In this episode of Body Talk, we welcome Dr. Leslie Ann Costello, psychologist, bioenergetic therapist, and author of Helping Mothers, Helping Babies: Somatic Perinatal Psychotherapy.

Leslie describes herself as a bit of a hybrid, born and raised in New England, now living in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. In a beautiful twist of history, she later discovered that her grandparents were actually married in an old church right in her city, making her feel like an honorary Maritimer.

Before moving to Canada, Leslie studied school and developmental psychology and taught at the college and university level before transitioning into clinical practice. Her discovery of bioenergetic analysis was serendipitous and life-changing. I was through her own therapy, training, and certification, she connected with parts of herself she hadn't known.

Over time, she developed a specialization in reproductive mental health in her private practice and found great joy in training emerging bioenergetic therapists, helping them uncover their unique styles and gifts. She believes that the deep personal work at the heart of bioenergetics opens vast creativity in the therapy room.

Now retired from private practice, Leslie focuses on writing and consultation. You can find her on Substack at A Body Psychotherapist's Journal and on social media under her pen name, Annie M. Ballard, where she shares her writing.

🔗 frederictonbioenergetics.com
Substack: pamola10.substack.com
Facebook: Annie M. Ballard
Instagram: @anniemballard

Sponsored by www.sciba.org

Andrea Vaz Antunes (host) website

Maring Higa's (host) website
@bio.body.talk (Body Talk Instagram)

Sponsored by www.sciba.org

Maring Higa's (host) website
Andrea Vaz Antunes (host) website
@bio.body.talk (Body Talk Instagram)

In this episode of Body Talk, Maring sits down with Dylan for a first look into our mini-series highlighting clients in bioenergetic therapy. With a background in psychology and sociology, Dylan shares their two-and-a-half-year journey transitioning from traditional talk therapy to a somatic approach. They reflect on early challenges, key breakthroughs, and the transformative power of bioenergetic techniques such as somatic tracking and body-based exercises. The conversation explores themes of therapist attunement, trust, and the surprising effectiveness of unconventional interventions like head-holding.

This episode offers a compelling, first-person perspective on the personal growth, emotional clarity, and deepened self-awareness that bioenergetic therapy can foster.

Bio:

Dylan is a passionate creative with a Bachelor's of Arts in Sociology and an emphasis in Psychology from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. She is the author of Still Learning, a modern confessional poetry collection that delves into the messiness of healing and the complexities of childhood.

Dylan was introduced to the world of Bioenergetic Analysis in late 2021 and has found the methodology to be life-changing. She has worked 1-1 with a private practice therapist and has volunteered as a client for third and fourth-year students in the IIBA Southern California program.

Dylan is deeply committed to her personal journey with Bioenergetics and hopes by sharing her experiences, she can help make this transformative practice more accessible to others.

Links:

Substack: https://dylanamelia.substack.com/

@bydylanamelia (instagram)

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Sponsored by www.sciba.org

Maring Higa's (host) website
Andrea Vaz Antunes (host) website
@bio.body.talk (Body Talk Instagram)