Page 1 of 2

THE EMBODIED CLINICIAN SURVEY

A Survey of Psychoanalysts, Psychotherapists, and Other Mental Health Professionals on Physical Health, Clinical Presence, and Longevity
Written by: David M. Robinson
Estimated completion time: 5–7 minutes
Purpose: This survey explores how clinicians experience the physical demands of sitting through a clinical caseload, and how those demands may relate to clinical presence, somatic countertransference, and professional longevity.

Voluntary participation: You may skip any question you'd prefer not to answer, and you may stop at any time.
Confidentiality: Your responses will be reported only in aggregate.
No compensation: This is a voluntary research effort.

Thank you for your time and honesty.

SECTION I — Education and Career

1. Which of the following best describes your primary job title?

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K

2. How many years have you been in clinical practice?

A
B
C
D
E
F
G

3. On average, how many clients do you see in a given week?

A
B
C
D
E

4. On a typical clinical workday, approximately how many hours do you spend sitting while working?

A
B
C
D

SECTION II — Physical Health and Behavior

5. During a regular week, how many days do you deliberately engage in a formal workout?

A
B
C
D
E
F

6. In the last 12 months, which of the following physical symptoms have you experienced during or following clinical work?

7. In general, how frequently does physical discomfort or pain disrupt your concentration during a session?

A
B
C
D
E
F

8. How often do you take a movement, stretching, or breathing break between patient sessions?

A
B
C
D
E

9. In the past week, on how many days did you engage in physical self-care — such as stretching, walking, breathing exercises, or strength work — for at least 15 minutes outside of a formal workout?

A
B
C
D
E

SECTION III — Embodied Clinical Practice
For Questions 10–20, please select the option that best reflects your level of agreement:
Strongly Disagree / Disagree / Neutral / Agree / Strongly Agree

Training and Professional Responsibility

10. My graduate or professional training prepared me to care for my own physical well-being as a clinician.

A
B
C
D
E

11. I consider taking care of my physical health to be an explicit professional responsibility to my patients.

A
B
C
D
E

12. I wish my training had provided more focus on handling the physical or sedentary demands of long-term clinical work.

A
B
C
D
E

Somatic Countertransference

13. I regularly experience distinct physical sensations in my own body while sitting with my patients.

A
B
C
D
E

14. My physical sensations during a session sometimes provide clinically valuable information about what may be occurring between the patient and me.

A
B
C
D
E

15. I can easily identify physical sensations that originate primarily from my own body during a session.

A
B
C
D
E

16. I can identify when a physical sensation I experience seems to be induced by, or connected to, the clinical encounter with the patient rather than my own state.

A
B
C
D
E

The Clinician's Body and Clinical Presence

17. My baseline physical health affects my ability to remain clinically present during a session.

A
B
C
D
E

18. I consider the clinician's physical body to be an important therapeutic instrument in psychoanalysis and psychotherapy.

A
B
C
D
E

19. Taking short movement or breathing breaks between sessions improves the quality of my presence in the next session.

A
B
C
D
E

20. When I am experiencing physical discomfort or fatigue, I become more aware of the effort required to remain fully present with a patient.

A
B
C
D
E

SECTION IV — Visibility, Limits, and Professional Longevity

21. I believe patients sometimes notice subtle signs of physical discomfort or fatigue in me during sessions, such as shifting position, stretching, wincing, or changes in posture.

A
B
C
D
E
F

22. In the past 12 months, has your own physical condition led you to do any of the following in your clinical practice?

23. At the close of a typical clinical day, how physically fatigued do you feel?

A
B
C
D
E

24. How likely would you be to attend an accredited continuing education course focused on the physical and embodied demands of clinical work?

A
B
C
D
E

SECTION V — Clinical Impact and Training

25. When your physical state is compromised by pain, fatigue, or tension, which areas of your clinical work are most affected?

26. Which of the following physical demands of clinical work do you believe clinicians are least adequately prepared for during their training?