Body Encyclopedia: A Guide to the Psychological Functions of the Muscular System [Paperback]

Lisbeth Marcher (Author), Sonja Fich (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 30, 2010

Based on Bodynamic Analysis, a body-oriented psychology developed in Denmark by the authors and their colleagues, Body Encyclopedia describes the developmental sequence in which psychological and emotional elements are linked to specific muscles. The book shows how certain responses to events in our lives end up bound and connected with our movement patterns. Through extensive research, Marcher, Fich, and several others have mapped out the psychological functions of 154 muscles and related tissues.

Featuring more than 200 detailed illustrations, Body Encyclopedia opens with an introduction to the history and development of Bodynamic Analysis. The core of the book presents a description of each muscle, including movement positions, age level when the muscle is activated, and a summary of the psychological themes associated with each muscle. Basic instructions are provided for bodymapping, a hands-on procedure that involves palpating and registering muscle response. Vivid case studies demonstrate how to apply the information in real-life situations. Using the book as a guide, readers can accurately identify and investigate the underlying psychological issues associated with muscle pain, discomfort, or weakness in specific areas of the body.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Long awaited, much anticipated, and truly a magnum opus, Body Encyclopedia brings together many decades of research and clinical practice. Lisbeth Marcher, Sonja Fich, and their colleagues have produced an unparalleled system of both diagnosis and treatment that will place body psychotherapy, and especially Bodynamics, in the mainstream of both psychotherapy and medicine. This work is both scientifically rigorous and accessible to all professionals in the field of health care.”
—Jacqueline A. Carleton, PhD, editor of the United States Association for Body Psychology Journal
 
“I believe that most schools of psychology and therapy have failed to understand fundamental ways humans use to make meaning about themselves in the world. Marcher, Fich, and their Bodynamic colleagues make a stunning step forward in overcoming this error by providing a fundamental developmental framework that helps us to understand the pathways humans move through and how to work effectively with our patients, young and old.”
—Ed Tronick, PhD, professor of psychology, University of Massachusetts; chief faculty, Infant-Parent Mental Health Post-Graduate Certificate Program, University of Massachusetts; and director, Child Development Unit, Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School
 
“Body Encyclopedia brings together forty years of rigorous research, theory, and practice in the field of mind-body psychotherapy. In an outstanding class of its own, it contains the most precise anatomical understanding of the human condition along with numerous practice exercises generously articulated throughout the book. This offering from Lisbeth Marcher, Sonja Fich, and their Bodynamic colleagues brings a whole new level of essential knowledge to the field.”
—Ian Macnaughton PhD, RCC, past president of the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors and editor of Body, Breath, and Consciousness and Embodying the Mind and Minding the Body
 
“Body Encyclopedia by Lisbeth Marcher and Sonja Fich is the most detailed study of functional muscular anatomy for therapists that exists. This book will be an invaluable reference for all body psychotherapists.”
—Dr. David Boadella, founder of Biosynthesis and the Energy and Character journal

“Some forty years of research and theory come together in this key acquisition… It offers a satisfying blend of tested results from clinical practice paired with decades of research, considering diagnosis and treatment that will place body psychotherapy in line with mainstream medicine. … Not to be missed!”
—Midwest Book Review

About the Author

Lisbeth Marcher and Sonja Fich are two of the cofounders of the Bodynamic Institute, a worldwide organization that offers Bodynamic Analysis training and services. Marcher is president of the European Association for Body-Psychotherapy. Fich is a psychotherapist, bodynamic analyst, and relaxation educator. Both live in Denmark.

Product Details

• Paperback: 568 pages
• Publisher: North Atlantic Books; 1 edition (November 30, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556439407
• ISBN-13: 978-1556439407
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 1.3 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #88,774 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Important Textbook, February 24, 2011

By 

Peter A. Levine (Lyons, Co. United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Body Encyclopedia: A Guide to the Psychological Functions of the Muscular System (Paperback)

This "encyclopedia" is a most important reference for serious students of body oriented psychotherapy. While it is most useful in the context of Bodynamic Analysis, the volume is a rich resource of complex and detailed information that body therapists can study to enrich their practices. The book could benifit from more conceptual material. Not easy but deep.

Peter A Levine, PhD
Author of: In an Unspoken Voice, How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Useful Only within the Framework Of Bodynamic Analysis, February 22, 2011

By 

Passionate Therapist (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Body Encyclopedia: A Guide to the Psychological Functions of the Muscular System (Paperback)

This is an extremely high quality book packed with information. However the terminology and taxonomy of information is all specialized according to bodynamic analysis. This book is not an introduction or explanation of bodynamic analysis either. It is more like a reference book for practitioners. Without that training I cannot make use of this book. The title makes it seem more general in applicability.