms/body distress disorder is all too common when a hint of it being concerned with a mental health issue is detected. Hence connections to health education may help in finding common ground and a useful vocabulary to connect with many different health care professionals as well as people with these conditions. The fact that TBMA utilises the body as a vehicle for accessing emotions, memories, meanings, and the mind, is exceptionally powerful in enabling people with bodily felt and emotional distress to engage with the programme/approach.

Speakers

Professor Dr. Helen Payne

PhD., MPhil., PGDip., Laban Cert., Cert. Ed., Fellow HEA., UKCP Reg. psychotherapist has been researching somatic symptoms since 2005. She works part time at the University of Hertfordshire supervising doctoral students. She was the pathfinder for the development of the Association for Dance Movement Psychotherapy UK.  In 2012 she led the formation of pathways2wellbeing for delivering TBMA in primary care. She is a trainer in the Discipline of Authentic Movement and TBMA.

Susan Brooks

MSc., MA., MSc., CQSW., MBA., Cert Ed., Fellow HEA., has worked as a teacher, social worker, biologist, senior manager, assistant chief probation officer and university senior lecturer. Susan offers an unusual skill mix which brings a holistic and truly biopsychosocial perspective to the understanding of distressing bodily symptoms. She joined Helen in 2012 as a director in forming and managing the University of Hertfordshire spin out pathways2wellbeing and collaborated on the research projects.

Expected Outcomes

1. An understanding of how expressive movement can aid connections between body and mind in the context of chronic bodily symptoms with co-morbid anxiety,
2. Insight into how TBMA works to support people experiencing chronic somatisation, including pain,
3. Knowledge of the TBMA programme formulation and how it can engage this hard-to-reach population.