Content Warning: references to sexual abuse
Dr. T and The Truth Fairy explore the revelatory benefits that can emerge from the use of therapeutic touch in psychedelic healing practices, while always keeping caution and care in the forefront.
The Truth Fairy’s career and life journey have been grounded in touch therapy, starting with Shiatsu Therapy and incorporating such practices as craniosacral, visceral manipulation and somatic relational trauma-informed practices. Touch is healing in her path but she and Dr. T acknowledge that touch is very divorced from psychotherapy. Together, they explore why.
They analyze how touch is currently controversial in psychedelic therapy in light of abuses in psychedelic culture. They discuss the importance of using touch with neutrality and uncoupling it from fear. The Truth Fairy explains the concept of self touch in a larger way than the taboo sense we grow up with, and details how being in tune with your physical self can contribute to healing. They break down the concepts of safety, containment, processing, and the use of touch for focusing, and discuss ways in which careful, judicious touch therapy can help externalize psychological pain.
“We really have coupled touch and sexuality and we really need to uncouple that…. We have to find a respectful way to uncouple sexuality and touch and create possibilities for neutral touch.” - The Truth Fairy
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Punk Therapy: website