Body Psychology 101: An Introduction to the Somatopsychic Perspective

About the Author

Teacher, bodyworker, scholar/theoretician.

Paul Shane holds degrees in Journalism from Kent State University and Clinical Psychology with an emphasis on the history and philosophy of psychology from Saybrook University. His MA and Ph.D. studies were supervised by Ilene Serlin, Ph.D., a noted Dance and Gestalt therapist, and the late Dr. Eugene Taylor, an eminent William James scholar and professor of the history of psychology at Harvard University and Saybrook University.

He has for a long time held a state limited practitioner's license in medical massage and is trained in the Rolf Method of Structural Integration, Gestalt therapy, Acupressure and Reflexology. Shane devoted the last twenty years to teaching psychology and massage therapy at a large, multi-campus community college and serving students with disabilities as an academic advisor.

Realizing that there was no introductory textbook for somatic psychology, Shane undertook began a decades-long research effort into the nature of human embodiment. The resulting work—Principles of Somatic Psychology—is modeled on the General Introductory Psychology textbook and is completely grounded in scientific studies. It provides a comprehensive grounding in the many aspects of body consciousness. He then summarized the essentials of Somatic Psychology in a smaller, introductory book—Body Psychology 101—for those with limited educational backgrounds.

He currently works as the co-founder and Director of Academic Content for the Center for Bodymind Education, a for-profit educational resource for studies in Somatic Psychology, Mind-Body Methods of healing, health, and self-development, and holistic health.

Shane currently resides in Brecksville, Ohio with his wife, Susan, and assorted pets.