To continue our discussion on embodiment, I had the privilege of interviewing Dr. Ann Saffi Biasetti, PhD, LCSW-R, CEDS, C-IAYT on mindful awareness in body-oriented therapy (MABT).
Dr. Ann Saffi Biasetti is a somatic psychotherapist. She is certified in mindful awareness in body-oriented therapy (MABT) and mind-body integrative yoga therapy, as well as somatic internal family systems therapy (IFS), advanced polyvagal, mindfulness, and self-compassion. Her book Befriending Your Body: A Self-Compassionate Approach to Freeing Yourself from Disordered Eating and subsequent program Befriending your Body have helped folks heal through embodiment and self-compassion.
- How would you describe MABT to a clinician or client new to the modality?
MABT stands for Mindful Awareness in Body-Oriented Therapy. Dr Cynthia Price initially developed MABT to help promote body awareness in individuals who were disconnected from their sensory experiences, to promote greater interoceptive awareness. Through her research, MABT is now an empirically validated protocol for interoceptive awareness training.
- What is the theoretical foundation, and how does it differ from other somatic or mindfulness-based therapies?
Gendlin’s Focusing experiential therapy approach inspired her work as did mindfulness. As a somatic therapist myself, I was called to MABT due to its difference from the other somatic approaches I have trained in. MABT focuses specifically on increasing not just overall body awareness or nervous system awareness, but also helps an individual become aware of their inner body experience, helping them to become in touch with even subtle cues and internal shifts that we tend to ignore, yet have a very large influence upon our autonomic functioning.
- How do you typically apply MABT with clients experiencing disordered eating or eating disorders? Could you share a specific example of what this might look like in practice?
There are three stages of interoceptive development in MABT. Therefore, depending on what stage in recovery my clients are at, I will apply the appropriate stage of MABT. For instance, the first stage is the development of what is called Body Literacy, or more simple body awareness, such as the sensations that are most obvious to our clients, such as bodily discomfort, tension, and muscular holding patterns. In the beginning stages of recovery, I constantly guide my clients into body literacy throughout the session. That may even include the way they sit, or when they are furrowing their brow and don’t realize it, or the way they may curl up on my couch after I discuss their day. Our clients’ bodies are speaking to us at all times, and it’s my job as a somatic therapist to help them make sense of what their bodies are saying. Beginning in stage one and increasing this literacy helps our clients gain their own awareness and language about their body, which can eventually help them in developing a more in-depth interoception that we as clinicians are hoping for, such as hunger and fullness cues.
- What kinds of practices or exercises do you typically guide a client through in an MABT session, especially when they’re just learning to tune in to their body?
I guide them into identifying held patterns of tension and then help them to come up with descriptive words for the sensation. The more words we can develop together, the greater their literacy and then eventually their attention to sensation will be.
- If I were observing a session, what kinds of guidance or prompts might I hear you offer a client as they engage in MABT?
There are two ways to deliver MABT, one is hands-on, using practitioner touch and the other is hands-off, where the client uses their own self-touch. You’d first hear me using gentle, compassionate guiding of their attention to their body as I mentioned above. You’d then hear me guide the client to use self-touch, or various propping I use for sensory awareness. Touch or the use of props to mimic touch is a very important step in heightening attention to sensation.
- What other, if any, therapeutic modalities do you integrate alongside MABT in your work with this population?
I was a somatic therapist for many years before my MABT training. MABT fit in perfectly with the work I was already doing with my clients. I am a Transpersonal psychologist, so I approach my clients through a humanistic and embodied self-compassion approach. I am certified in a mind-body integrative yoga therapy as well as somatic IFS, advanced polyvagal, mindfulness and self-compassion. I integrate all of these approaches alongside MABT.
- Since MABT can involve physical touch, how do you navigate consent for that? And how might it be adapted for clinicians like dietitians or therapists who don’t routinely use touch in their scope of practice? Specifically, how might you introduce this work and obtain consent — especially if you’re a dietitian or therapist who does not typically use physical touch in your scope of practice?
Practitioner touch varies state-by-state so each clinician would have to check with their licensing board to review their policies on this. In NY, we are not allowed to use touch so I practice all somatic interventions hands-off using self-touch or propping.
- What resources might you recommend to clinicians who are interested in learning more?
You can visit the Center for Mindful Body Awareness at https://www.cmbaware.org/ and you can access plenty of free somatic practices on my website www.befriendingyourbodyprogram.com
- Anything else you’d like to share about your work?
Yes, my Befriending Your Body program (BFYB) is an 8-week somatic program that focuses on the development of interoception, nervous system regulation and self-compassion. I also have a new book coming out next summer, Your Body Never Meant You Any Harm, which is a somatic healing book through interoception, compassion and forgiveness, dedicated to women.
You can learn more about Ann and her work: www.befriendingyourbodyprogram.com
