The Wild Region of Lived Experience: Using Somatic-psychoeducation

The Wild Region of Lived Experience introduces the emerging discipline of somatic-psychoeducation, a body-mind approach developed over a period of twenty-five years by author Danis Bois. The book describes somatic-psychoeducation as an approach that uses aspects of manual therapy (touch), movement, and psychotherapeutic methods to help people heal from physical and emotional issues, as well as develop their maximum potential for balance, well-being, and creativity. The method considers the person as a body-mind unit, bringing a resolution to physical pain and psychological suffering, thereby helping one regain the sense of their life.By teaching people to perceive, to feel, and to reflect, they learn from their bodies and from events in their lives. Parts I and II of the book provide a general description of somatic-psychoeducation, as seen through the career path and personal experience of the author. In Part III, the author introduces the idea of ‘body-mind tuning’, which involves methods of touch, movement, and introspection, and verbal dialogue to connect the patient more fully to his or her body, thoughts, and behaviour. Part IV explores the origin and evolution of physical and psychological pain and explains how somatic-psychoeducation helps people heal.