We think with the whole body. The embodied mind. For a long time, psychoanalysis has prioritized the verbal formulation of mental contents as a tool to resolve conflicts and psychic suffering, but has given little conceptual and clinical presence to the body in the psychoanalytic process. Disciples of Freud, especially Ferenczi and Reich, introduced modifications, including the incorporation of bodily actions and the concept of muscular armor. It is from the decade of the eighties, influenced by new philosophical currents, discoveries in neuroscience, and research with infants, that relational psychoanalysis became interested in integrating these new insights into the treatment of psychological issues.
This led to a new perspective on the body reflected in clinical practice, with a fresh focus on the patient’s corporeality and the possibility of employing various bodily techniques.
Keywords
Body, mind, embodied, history, neurosciences, psychoanalysis, relationships, therapy.
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[Automatic translation from Catalan]:
Western society, especially after Descartes, has prioritized the mind as a tool of knowledge and often as the only valid way to unravel the enigmas of nature and life. In this approach the body has been relegated to a second term, subordinate to the dictates that mark reason, located, in general terms, in the brain. Psychology has long prioritized the verbal formulation of mental content as a tool to resolve conflicts and mental suffering but giving very little conceptual and clinical presence to the body. In fact, Freud, in his early days, touched the front of his patients to help them remember, but soon stopped doing so and exclusively privileged verbal care. His disciples, especially Ferenczi and Reich, introduced modifications in the psychoanalytic approach, including the inclusion of body actions[…]
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