PESOPS
The Greek Association for Body Psychotherapy (PESOPS) is the Professional Association providing accreditation to Body Psychotherapists according to the criteria set by the European Association for Body Psychotherapy (EABP), whom it represents in Greece.
BODY PSYCHOTHERAPY
A distinctive therapeutic approach with a wide scientific and theoretical basis, Body Psychotherapy focuses on the relation between mind and body taking into account the complexity of their cross-sections and interactions.
FAQ
What is Body Psychotherapy?
Body Psychotherapy is a holistic form of psychotherapy which incorporates the body within the psychotherapeutic process. Based on the idea that the body is directly linked to thought and emotions, Body Psychotherapy uses various techniques which enhance the awareness of our body and its direct connection with our thoughts and emotions,for the restoration of pathological symptoms.
As in other forms of psychotherapy, the client works with the psychotherapist to understand the issues s/he confronts. Together, they examine the way in which the client’s current problems might relate to their past, their experiences within their family environment and any major losses or traumas they had. They work together to discover what the client needs in order to deal with their current situation in the most satisfying, authentic and responsible way. They explore the client’s skills and talents that s/he can utilize and most importantly: they explore the client’s ability to heal themselves.
What happens in a Body Psychotherapy session?
In order to facilitate the analysis process, the body psychotherapist utilizes techniques which focus on the body and in particular on the level of bodily sensations which are often out of our awareness. For example, if the client refers to an emotion s/he is feeling, the body psychotherapist might ask: in which area of your body do you feel this emotion? The body psychotherapist can help the client enhance their awareness of their body posture or a spontaneous movement. S/he may propose body techniques related to breathing or standing and use touch in order to enhance the therapeutic outcome. S/he may also help the client pay attention to their dreams and spontaneous images that provide a deeper meaning for the interrelation between body and psyche.
These techniques help the person come into direct contact with their emotions, reactions and typical ways of relating to other people as well as to discover and activate new potential.
What is the advantage of working with the body?
There are many idiomatic phrases which indicate the somatic aspect of experience. For example, we refer to our ability to “take a stand”, to “be grounded”, to have a sense in our guts about something, to have an “open heart”, to “raise a wall”.
In Body Psychotherapy these are not just metaphors. They are the reality of our experience which manifests in our body. They are often keys to crucial decisions we made for ourselves or ideas unconsciously passed to us through family or culture. For example, many people learned to withhold the expression of emotions which were forbidden in their family. Some have the tendency to collapse or withdraw or avoid challenges because they have been discouraged in the past.
In Body Psychotherapy, we examine these body postures, patterns of tension or weakness, because they are linked to central issues of our existence and experiences. Working through all this helps us develop self-awareness and open the way for new modes of being.
For example, a woman who was discouraged to speak within her family environment, might explore how she learned to clench her throat, shoulders and jaw in order to remain silent. As she works through her emotions towards her family, she might learn how to bring more energy to the upper part of her body so as to have the strength to speak up for herself. In a similar way, a man who finds it hard to relax and allow himself to rest might explore how he forces his body to keep alert. He might then realize that he learned how to get into this alert state as a child, in order to avoid suffering from the lack of proper response to his needs (emotional/physical). This will enable him to consider new ways of being with himself and others.