Events
Single Day
United States Association of Body Psychotherapists Authors Event, Being With the Body in Depth Psychology: Trauma and its Transformation in the Unspoken Realm, Oct. 31, 2025, 10-12 PM, online, Livestream and Recorded
C.G. Jung Institute of San Francisco, Psyche and Body: A Living Entwinement, Dec 6, 9- 6PM. Registration: tinyurl.com/cxurh3xv. In person and Livestream
Multiday Workshops (In-person Live Events)
Esalen, Jan 30-Feb 1, 2026. Being With the Body in Depth Psychology: Trauma and its Transformation in the Unspoken Realm
Book Reviews
Jung Journal of Culture and Psyche by Robin Greenberg, Fall 2025, Vol. 20. Book Review by Robin Greenberg, Jungian Analyst.
The new Discount Code for the Book is 25AFLY4
Being with the Body in Depth Psychotherapy: Development, Trauma, and Transformation in the Unspoken Realm
Routledge, available on the publisher’s site and Amazon.
The body is a primal current underlying all psychic life; bringing awareness to it cultivates a sense of embodiment, dismantling the dualism of psyche and body, spirit and matter. Much of the current research in trauma studies and neuroscience points to the primary significance of the body in accessing and working through the legacy of trauma. By cultivating the bodily-felt sense of unconscious affects and enhancing those which lie at the edge of the known––feelings, those that are desired and those that are challenging, ecstatic or agonizing––may be savored or transformed.
Throughout the book, case studies offer a compelling account of how a clinician’s awareness of her own bodily states can be key in navigating the powerful psycho-physical forces activated when working with trauma, including the complex vectors of enactments.
This book will be of particular interest to psychotherapists, Jungian and other psychoanalysts seeking to include the body in their practice. Advanced practitioners and those in training will discover that it is possible to understand and engage with the bodily basis of psychic life. It will also appeal to those in the healing arts and others interested in understanding the complexities of body-mind.
With a Foreword by Donald Kalsched
Endorsements
It is a blessing to see Jungian wisdom include the sacredness of the body.
Being with the Body in Depth Psychology: Development, Trauma, and Transformation in the Unspoken Realm, offers us exceptional wisdom for healing trauma. Barbara Holifield’s gift of this book broadens and deepens our conceptualization and understanding of healing from psychological and physical trauma—intergenerational and contemporary. Holifield’s book is rich, profoundly intimate, and deserves to become a classic of Jungian Psychology literature.
In giving the body its due, this book serves as an important, and relevant dialogue between Depth Psychology and those working in the fields of Body Psychotherapy. It is a rich tapestry, an artistically woven fabric, of these two vital strands of comprehending the human condition. This volume will enrich each of these contributions for clinicians in both of these previously disparate fields, particularly with regard to healing the wounds of trauma and abuse.
A powerful, experience-based, highly integrative guide to healing from trauma by a pioneer in the field of Somatic Psychology. The poetics of embodiment finds its mature voice in this remarkable exploration of pathways to recovery drawing on the combined wisdoms of depth psychology, infant research, neuroscience, and a host of approaches to cultivating somatic consciousness. Weaving in the skillful use of the interactive field of the therapeutic encounter, Holifield reveals a multidimensional sensibility that will help orient and guide clinicians working with trauma survivors.
Holifield guides us through a profound exploration of the intricate interplay between the psyche and the body—an introspective journey that delves into the nuanced cultivation of embodiment and the sanctity inherent in inner experiences. Her prose emanates from a non-dualistic perspective, seamlessly weaving together interdisciplinary insights from affective neuroscience, infant development, and trauma research. Through the lens of compassionate vignettes and case studies, she illuminates her mythopoetic approach to navigating the bodily foundations of the psyche’s unfolding process, a transformative odyssey toward the healing of that which was once fragmented and broken. This exquisitely crafted and meticulously researched work stands as a luminous testament, making a profound and insightful contribution to the field.
Barbara Holifield’s groundbreaking book is a must-read for therapists and anyone interested in the profound connection between body and mind. She reveals powerful ways to tap into our bodily-based awareness, offering practical guides for both Therapists and clients alike. The emphasis placed upon patience and presence transforms the therapeutic process into a dynamic and personal journey. The book is an invaluable resource for fostering integral approaches to embodied psychoanalysis, making it an essential addition to any bookshelf.