Body, Mind & Soul: A Christian Evaluation of Somatic Therapy- Theory Critique and Practical Discernment

Somatic therapy has grown rapidly in popularity for the treatment of trauma and other mental health conditions. However many Christians are suspicious of this form of therapy. Is it Eastern spiritualism wrapped up in therapeutic language? On the other hand, many Christians see the powerful effects of this therapy are tempted to accept its underlying explanations without careful examination.In this second of two episodes, I dive into modern theories of somatic psychology and affirm what they get right and what must be rejected through the lens of science submitted to theology. I then provide practical steps that clinicians and non-clinicians alike can take to evaluate somatic psychology on their own. Theories covered include: Peter Levine, Bessel van der Kolk and Polyvagal Theory.____Summer Book Club: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1DDNAqji9y/Speed shooting trained automaticity: https://www.forcescience.com/2022/02/firearms-training-for-real-world-assaults/Critique of Polyvagal theory’s claims concerning the dorsal and ventral vagus nerves: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301051123001060Scientific refutation of “The Body Keeps the Score”: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/systems-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnsys.2026.1812957/fullJoin the conversation on Substack: https://substack.com/@ashleyhagemanMy private practice (Michigan only): https://www.solaceprofessionalcounseling.com/homeMusic by Douglas Hageman https://doughageman.bandcamp.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecreatedmind.substack.com