Abstract
This dialogue between a verbally based psychotherapist and a body-oriented psychotherapist examines some of the meanings of somatic experience in psychotherapy. The authors explore the similarities and differences in verbal and somatically based styles of theoretical orientation and intervention. Among the questions considered are: How do we think about the place of the body in the therapeutic process? What are the functions of touch? Is touch necessary to work with the body? How can body-centered interventions enhance more traditional modes of psychotherapy?