United States Association for Body Psychotherapy (USABP)

Overview:

Profession(s): Psychotherapy
Member Type(s): Psychologists, Counselors, Psychiatrists, Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, Dance Therapists
Scope: National - United States
Formed: 1996
Address: PMB 294, 7831 Woodmont Avenue, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA
Email: usabp@usabp.org
Website: www.usabp.org

Description:

The USABP is a practitioner-centered, member-driven association that is committed to the goals of organizing, representing and shaping the emerging profession of Body Psychotherapy. Body Psychotherapy is an expansive field that draws from many eras and traditions - the ancient traditions of intuitive and natural healing, the somatic psychotherapies developed by Wilhelm Reich and others, the American Dance Therapy tradition, the psychoanalytic field, and the more modern traditions of Humanistic, Existential, and Phenomenological psychology. The growing interest in holism and alternative and complementary medicine by society and the health care system underscores the need for healing the mind-body split - which is the hallmark of our field - and reflects the expanding interest in Body Psychotherapy.

Our intention as an organization is to meet this new environment that we have helped create with greater self-awareness, greater unity and a more professional approach to our position and contributions. To this end, we wish to raise the profile of Body Psychotherapy within the health care and psychotherapy fields and within society as a whole. Internally, we seek to open discussion among modalities and schools of Body Psychotherapy, creating a language and a practice that distills the most effective elements from the diverse approaches to "embodiment" represented in our membership.

Mission/Aims:

USABP is a nonprofit membership association dedicated to developing and advancing the art, science, and practice of Body Psychotherapy.

Principal Activities:

Promote Body Psychotherapy
Conduct National Conferences
Publish the USA Body Pschotherapy Journal
Publish a newsletter for members
Maintain and promote ethical guidelines
Operate a web site with information for the public and professionals
Offer a Locator Service for the public to find body psychotherapists in their area
Foster research involving Body Psychotherapy
Network with schools and training programs for Body Psychotherapy

Member Benefits:

National Conferences and registration discounts for members.
Free Quarterly USABP Newsletter Subscription.
Free Semi-Annual USA Body Psychotherapy Journal Subscription.
Free Ethics Guidelines Handbook - the first official guidelines for ethical standards of practice for body psychotherapists.
Listing in the USABP Membership Directory - distributed to all members via the USABP website.
Access to Members Section of the USABP web site and special features including: My Info, including a personal calendar, an e-mail account, access to your profile, and quick links to software updates; My Profile, for updating your information directly online; and My Links, for setting up links to favorite sites by just checking a box or entering the name and URL of the site.
Free listing in the Locator Service which provides contact information to members of the public looking for a body psychotherapist (for Clinical members).
Body psychotherapy research, research guidelines, and the only body psychotherapy research awards competition in the US.
International networking with body psychotherapists, organizations, conferences, academic programs, and professional training programs worldwide.
National publicity to bring greater public awareness to the field of body psychotherapy - and to your practice.

Affiliations:

Partner Associations:
European Association for Body Psychotherapy (EABP)

Verification Criteria:

An academically recognized advanced psychotherapy degree from a program which incorporates body psychotherapy; or

An academically recognized advanced degree in a psychotherapy discipline and certification from a recognized body psychotherapy program; or

Certification from a recognized body psychotherapy training program and training in formal principles of psychotherapy.