Touch has been a taboo in mainstream Western talking therapies since their inception. This book examines the effects on us of touch, and of touch deprivation – what we feel when we are touched, what it means to us, and the fact that some individuals and cultures are more tactile than others. The author traces the development and perpetuation of the touch taboo, puts forward counterarguments to it, outlines criteria for the safe and effective use of touch in therapy, and suggests ways of dismantling the touch taboo should we wish to do so. Through moving interviews with clients who have experienced life-changing benefits of physical contact at the hands of their therapists, the place of touch in therapy practice is re-evaluated and the therapy profession urged to re-examine its attitudes towards this important therapeutic tool. This book will be essential reading for therapists, counsellors, social workers, educators, health professionals and for any general reader interested in the crucial issue of touch in everyday life.

Is ethical touch an oxymoron? Is the bias against touch in psychotherapy justified? Can the recovery process be complete without healing touch? Mental health professionals are entrusted with the awesome responsibility of providing appropriate treatment for clients in a safe environment that nurtures trust, a necessary ingredient for optimum movement through the therapeutic process. Though treatment approaches vary, most modalities are verbally based and, in theory, exclude physical contact. Fearing that any form of touch would likely lead to sexual feelings or interaction, clinicians tend to shy away from the topic. In The Ethical Use of Touch in Psychotherapy, however, authors Mic Hunter and Jim Struve skillfully demonstrate that touch--a most basic human need--is intrinsic to the healing process along with talk-therapy, regardless of the practitioner′s theoretical orientation. While the use of touch is a given in other health care settings, it remains a benefit denied as taboo in psychotherapeutic relationships, due to transgressors whose unscrupulous use of a valuable technique have marred its reputation. This book encourages readers to conduct a meaningful self-reflection and explore possible misconceptions related to touch in order to rejuvenate its acceptance. Based on years of sound research and clinical experience, The Ethical Use of Touch in Psychotherapy promises to enrich clinical discussion and stimulate further empirical research. This insightful and progressive presentation is a must read for clinicians, interns, and advanced students, as well as lay readers interested in the dynamics and innovations in psychotherapy.

Should a therapist ever shake hands with a client, or touch a client's hand or shoulder? There are taboos against erotic touch in psychotherapy, for excellent reasons, but what about nonerotic touch? These latter forms of physical contact are not explicitly taboo and they can be powerful forms of communication. Research and clinical experience indicate that they can contribute to positive therapeutic change when used appropriately. What, then, is appropriate use?

Gain the knowledge and skills you need to succeed in massage therapy! Mosby's Fundamentals of Therapeutic Massage, 8th Edition helps you prepare for licensing and certification exams as well as professional practice. The book provides an in-depth understanding of the principles of therapeutic massage and helps you develop the ability to reason effectively and make informed decisions — from assessing problems and planning treatment to mastering massage protocols and techniques. Hundreds of photographs demonstrate massage techniques step by step, and case studies allow you to apply concepts to real-world situations. Featuring dozens of online "how-to" videos, this resource from massage therapy experts Sandy and Luke Fritz is your text of choice. Comprehensive coverage includes all of the fundamentals of therapeutic massage, including massage techniques, equipment and supplies, wellness, working with special populations, and business considerations. Step-by-step, full-color photographs demonstrate massage protocols and techniques by body area. Competency-based approach helps you prepare for and pass licensing and certification exams, including the Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx) and Board Certification in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (BCTMB). Information on massage in various health care settings provides the information needed to create a massage setting in different types of environments. Case studies offer practice with clinical reasoning and prepare you to address conditions commonly encountered in professional practice. Multiple-choice review questions in each chapter help you recall facts and use critical thinking to apply the material, with answers and rationales provided on the Evolve website. Resources on the Evolve website include three hours of video showing manipulation techniques, body mechanics, positioning and draping, and more — with each clip narrated and performed by author Sandy Fritz — as well as scientific animations, anatomy labeling exercises, review questions for licensing exams, and MBLEx practice exams. NEW! Updated MBLEx practice questions are provided at the end of each chapter, and additional questions are provided on the Evolve website, to prepare you for licensure exams. NEW! Updated and expanded information on implicit bias is included in the opening chapters. NEW! Information on COVID-19 safety precautions is added to the Hygiene, Sanitation, and Safety chapter. NEW! Updated information on trauma-informed care is provided in the Adaptive Massage chapter.

This groundbreaking book presents a new model for incorporating the human body, and specifically physical touch, into psychoanalysis and psychotherapy, particularly for patients who have experienced trauma. Novak’s model of informed and disciplined touch articulates five categories of touch and three phases of therapeutic body work, all of which can help move the patient and therapist directly into bodily experiences that enable trauma memories to be processed, and then analyzed and transformed. This transformation leads to patients experiencing their bodies in fundamentally new ways, both relationally and intrapsychically. The book also grapples with the risks and ethics of working directly with patients’ bodies, outlining theoretical and clinical elements that help create a safe and sacred therapeutic structure. Novak’s model offers a continuum of touch from everyday physical interactions, such as handshakes or hugs, to more complex and complete ways of working with the body that are safe and meaningful and that create an integrated experience of the patient’s mind and body. Physical Touch in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy is of interest to therapists at all levels of experience in the fields of counseling, social work, psychotherapy, and psychoanalysis. Practitioners in other helping professions such as healthcare, massage therapy, and physical therapy, as well as providers of wholistic medicine, will also be able to make use of the comprehensive clinical model and case studies detailed in the book.

Are you sometimes challenged by how to apply ethical principles in your own practice? Looking to understand what ethical practice can look like from different theoretical standpoints? Linda Finlay takes you on an exploration of ethical therapeutic practice. She highlights how therapeutic decisions depend on the social and relational context and vary according to your theoretical lens. She provides you with guidance on how to engage in therapy relationally while remaining professional, ethical and evidence-based. Split over three parts this book takes you through: - The Context of Relational Ethics - introducing you to the foundational ideas, and considering how professional codes are applied within therapy - Relational Ethics within the Therapeutic Relationship – exploring the complex judgements demanded by the therapeutic process, and looking at how therapy needs to be situation specific - Relational Ethics in Practice – five extended, fictional case studies demonstrate relational ethics in practice, and discuss the issues raised.