Primitive Bodily Communications explores how the
'talking cure' can still work when words fail and the body 'talks.' Non-verbal
communication can be thought of as a form of body language and, even though
this is a topic not frequently discussed, many practitioners have experienced
working with people who communicate through the use of their bodies. The book
does not refer to bodily communications as primitive because we see them as
inferior to verbal language, but simply because they point to the beginnings of
psychological development, to primary ways of being and relating, as well as to
enduring aspects of ourselves.

The contributors explore the topic of primitive bodily
communications in the context of intellectual disability, eating disorders and
bodily neglect, focusing on the communicative aspect of bodily expressions
within the therapeutic relationship. A wide spectrum of clinical cases
illustrates how these patients can reach a state of better physical and
emotional containment and, when possible, of verbal communication.