Writing, Articles, Musings
Please note that all articles are copyrighted. Should you wish to use any portion of these articles, please contact Sabrina Santa Clara.What's Wrong With No Touch Policies?
Summary: This is a brief article published in the Colorado Counseling Association's newsletter of February 2012. This article names to two belief systems underlying no-touch policies in Mental Health Organizations and repudiates them as invalid. Link here to read the article on page 6.
Clinical Validation and Application of Touch as a Psychotherapeutic Intervention in Public Mental Health Settings
Abstract: This article reviews current research and professional writings related to touch in psychotherapy. The author coins and defines the term psychotherapeutic touch and makes the point that harmful and erotic touch is counterpsychotherapeutic. The benefits and potential harm are elucidated, as are ethical guidelines for the use of touch, which are likely to minimize potential harm. The author asserts that the refusal of touch by mental health workers may cause just as much harm as nonpsychotherapeutic touch and debunks the notion that no-touch policies in public mental health settings are effective tools for litigation avoidance. The author makes a compelling case for the use of psychotherapeutic touch in Mental Health Settings and makes four recommendations for public mental health organizations: (1) allow psychotherapeutic touch for those who are trained; (2) provide basic touch training for all mental health workers; (3) provide somatic supervision; and (4) create documentation standards for touch interventions. Link here to read the full article.
7 Minutes Beneath Braco's Gaze
Braco, known as the gazing healer came to Denver in 3/2011. I had to see for myself what the big-deal was about. Overall, not impressed. Link here to read my musings on the experience.
What is My Professional Habit?
This piece is most useful for other psychotherapists. I wrote it as a response to a networking workshop. To read it, link here.
Alchemical Injury: Self-Transformation Through Dance/Movement Therapy and Internal Family Systems in Highly Embodied Adults with Chronic Injuries
This thesis seeks to answer the question, can the combination of Internal Family Systems therapy and Dance/Movement Therapy help to transform an ego-based orientation to self towards a more transpersonal orientation to Self in highly embodied individuals with adult-onset chronic injuries. The author defines adult-onset chronic injury and makes the case that this population is neither acknowledged nor appropriately served by the medical/psychological community. Furthermore, the author makes a case that adult-onset chronic injury in highly embodied individuals is experienced differently than in those who are not highly embodied. The author provides a psycho-spiritual model for working with this population that aims to improve psychological functioning through the transformation from an ego-based orientation to self towards a more transpersonal orientation to Self. Link to thesis