Getting Our Bodies Back Blog Series: Part One

In mental health, the primary focus is often placed on the mind, our thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors. Yet this causes us to overlook the powerful role the body plays in our mental health. Our bodies are constantly communicating with us through sensations, tension, and movement, offering important clues about where emotions may be held or suppressed. In Getting Our Bodies Back, Christine Caldwell explores how reconnecting with the body through awareness and curiosity is essential to healing. By learning to befriend our bodily experiences, Caldwell suggests, we can begin to reclaim our authentic selves and restore a deeper sense of wholeness.

Christine Caldwell is a body-centered therapist and a pioneer in somatic therapy. In Getting Our Bodies Back, she shares her own experience with addiction and describes how integrating and listening to her body helped her gain awareness of the behaviors and beliefs that fueled it. Drawing from her therapeutic work with clients, Caldwell introduces the concept of “body tags,” which are repetitive movements such as nail biting, jaw clenching, hair twirling, or restless leg movement. While these actions are often dismissed as mere habits, Caldwell suggests that they may carry a deeper meaning when approached with curiosity and explored.

In my own experience, I have noticed several body tags, including nail biting and restless leg movement. For a long time, I dismissed them as harmless habits, but upon closer reflection, I have realized how closely they align with my anxiety. When I feel rushed or pressured to get things done, I begin biting my nails, and when I feel unable to slow down, my feet constantly move. I have tried to stop biting my nails in the past, yet I dismiss it by telling myself it helps release anxiety and causes no real harm. Yet through awareness, I see how these mindless movements actually pull me out of the present moment, leaving me distracted and disconnected rather than relieved.

In the next part of the blog series, I will continue to explore Getting Our Bodies Back and the steps to take to cultivate a deeper relationship with our bodies and develop bodily awareness in everyday life. If this is a topic that interests you, feel free to reach out to our team of professionals at Olive Branch Counseling Associates. We are located at 6819 167th St, Tinley Park, IL 60477 (708) 633-8000.

Mariana Rodriguez, Graduate Intern, 2025.

Reference:Caldwell, C. (2018). Getting our bodies back: Recovery, embodiment, and self-compassion. Shambhala Publications.