The Practice of Embodying Emotions

A Guide for Improving Cognitive, Emotional, and Behavioral Outcomes

By: Raja Selvam PhD

Narrated by: Jay Myers

“A grand accomplishment.” —Dr. Peter Levine, developer of Somatic Experiencing® and author of Waking the Tiger and In an Unspoken Voice

A body-based, science-backed method for regulating behavior, thoughts, and feelings and improving well-being--shown to shorten therapy time and improve emotional outcomes.


In the first book on Integral Somatic Psychology™ (ISP), clinical psychologist Dr. Raja Selvam offers a new, complementary approach for building more capacity to tolerate emotions using the body--especially emotions that are difficult or unpleasant.

The ISP model shows readers how to expand and regulate emotional experiences in the body to improve different therapeutic outcomes--cognitive, emotional, behavioral, physical, energetic, relational, and even spiritual--in life and in all types of therapies, including other body psychotherapy and somatic psychology approaches. You will learn the physiology of emotions in the brain and body and how to:

Access different types of emotions quickly

Facilitate embodiment and regulation of feelings

Process and heal different traumas and attachment wounds

A go-to guide for emotional integration, The Practice of Embodying Emotions is of value in the treatment of a wide range of clinical problems involving difficult emotions--from ordinary life events to psychosomatic or psychophysiological disorders, developmental trauma, prenatal and perinatal trauma, attachment disorders, borderline personality disorder, complex PTSD, collective trauma, and intergenerational trauma--and in improving outcomes and shortening treatment time in different therapies including psychoanalysis, Jungian psychology, and CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy).

A must read if you work with trauma

his book is an extraordinary contribution to the fields of body psychotherapy, psychology, and trauma treatment. I have explored and trained in several somatic modalities for trauma resolution and was not entirely satisfied with the outcomes. Dr. Selvam has created a methodology that challenges current somatic therapies with vast scientific evidence and the integration of all the necessary elements for effective trauma treatment. The book offers tremendous learning and raises the bar for understanding trauma and emotional processing in a way that cannot be ignored. I think Dr. Selvam's protocol is the future of trauma treatment, especially with the work he continues to do to expand the scope of Integral Somatic Psychology. The book reflects his vast scholarly capabilities plus enormous commitment and passion for the study and resolution of trauma. It has filled the gaps and resolved the complaints I had with other modalities. I was fascinated, inspired, motivated and grateful for this book. It was so good I had to go for more, so I found Dr. Selvam's website, took his webinars and decided to start training in ISP. Dr. Selvam is an exceptional teacher. Besides his erudition & advanced consciousness, he's walked the road to healing trauma himself. This is undoubtedly a big source of his dedication and wisdom. I've seen a good number of geniuses that have the knowledge but not the ability to connect with the people they teach. Dr. Selvam is up there, but he's open, humble, caring and inspiring. In the training I was able to experience his cutting-edge modality and was truly surprised at how quick and effective it can be. If you work with clients experiencing trauma and suffering you must read this book. If you can, please do the training. It's brief, reasonable and transformative.

terrible narration

I'm sure that this book is full of good information, many people have recommended it to me and the premise is good. however I can't hear any of it because I can't stand the narrator. the cadence is wrong, it sounds fake and soupy, it does not fit the topic and tone of book. Something about the voice just makes me tune out immediately and my mind wanders. I wish authors would take much more care in selecting a narrator if they aren't going to read themselves.