How our minds can make us young again

This remarkable article, “What if Age is Just a Mindset?”, about the work of psychologist Ellen Langer, ran this week in the New York Times. Its basic idea – that our minds have more power over the youth and health of our bodies than we’ve dared to imagine – is one that is near and

Some middle ground for treating pedophiles?

This week on Medium, a long article went around that told the story of a 16-year-old boy who realized that he was sexually attracted to young children. Rather than demonizing such non-offending pedophiles, the article follows his efforts not only to stop himself from hurting children, but to help others like him. The pressure not

Stand like Wonder Woman, and change your life

More research, this time out of Harvard Business School, is emerging around the ways in which body language, body position, and other clear, controllable physical actions can not only change the way others think and feel about us, but how we feel and think about ourselves. Amy Cuddy’s research showed a two-minute change in body posture

Working with sexuality

It doesn’t take a bodyworker to tell you that sexuality is a touchy topic in modern life.  Sex is one of the driving forces of our human existence, and its prominence in what drives us is evident equally in the suggestive images and messages that bombard us daily, and in the repressive messages we still

The fitness industry’s war against your body

I have long been suspicious of the fitness industry, and in particular the more recent, particularly self-punishing styles of workout that have become so popular.  For my own part, I believe in eating whole foods, indulging from time to time, and being as active as you can in a way that doesn’t cause injury.  I’ve

Are emotions universal?

An interesting profile in Boston Magazine of Lisa Barrett, a psychologist who is working to challenge the long-held belief that there are six universal emotional facial expressions.  The work of Paul Ekman, who first pioneered this field, is now being seen as too simplistic: [E]motion isn’t a simple reflex or a bodily state that’s hard-wired

People into BDSM no longer considered mentally ill. Well it’s about time.

As reported by The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, the makers of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, commonly known as the DSM, has released its new edition (DSM-5).  In previous editions, paraphilias – a catch-all term for “unusual” sexual desires falling under the umbrella of fetishes, BDSM, or kink – were basically considered

The four powers of the Synergist

A colleague responded recently to my post on finding my ideal clients by talking about the four needs of attachment theory.  In short, a client needs the same things from a therapist or Synergist that a child needs from a caregiver – or an adult from a loving relationship.  I’ll simply quote my friend here:

Not Actually A Psychotherapist

Earlier this month, I made a post about finding my ideal clients in which I implied, near the end, that I’m a body psychotherapist.  (The exact quotation was, “If you were looking for help from a body psychotherapist, what would you hope they could do for you?”  Which admittedly was more about finding out what

Finding my ideal clients

I’m currently taking a course with my mentor, Joan Brooks, on marketing.  It was something of a struggle for me to begin it, I’ll admit, and I’m finding myself dragging my feet, too, in getting the homework assignments done.  Let’s face it: marketing just isn’t all that sexy.  It’s not the thing that we go