Touch. The Most Fundamental of Human Experiences with Cornelia Elbrecht

For the last several years Guy Macpherson has dedicated himself to the study of trauma, post-traumatic growth, and most recently, the intersection of trauma and psychosis - specifically assessing and treating signs of early psychosis. He holds a Doctorate in clinical psychology and with The Trauma Therapist Project brings together resources for clinicians and therapist of all kinds who are starting out on their trauma-informed journey.

In this interview Cornelia Elbrecht and Guy Macpherson discuss the hands-brain connection and how at the Clay Field we are able to treat early developmental trauma through an inter-relational touch experience.

EssaysGuy MacphersonAugust 17, 2023Institute for Sensorimotor Art TherapyCornelia Elbrecht, art therapy, Sensorimotor Art Therapy, trauma healing, somatic experiencing, Art Therapy, Clay Field Therapy, Clare Jerdan, clay therapy, clay field therapy, clay field, clayfield, clayfield therapy

Phenomenology as Curiosity in the Clay Field

The Philosopher Husserl (1931) formulated phenomenology as a theoretical construct. His interest was to learn what the direct experience of the person is and what meaning they attach to their experience. Husserl recognised that reality is always played out in the present tense, not the past and not the future. That if access is gained to sensory input of a person’s original experience in the here and now, then we would be able to view that person’s subjective reality. By substituting ‘how’ and ‘what’ questions instead of ‘why’ questions he posited that we could avoid interpretation and explanation; rather to be open and aware of the given data and see the client as he is and ‘what is happening right now?’

The study of phenomenology has evolved from the theoretical construct of Husserl (1931) with more ongoing developments in both physical sciences and social sciences (Van De Reit, 2001). The phenomenology of today is a sensory based moment to moment process that is uniquely my own as I interact with and I am impacted by the wider field in the here and now. At the Clay Field this plays out in every session. This interest, curiosity and tracking of my client’s experience in the Clay Field in the here and now supports to deepen the awareness and experience of their reality. There are moments when as a therapist I silently retract, giving minimal encouragement to the client’s action patterns in the clay and as they explore the field...

EssaysClare JerdanMay 30, 2023Institute for Sensorimotor Art TherapyCornelia Elbrecht, art therapy, Sensorimotor Art Therapy, trauma healing, somatic experiencing, Art Therapy, Clay Field Therapy, Clare Jerdan, clay therapy, clay field therapy, clay field, clayfield, clayfield therapy

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