A Survey of Hanna Somatic Education® Clients
Gabriel Posner, PhD
This article presents the results of a survey completed by almost 100 people who had experienced Hanna Somatic Education. The majority of study prarticipants were over the age of 50 and had experiences chronic pain for at least 3 months. The article shares demographic information and also shares the results from a statistical analysis. The main results were that people experienced a 44% reduction in symptom severity that was unrelated to the number of sessions they experienced or the amount of home practice.
Shared with permission from Somatics Magazine-Journal.
Somatic Education of Japanese Women with Mental Illness
Masako Hirasawa Ph.D., CHSE
This study explored the experiences of eight Japanese women with mental illnesses as they went through a series of somatic education classes at a recovery center. This study investigated they beliefs the women had about their ability to increase awareness and strength of self through somatic practice. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and five themes and fifteen subthemes were generated from the interviews. This study described the women’s transformation as they developed a greater sense of ownership of their bodies and lives.
Effect of Hanna Somatic Education on Low Back and Neck Pain Levels
Qiuju Huang, CHSE and Amani Ali Babgi
This retrospective study documented the effect of HSE sessions for 108 chronic pain patients at a health center in Saudi Arabia. The patients were all suffering from chronic pain in lower back and/or neck. After 2-5 weekly or biweekly sessions of HSE, participants experienced highly significant reductions in pain. Additionally, participants reported significant reductions in the usage of pain medication as well as visits to doctors for pain management.
Documenting Hanna Somatic Education
Gabriel Posner Ph.D., CHSE
The purpose of the study was to describe how Hanna Somatic Education is currently being practiced in real-world settings and how current practice aligns with the books and articles written by Thomas Hanna and the Novato Institute. Four HSE practitioners were observed working with with a client for three clinical sessions. The practitioners and clients were also interviewed after each session. The findings of the study lead to specific themes and patterns of HSE practice as observed. Additionally, the findings of the study placed HSE practice within the fields of somatic education, mindful movement, and integrative health while highlighting ways the a better understanding of HSE might benefit similar fields and practices.
This study was partially funded with a generous grant from the Association for Hanna Somatic Education, Inc.