Michele L. Blume - Mindful Somatic Awareness for Anxiety Relief: A Body-Based Approach to Moving Beyond Fear and Worry

As a somatic psychotherapist, my work with clients often focuses on the debilitating effects of anxiety in their lives. Michele Blumes insightful book provides the missing link between the work I do in the therapy office and the ongoing work clients can continue to do on their own. Through targeted exercises, it provides a road map for those looking to transcend their anxiety and reach their full potential and vitality.

Kelly Mothner, PhD , psychotherapist in private practice in Hermosa Beach, CA; and certified somatic experiencing practitioner (SEP)

Michele Blume has a deep understanding of the experience of anxiety and how it manifests in the body. Her comprehensive SOAR model offers a road map to healing through the use of relatable case examples, clear and easy-to-follow exercises, and recordings which may be used by clinicians and laypeople alike. As a trauma therapist, I was able to integrate her model into sessions with immediate results. She is a loving guide who exudes compassion, wisdom, knowledge, and humility.

Jenna Abell, PsyD , trauma and attachment-focused eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)-trained psychologist

In this book, Michele Blume combines her rich clinical experience in implementing mindful somatic awareness with the latest research on the brain, nervous system, and trauma treatment to offer both therapists and clients practical tools and applications for the treatment of anxiety. For psychotherapists who are introducing more and more somatic techniques into their private practice, this book is a must-read. The author shortcuts needless technical jargon, and gets down to what really works to eradicate high-anxiety states.

Robert Coffman, PhD , licensed clinical psychologist with over forty-five years of clinical experience, international trainer in bioenergetic analysis; and SEP-, EMDR-, and Bodynamic-certified

In this helpful guide, Michele Blume shows that by understanding the origins of your anxiety, you can better mitigate its effects. She knowledgeably walks you through exercises to help you better understand when and how anxiety takes hold of you, offering well-crafted solutions for how to help yourself through the pain of your unique experiences. Blume gently points out that anxiety happens, and that it can often be linked to long-held beliefs from years ago; she then details what you can do about it now. I recommend this book for those suffering from anxiety, and for those looking to help others who are in the throes of their struggle.

Rebekkah LaDyne, MS, SEP , author of The Mind-Body Stress Reset

Publishers Note

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering psychological, financial, legal, or other professional services. If expert assistance or counseling is needed, the services of a competent professional should be sought.

Distributed in Canada by Raincoast Books

Copyright 2020 by Michele L. Blume New Harbinger Publications, Inc. 5674 Shattuck Avenue Oakland, CA 94609 www.newharbinger.com

The exercises Saying No, Sensing No, and My Dance Space, Your Dance Space are adapted from SENSORIMOTOR PSYCHOTHERAPY: INTER-VENTIONS FOR TRAUMA AND ATTACHMENT by Pat Ogden and Janina Fischer. Copyright 2015 by Pat Ogden. Used by permission of W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.

Cover design by Amy Shoup; Acquired by Wendy Millstine; Edited by Ken Knabb

All Rights Reserved

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Blume, Michele, author.

Title: Mindful somatic awareness for anxiety relief : a body-based approach to moving beyond fear and worry / by Michele Blume.

Description: Oakland, CA : New Harbinger Publications, [2020] | Includes bibliographical references.

Identifiers: LCCN 2020015020 (print) | LCCN 2020015021 (ebook) | ISBN 9781684035243 (trade paperback) | ISBN 9781684035250 (pdf) | ISBN 9781684035267 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: Anxiety--Alternative treatment. | Somesthesia. | Mind and body.

Classification: LCC RC531 .B58 2020 (print) | LCC RC531 (ebook) | DDC 616.85/22--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020015020

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020015021

To Mom and Dad

Contents

Acknowledgments

This book and the ideas in it are strongly influenced by the brilliant work of Dr. Peter Levine and his body-based method for healing trauma, called Somatic Experiencing. Providing both a theoretical framework and a therapeutic technique for understanding and working with trauma and other stress disorders, Somatic Experiencing has forever changed the way I work as a therapist. It has also immeasurably influenced my own healing journey. So I extend my deep gratitude to Dr. Levine as well as to the countless teachers at the Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute, whose wisdom and guidance have enhanced my understanding of trauma and the body and how to compassionately work with PTSD and the effects of early emotional wounding.

My gratitude also extends to the following teachers, who have profoundly impacted my life and whose energetic imprint permeates the pages of this book. My deepest gratitude goes to Dr. Sally Miller, who taught me the power of loving attunement and the gift of a forgiving heart. With my whole heart I thank Dr. Robert Coffman, who has deepened my understanding of the bodys wisdom and its intrinsic capacity to heal; he has taught me the healing power of a secure, loving attachment and continues to show me the transformative power of love. Thank you to my dear friend and brilliant colleague Dr. Kelly Waggoner, whose loving support I could not live without. The levity of your spirit and your ability to see the humor and joy in everything are enviable gifts that inspire my life and work every day. My dear, sweet Nicolas, thank you for showing me the power of devotion and intentional loving. You are the constant rainbow that challenges me to think beyond what my eyes see and to trust what my heart feels. My deep and unending gratitude is due to my clients, past and present, whose courage to engage the healing process inspires me every day. You are among my greatest teachers, and I thank you for entrusting me with the most sacred contents of your hearts and for having faith in my ability to guide your healing. And to Michael and Lorraine Blume, whom I call Mom and Dad: You are my biggest cheerleaders and most ardent fans. Thank you for your faith in me and for trusting the unconventional path I have chosen for my life. Your unconditional love and support have been as constant as the sun and the bedrock of my journey.

Foreword

Anxiety goes beyond our thinking minds. Fear is felt as a swirling in the belly, tension in the chest, sweatiness of the palms, and clenching of the jaw. However, so many therapeutic approaches focus solely on cognitive interventions. We can learn to talk ourselves down from a panic attack, but unless we unpack the underlying experiences that fuel our anxiety, the fear and panic often persist. As a result, we often feel caught in a game of cat and mouse, feeling as though we are constantly being chased, temporarily escaping into freedom, only to replay this process again and again. Dr. Michele Blume reminds us why we cannot think ourselves out of our fear-based responses. Moreover, her somatically based approach will help you learn valuable, body-based exercises to find real, sustained relief.