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Somatology
Thomas Hanna
e-Book 2016 International Psychotherapy Institute
From The Psychotherapy Guidebook edited by Richie Herink and Paul R. Herink
All Rights Reserved
Created in the United States of America
Copyright © 2012 by Richie Herink and Paul Richard Herink

Table of Contents
DEFINITION
HISTORY
TECHNIQUE
APPLICATIONS
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Somatology
Thomas Hanna
DEFINITION
Somatology is a theoretical science of somatic process; as such, it is a
science of living bodies as they change and adapt during the course of time.
Somatology seeks to determine the consistent functional-structural patterns
displayed by an organism as it adapts itself to the environment and the
environment to itself.
The word “soma,” designates any living organism, whether plant, animal
or man, whether a single cell or a multicellular individual. The Greek word

soma refers to the living body seen in its wholeness. Thus, the soma is not
simply a “body” but is the unitive functioning of “mind”, “body”, and
“emotions.” In all instances the phenomenon of life exists uniquely in the form
of the soma, i.e., as a whole, embodied process whose combined elements

relate, first of all, to themselves and secondarily to the environment.
Somatology understands that the full nature of the soma (i.e., the life
process) can be observed only in vivo. Because the soma is a stabilized
process of constant change, its center and periphery are always indefinite;
Psychotherapy Guidebook 5
however, the presence of a functional centrum within a surrounding
membrane is a somatic constant.
The functions and structures of somas have evolved as direct reflections

of the electrical, chemical, gravitational, and mechanical laws of the physical
universe. Each species of soma has evolved its own specific reflex
mechanisms and fixed motor patterns reflecting these universal laws.
More generally and informally, somatology may refer to the living
functions and structures of human somas, i.e., to the self-regulatory and
balancing mechanisms that guarantee the homeostatic integrity of human life.

As a human science somatology seeks to provide a common theoretical
ground for the integration of such fields as psychology, physiology,
anthropology, and others. This integration becomes possible because
somatology’s holistic, process-oriented viewpoint transcends the mind-body

metaphysics that has been a traditional part of these sciences.
HISTORY
The word “somatology” was first employed as early as the late sixteenth
century by O. Casmann to refer to a general science of living bodies, as

contrasted to physics, the general science of matter. For well over two
centuries the word was used to designate the anatomical and physiological
properties of living bodies.
Somatology, as the science of bodily functions as well as structures, was
born in 1872 when Charles Darwin published The Expression of the Emotions
in Man and Animals. Although Darwin did not then use the term somatology,
The Expression provided the conceptual framework for a century of research
by biologists, geneticists, ethologists, anthropologists, biochemists,
neurophysiologists, linguists, and psychologists.
The contemporary sense in which the word somatology is now used
was spelled out by Thomas Hanna in Bodies in Revolt: A Primer in Somatic
Thinking (1970). Here it referred to a general scientific field toward which
many of the above-mentioned sciences were converging: the study of the
complex of genetically based functions that each species, including the
human, has at its disposal. Some of these functions are phylogenetic, others
are ontogenetic. Integrating these two aspects into a systematic account of
the functional repertory of each species has been the general concern of
Somatology from its Darwinian origins to the present.
TECHNIQUE
Although it is not a technique, as a theoretical science Somatology
serves as a theoretical guide for certain applied techniques. In general,
Somatology recognizes two areas where techniques can be applied for

changing somatic process: techniques that directly intervene in the soma’s
individual process or indirect techniques that intervene in the environment of
the soma. The former techniques are clinical and educational, the latter are
social and environmental.
Since its major concern is for the self-regulating and self-balancing
mechanisms of the living being, Somatology provides a common ground for
interventionary techniques that make use of these mechanisms. Any

authentically somatic technique — whether clinical, educational, or other —
seeks to enhance and facilitate the functional efficiency of the living being by
means of operations on the self-regulatory mechanisms of that soma.
Because it is focused on the embodied process of individual life,
Somatology is the common ground for all interventionary techniques that
deal with the individual in vivo — never in the abstract. Each individual
somatic process is unique, and thus somatic education or therapy is authentic
if and only if it intends to improve the given individual process. Therefore,
somatic techniques are unique for each individual.
APPLICATIONS
Although the distinction between clinical and educational techniques
may not always be clear, we can designate the following traditions of
contemporary therapy and training as somatic: The organismic therapy of

Wilhelm Reich and Alexander Lowen, the Functional Integration of Moshe
Feldenkrais, the Sensory Integration of Jean Ayres, the neuromotor education
developed by Carl H. Delacato, Robert J. Doman, et al, the Alexander
Technique of F. Matthias Alexander, the Structural Integration of Ida P. Rolf,
the Sensory Awareness of Charlotte Selver, biofeedback training and the
Client-Centered Therapy of Carl Rogers, whose “nondirective” techniques

assume certain self-correcting mechanisms in the individual.
The most general characteristic of all these somatic techniques is that
the changes evoked are systemic and holistic, typically showing effects that
are simultaneously physiological, psychological, and emotional.

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Somatology

All Rights Reserved

Created in the United States of America

Copyright © 2012 by Richie Herink and Paul Richard Herink

Somatology is a theoretical science of somatic process; as such, it is a

Somatology seeks to determine the consistent functional-structural patterns

displayed by an organism as it adapts itself to the environment and the

or man, whether a single cell or a multicellular individual. The Greek word

simply a “body” but is the unitive functioning of “mind”, “body”, and

of the soma, i.e., as a whole, embodied process whose combined elements

The functions and structures of somas have evolved as direct reflections

mechanisms and fixed motor patterns reflecting these universal laws.

More generally and informally, somatology may refer to the living

functions and structures of human somas, i.e., to the self-regulatory and

balancing mechanisms that guarantee the homeostatic integrity of human life.

ground for the integration of such fields as psychology, physiology,

anthropology, and others. This integration becomes possible because

somatology’s holistic, process-oriented viewpoint transcends the mind-body

century by O. Casmann to refer to a general science of living bodies, as

properties of living bodies.

The Expression provided the conceptual framework for a century of research

by biologists, geneticists, ethologists, anthropologists, biochemists,

neurophysiologists, linguists, and psychologists.

The contemporary sense in which the word somatology is now used

was spelled out by Thomas Hanna in Bodies in Revolt: A Primer in Somatic

Thinking (1970). Here it referred to a general scientific field toward which

many of the above-mentioned sciences were converging: the study of the

complex of genetically based functions that each species, including the

are ontogenetic. Integrating these two aspects into a systematic account of

Although it is not a technique, as a theoretical science Somatology

serves as a theoretical guide for certain applied techniques. In general,

Somatology recognizes two areas where techniques can be applied for

social and environmental.

Since its major concern is for the self-regulating and self-balancing

mechanisms of the living being, Somatology provides a common ground for

interventionary techniques that make use of these mechanisms. Any

means of operations on the self-regulatory mechanisms of that soma.

Because it is focused on the embodied process of individual life,

Somatology is the common ground for all interventionary techniques that

somatic process is unique, and thus somatic education or therapy is authentic

if and only if it intends to improve the given individual process. Therefore,

somatic techniques are unique for each individual.

Although the distinction between clinical and educational techniques

may not always be clear, we can designate the following traditions of

contemporary therapy and training as somatic: The organismic therapy of

Technique of F. Matthias Alexander, the Structural Integration of Ida P. Rolf,

the Sensory Awareness of Charlotte Selver, biofeedback training and the

Client-Centered Therapy of Carl Rogers, whose “nondirective” techniques

The most general characteristic of all these somatic techniques is that

are simultaneously physiological, psychological, and emotional.

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