Body Psychotherapy Perth
What Is Body Psychotherapy
Body Psychotherapy is a style of psychotherapy that explores the interaction and unity between your mind and body. It may also go under the names Mind Body Psychotherapy, Body Centred Psychotherapy, Somatic Therapy, or Somatic Psychotherapy as “soma” means body.
Our Body Psychotherapy at Energetics Institute in Perth, Australia is both an expressive and experiential therapy based on the principles and practices used in Integrative Body Mind Psychotherapy™.
Grounded in psychoanalysis, Body Psychotherapy addresses all aspects of your being including your body, mind and emotions. It also embraces a spiritual aspect if that is something of relevance and importance to you. It works with your feelings, impulses, reactions, and adaptations your body has made in response to influences that shaped it.
What Are The Benefits Of Body Psychotherapy
Body Psychotherapy integrates your body with your mind in a wholistic way, treating all aspects of your being. It makes sense that any form of therapy must include, and cannot exclude or discount your body and its reactions and produced responses.
Body Psychotherapy has a wider scope of inclusion and is aligned to how you have your human experience. The cause of your issue is most likely to be found if your whole of self is treated in the therapy process.
Traditional psychology or counselling only treats the mind and cannot directly treat the manifestation of symptoms in your body. Body Psychotherapy is often better able to the uncover causes and dynamics which may be contributing to your bodily symptoms. Your healing has a potentially higher rate of success using this approach than with conventional treatment approaches.
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What Techniques Are Used In Body Psychotherapy
Body Psychotherapy starts with exploring your reason for coming to therapy, as well as aspects of your clinical history. Your therapist will discuss any past injuries or issues, and also the current state of your body. Your breathing, Autonomic Nervous system, posture, voice and language are all noted by the therapist. This data gathering also focuses on your body and so is a departure from conventional approaches such as counselling or psychology.
A history of trauma, abuse or accidents, are regarded as shaping or formative events or patterns. Your therapist will note where your body may reveal or hold a defence pattern. Your body is the doorway into your mind and your mind is a doorway into your body.
We both observe your body and get you to use your body as part of our psychotherapy treatment in Perth. We may prepare clients via techniques such as:
- Grounding your consciousness in your body via movement particularly in your legs
- Breathwork to bring energy into your body and stimulate nervous system arousal
- Link your body and mind through visualisation and tracking sensations through your body
- Associating your bodily reactions to images, memories, thoughts
- Physical release of your anger, rage, grief, terror using body-centric emotional release
- Body touch to bring attention and awareness to a numb or tense area
- Bodywork to promote release of a defensive posture by musculature in your body
- Symbolic touch such as a hand touch to signal support or sympathy
- Postural significant triggering such as an outstretched hand to signal NO.
Are There Any Concerns Using Body Psychotherapy
You may come into therapy with either a history of abuse, trauma or poor personal boundaries. As such, touch of your body may trigger trauma or alarm. Body Psychotherapy must be selectively used by qualified therapists who are properly trained in abuse and trauma dynamics. The therapist must also practice good personal boundaries and be sensitive to you as a client. Our Body Psychotherapists at Energetics Institute in Perth, Australia are highly professional and have the experience and skills to guide you in your therapy process. We are happy to answer any questions or discuss any of your concerns directly with you.
Caution around touch is always primary in the mind of a Body Psychotherapist. This is especially the case if you regress, dissociate and leave your body when touched. At the same time Body Psychotherapy can re-introduce you to your body. If you have felt abandonment or lack good personal boundaries with others, touch and bodywork may be a critical part of your healing. Both benefits and risks may exist with using Body Psychotherapy.
