Sensorimotor Psychotherapy: Interventions for Trauma and Attachment

by Pat Ogden, Janina Fisher

A book for clinicians and clients to use together that explains key concepts of body psychotherapy.

The body’s intelligence is largely an untapped resource in psychotherapy, yet the story told by the “somatic narrative”-- gesture, posture, prosody, facial expressions, eye gaze, and movement -- is arguably more significant than the story told by the words. The language of the body communicates implicit meanings and reveals the legacy of trauma and of early or forgotten dynamics with attachment figures. To omit the body as a target of therapeutic action is an unfortunate oversight that deprives clients of a vital avenue of self-knowledge and change.Written for therapists and clients to explore together in therapy, this book is a practical guide to the language of the body. It begins with a section that orients therapists and clients to the volume and how to use it, followed by an overview of the role of the brain and the use of mindfulness. The last three sections are organized according to a phase approach to therapy, focusing first on developing personal resources, particularly somatic ones; second on utilizing a bottom-up, somatic approach to memory; and third on exploring the impact of attachment on procedural learning, emotional biases, and cognitive distortions. Each chapter is accompanied by a guide to help therapists apply the chapter’s teachings in clinical practice and by worksheets to help clients integrate the material on a personal level.The concepts, interventions, and worksheets introduced in this book are designed as an adjunct to, and in support of, other methods of treatment rather than as a stand-alone treatment or manualized approach. By drawing on the therapeutic relationship and adjusting interventions to the particular needs of each client, thoughtful attention to what is being spoken beneath the words through the body can heighten the intimacy of the therapist/client journey and help change take place more easily in the hidden recesses of the self.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Mental Health, Counselling, Self Help, Unfinished, Social Work

771 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 27, 2015

Reviews

[Morgan Blackledge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sensorimotor Psychotherapy is a somatically oriented therapeutic approach developed by Pat Ogden that integrates principles of attachment theory, neuroscience, polyvagal theory, and interpersonal neurobiology (INPB), as well as techniques from therapeutic modalities, including dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), internal family systems (IFS) and somatic experiencing (SE),

If that sounds like a lot.

You’re right.

It totally is.

In fact.

It would be way TOO much if it weren’t so well written.

I could continue.

But suffice it to say.

This book is a clinical tour de force.

Spectacular.

Epic.

5/5 stars ⭐️

[Jasmine St. John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is really good and really long. I actually don't mind the length because the information is solid. There are three reasons I didn't give this a full 5 stars. The first is because if you get the audio or kindle version you don't have access to the worksheets unless you hunt for the info that you can email them directly and get them. So, you for sure can get the worksheets if you don't have the hardback just you have to email them. The second reason though is that the worksheets look dated. Maybe that is intentional I'm not sure. However, it would be really nice if someone came around and updated them for a more modern look on these concepts. Finally, the last one isn't the book itself but the audio choice of the narrator. I felt like after just having read "Healing the Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors" where the narrator was a female soothing voice, hearing a man talk about these trauma/abuse it just seemed jarring. I think choosing a more soothing gentle feminine voice might have been a better option for many but maybe that is just my part responding. The book overall was really good and had some strong information backing up the amazing research and guidance of two amazing professional therapists in the field. I do recommend as a serious resource if you are dealing with complex trauma clients and want to look at IFS, body, and overall systemic dynamics that occur from this kind of abuse.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a lot of things that I really like about this book. It's written for clinicians and clients to work through together, though clinicians could also pick exercises to use with clients in sessions without clients using the book themselves. The exercises provided in the chapters and worksheets are extremely valuable, and may be applicable to interventions from a variety of modalities (including CBT, DBT, ACT, and interpersonal process approach, among others) in addition to sensorimotor psychotherapy. I am less keen on the worksheets themselves, as I found them a little unfriendly. I would adapt them, or use them as exercises in sessions--I would definitely recommend that therapists work through them together with clients, rather than sending clients off with them on their own.

I also absolutely love the author's description and understanding of dissociative processes, which extends well beyond dissociative disorders. Her non-pathologizing stance towards the "parts" of self promotes a sense of safety and acceptance for all of the client's experiences. To this end, I also appreciated the explanations of how to adapt the content when working with clients who dissociate--this information is valuable for work from other modalities as well.

[Kent Winward · Rating 4 out of 5]

While designed for practitioners, the book also works as personal self-therapy guide in the sensorimotor realm. It is unfortunate that more therapy isn't tied to bodily movement.

[Steph Mecham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely worth a read (and re-reads!)

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a therapist, I sometimes tell patients that “over-intellectualization leads to misery.” There is only so much that talking about trauma can do to help a person heal—a person also needs to reconnect with their bodies. Pat Ogden’s model Sensorimotor Psychotherapy is a body-based ("somatic") form of treatment designed to help patients heal from trauma from the inside out. I read this long book over 21 days, carefully reviewing the material and making printable files of the worksheets that conclude each chapter. I will be better able to say how well the therapeutic model works as I use the material with my own patients. Sensorimotor Psychotherapy is a new model, and there isn't a significant amount of research to back up its effectiveness yet. Mental health professionals must use skepticism/critical thinking in their work. Upon this initial reading, I can say that this book is clearly written, and the therapeutic model sounds useful for helping patients manage a variety of problems.

I found the concept of “memory reconstruction” in chapter 22 to be particularly interesting:

“Many people are surprised to learn that, although memory refers to
real experiences, it is also subjective, reflecting an individual’s
personal perspective, not just ‘facts.’ That is why two people often
have different accounts of what happened when they remember and
discuss a past event. Each of us orients to different elements of the
same situation, which directly affects what we take in and what we
leave out. We remember bits and pieces and then put them together
in a manner that makes sense to us, which then becomes our
‘memory.’ Often we remember only the most disturbing and painful,
or the most wonderful and exciting. exciting, bits and pieces because those
elements were the most vivid and intense. Our memory retrieval is
therefore not an exact recall of what happened in an objective sense
(meaning, as if a neutral person were simply filming the event), but a
recall of those elements that we selectively oriented toward and
registered at the time. This chapter will describe the ‘reconstructive’
nature of memory and explore changing how you remember by
intentionally discovering positive elements or resources that you
used but may have forgotten or not focused on before, during, and
after a painful memory.” (p. 532 of the PDF).
[...]
“Although we can never change what happened, how we
remember it can be revised, edited, and modified no matter how long
ago the events happened. You can learn to orient toward and focus
attention not only on the negative but also on the positive aspects of
painful experiences. Doing so will help you face the distressing,
painful parts of the memory in the work of the chapters to come. By
discovering, acknowledging, and embodying the resources you were
able to use, as well as the positive elements surrounding a painful
memory, you are rewriting the story you have remembered over and
over in a particular way up until this point, and this can change your
brain’s memory of what happened. The worksheets that follow will
help you to remember internal and external resources alongside
disturbing aspects and upsetting emotions you felt during the
distressing event. This brings balance to a painful memory and
supports our sense of confidence and mastery.” (p. 538 of the PDF).

The Contents of the Book:

Introduction
Section One Getting Started
Chapter 1 Essential Principles
Chapter 2 Orientation for Therapists
Chapter 3 Orientation for Clients
Section Two Basic Concepts and Skills
Chapter 4 The Wisdom of the Body, Lost and Found
Chapter 5 The Language of the Body: Procedural Learning
Chapter 6 Pay Attention: The Orienting Response
Chapter 7 Mindfulness of the Present Moment
Chapter 8 Directed Mindfulness and Neuroplasticity
Chapter 9 The Triune Brain and Information Processing
Chapter 10 Exploring Body Sensation
Chapter 11 Neuroception and the Window of Tolerance
Chapter 12 Three Phases of Therapy
Section Three Phase 1: Developing Resources
Chapter 13 Appreciating Your Strengths: Survival and Creative Resources
Chapter 14 Taking Inventory: Categories of Resources
Chapter 15 Somatic Resources
Chapter 16 Grounding Yourself
Chapter 17 Core Alignment: Working with Posture
Chapter 18 Using Your Breath
Chapter 19 A Somatic Sense of Boundaries
Chapter 20 Developing Missing Resources
Section Four Phase 2: Addressing Memory
Chapter 21 Implicit Memory and Your Resource Repertoire
Chapter 22 Reconstructing Memory: Finding Resources in a Painful Past
Chapter 23 Dual Awareness of Past and Present
Chapter 24 Sliver of Memory
Chapter 25 Restoring Empowering Action
Chapter 26 Recalibrating Your Nervous System: Sensorimotor Sequencing
Chapter 27 Emotions and Animal Defenses
Section Five Phase 3: Moving Forward
Chapter 28 The Legacy of Attachment
Chapter 29 Beliefs and the Body
Chapter 30 Making Sense of Emotions
Chapter 31 Moving through the World: How We Walk
Chapter 32 Boundary Styles in Relationships
Chapter 33 Connecting with Others: Proximity-Seeking Actions
Chapter 34 Play, Pleasure, and Positive Emotions
Chapter 35 Challenging Your Window of Tolerance
Afterword

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[Image: Book Cover]

Citation:
Ogden, P., & Fisher, J. (2020). Sensorimotor psychotherapy: Interventions for trauma and attachment (audiobook; P. Brion, Narr.). Tantor Audio. https://www.audible.com/pd/Sensorimot... (Original work published 2015)

Ogden, P., & Fisher, J. (2015). Sensorimotor psychotherapy: Interventions for trauma and attachment (PDF). W.W. Norton & Company. https://www.etsy.com/listing/18999722...

Title: Sensorimotor Psychotherapy: Interventions for Trauma and Attachment
Author(s): Pat Ogden, Janina Fisher
Series: The Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology #7
Year: 2015
Genre: Nonfiction - Psychology, Psychotherapy
Page count: 974 pages (PDF)
Date(s) read: 6/14/25 - 7/4/25
Book 139 in 2025
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[Radim May · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative and illuminating view into psyche and soma relationship with focus on soma and it’s mesmerising inner intelligence

[bibliophagy · Rating 3 out of 5]

a dense text with many potentially useful takeaways in each chapter if the therapist and client are able to do a separate analysis of how to apply interventions appropriately for each client's specific cultural, physical, and trauma-related needs. perhaps one could get more out of taking a course rather than reading this book?

critiques:
- the authors discuss variations in client backgrounds and cultures infrequently and without any detail.
- binary cis-normative examples and case studies
- there is no discussion of how to vary physical therapeutic interventions to meet the needs of disabled clients.
- reads as a highly directive and manualized approach despite authors saying it is not a manualized approach (again, i imagine discussion of the nuanced application of this approach might be better received in a training versus reading the book on one's own).

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great beginning in to being Sensorimotor Informed for yourself and clients. A lead in for those wondering if further SP training is the right path for them as this speciality requires care and a qualified skill set for ethical practice. Listened to the audio and am planning on purchasing the text to have access to the handouts and particular client directed chapters.

[Louisa]

if you have the time just get this and not trauma and the body, fairly comprehensive though the worksheets were slightly repetitive. interesting how some of the work intersects with asiaworks/new field/other coaching techniques, though much more attention is on stabilisation and managing arousal

[Claudia Putnam · Rating 5 out of 5]

More on trauma from one of the greats in the field. This is a text-book, so best for people who are practicing in some way, or plan to.

[Carina · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing exploration of the way our body expresses the innermost workings of our brain and how to understand its language.