Reclaiming the Body: Sensuality, Sexuality and Intimacy Following Childhood Attachment Trauma

Wednesday, March 4, 2009: 1:00 PM-5:00 PM
Shanghai (Westin Long Beach)
All eating disordered clients in recovery must learn or relearn how to tolerate emotions. Emotions tied to allowing intimacy and sexuality are often the most complex since they activate protective numbing parts related to engulfment and abandonment. Alienation from the body interferes with the sensory experiences as well as fear related to pleasure and letting go. This lecture will categorize the most common patterns of ED clients as well as interventions that are useful from a cognitive and mindfulness perspective. This workshop will utilize videotaped segments illustrating deeper work related to changing cognitive schemas tied to early trauma and neglect
All eating disordered clients in recovery must learn or relearn how to tolerate emotions.  Emotions tied to allowing intimacy and sexuality are often the most complex since they activate protective numbing parts related to engulfment and abandonment.  Clients often have a combination of hyper and hypo sexuality tied to their over control and out of control cycles paralleling the eating disorder.  Similarly they have relationship with cycles of over dependency followed by distances related to disorganization attachment.  This often requires intra-psychic as well as inter-psychic interventions related to tolerating intimacy.  Alienation from the body interferes with the sensory experiences as well as fear related to pleasure and letting go. 
This lecture will categorize the most common patterns of ED clients as well as interventions that are useful from a cognitive and mindfulness (Buddhist) perspective.  This workshop will utilize videotaped segments to illustrate deeper work related to changing cognitive schemas tied to early trauma and neglect.
All eating disordered clients in recovery must learn or relearn how to tolerate emotions.  Emotions tied to allowing intimacy and sexuality are often the most complex since they activate protective numbing parts related to engulfment and abandonment.  Clients often have a combination of hyper and hypo sexuality tied to their over control and out of control cycles paralleling the eating disorder.  Similarly they have relationship with cycles of over dependency followed by distances related to disorganization attachment.  This often requires intra-psychic as well as inter-psychic interventions related to tolerating intimacy.  Alienation from the body interferes with the sensory experiences as well as fear related to pleasure and letting go. 
This lecture will categorize the most common patterns of ED clients as well as interventions that are useful from a cognitive and mindfulness (Buddhist) perspective.  This workshop will utilize videotaped segments to illustrate deeper work related to changing cognitive schemas tied to early trauma and neglect.
Primary Presenter:
Mark Schwartz, Sc.D.

Mark F. Schwartz, Sc.D. earned his doctorate in Psychology and Mental Health from Johns Hopkins University. He is a licensed psychologist, an adjunct professor in the departments of Psychiatry and Neurology at St. Louis University School of Medicine, and formerly the Executive Director of the Masters and Johnson Institute and Inpatient treatment programs, nationally recognized for their innovative treatment with trauma survivors. Over the past 25 years, Dr. Schwartz has achieved national recognition for his contributions in a variety of clinical areas, including the treatment of intimacy disorders, marital and sexual dysfunction, sexual compulsivity, sexual trauma and eating disorders. He lectures nationally on these topics and has authored numerous articles and book chapters, including the books, Sexual Abuse and Eating Disorders and Gender and Sexuality. Dr. Schwartz is currently on the editorial board of the Journal of Eating Disorders. Currently, Dr. Schwartz is Director of Castlewood Treatment Center for Eating Disorders and Trauma and the Relational and Sexual Therapy Program of Missouri.



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