Forum Live: Depth Therapy and The Body
Depth therapy at its inception was developed to treat patients whose physical symptoms had a psychological component. But in years since Freud first developed the “talking cure,” physical concerns such as chronic pain, medically unexplained conditions, and mind-body disorders have increasingly been relegated to interventions that are purely medical or, if psychological, involving brief behavioral inventions. In this Forum Live, our esteemed panel discussed the role of psychological and emotional factors in common physical concerns, as well as the role of depth therapies in helping to ameliorate chronic body-based symptoms. This panel was particularly interesting to those looking to learn about ways that depth-therapy can be integrated with other psychological and medical approaches.
Our panelists:
Frances Sommer Anderson, PhD, SEP. The body—disabled, disfigured, in pain—has been the focus of Fran’s professional work since the beginning. She was the co-editor of a ground-breaking collection of essays, Relational Perspectives on the Body 1998. In 2008, she edited Bodies in Treatment: The Unspoken Dimension, writing openly about 30 years of experiencing a range of body treatments while a patient in Classical and Relational Psychoanalysis. She co-authored Pathways to Pain Relief with Eric Sherman, PsyD in 2013. She was the Invited Lecturer at the 22nd John Bowlby Memorial Conference, London, UK, 25 April, 2015. She is a faculty member of the Certificate Program in Trauma Studies at the Manhattan Institute of Psychoanalysis. In 2021, Anderson was a co-presenter for the Confer live webinar, Chronic Pain and Disrupted Early Attachments and she will be a presenter for the Confer live webinar, Cravings: Roots of Addiction and Chronic Pain in Early Adoption on December 9, 2022.
Jeffrey Axelbank, Psy.D. is a psychologist working for over 25 years in both clinical and organizational consulting roles. As a psychotherapist, he provides individual and group therapy, specializing in complex trauma and chronic pain. As a consultant he focuses on underlying dynamics which might not be obvious when looking at the surface. In particular, Dr. Axelbank utilizes large group, whole system interventions involving multiple stakeholder groups, using methods such as Future Search to address issues such as conflict resolution, strategic planning, burnout and morale, organizational culture, and change management. Jeff was named 2011 Psychologist of the Year by the New Jersey Psychological Association, and was awarded the prestigious Peterson Prize in 2013 by the Rutgers University Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology for “outstanding contributions to professional psychology.” Jeff currently serves as Treasurer on the Board of The International Society for the Psychoanalytic Study of Organizations.
David D. Clarke, MD is President of the Psychophysiologic Disorders Association. He is also Assistant Director at the Center for Ethics and Clinical Assistant Professor of Gastroenterology Emeritus both at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Oregon, USA. He is board-certified in Gastroenterology and Internal Medicine and practiced Gastroenterology in Portland from 1984 to 2009. During that time, he successfully treated over 7000 patients whose pain or other symptoms were not explained by diagnostic tests. The ideas are described in his book They Can’t Find Anything Wrong!, which was praised by a president of the American Psychosomatic Society as “truly remarkable” and named by Brit & Co to be one of the five best mind-body books ever written. He is also the lead editor for the professional textbook Psychophysiologic Disorders. He lectures about Psychophysiologic Disorders to health care professionals and the public across North America and in Europe and has appeared on over 100 television and radio broadcasts. The PPD Association website is EndChronicPain.org.
Gerry Pierre, is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Diabetes Care & Education Specialist with over 25 years of experience in healthcare. She is passionate about helping people achieve optimal health by creating and practicing lifestyle habits to maintain good health and prevent chronic illness. Throughout her career working in hospitals, schools and clinics with people of all ages, educating patients/clients on improving their health with risk factors they can control like food choices and physical activity has been impactful. In her current role as a Lead Health Coach with TrestleTree, LLC she empowers participants with a combination of implementing behavior change principles and providing education. She believes in a holistic approach to health that includes taking care of physical, mental and social/emotional health.
Howard Schubiner, MD is an internist and the director of the Mind Body Medicine Center at Ascension Providence Hospital in Southfield, Michigan. He achieved the rank of full Professor at Wayne State University School of Medicine and is now a Clinical Professor at the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. He has conducted ground breaking research in the field of nociplastic pain and has authored more than 100 publications in scientific journals and books, and lectures regionally, nationally, and internationally. Dr. Schubiner is the author of three books: Unlearn Your Pain, Unlearn Your Anxiety and Depression, and Hidden From View, written with Dr. Allan Abbass. He is a co-editor of two other books: Psychophysiologic Disorders: Trauma-informed, interprofessional diagnosis and treatment and A guide to the diagnosis of psychophysiologic disorders. Dr. Schubiner lives in the Detroit area with his wife of thirty-nine years and has two adult children.
Recording of this panel has been split into two parts: the first part containing the introductions and speeches by each panelist, and the second part containing the question and answer portion.
For further resources related to the panel topic, find a list here!