Psychotherapy
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Body Oriented Psychotherapy
“ I trained originally at the Gerda Boyesen Institute in London from 1979 to 1983. This was in Biodynamic Psychology and Psychotherapy - a gentle form of Body-Psychotherapy. It also included 3-4 years of training in various types of Biodynamic Massage mainly focusing on re-balancing the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems (so I'm a great person to have around if you are overstressed, and also if you have a sore back or a stiff neck). These awarenesses have now developed into a deeper understanding of Psychophysiology. The training was quite eclectic then, and I did workshops with John Pierrakos, Jack Lee Rosenberg, Mona-Lisa, Paul & Ebba Boyese, Eva Reich, David Boadella, Jim Healy and others. I also did an anatomy course with Don Burton (Alexander Technique). I completed my training and received a Certificate in Biodynamic Psychology & Psychotherapy from the Centre in 1983. Whilst in training, I also edited two issues of the Journal of Biodynamic Psychology and set up the Biodynamic Publications dept. at their Centre in Acton, London. Having completed the psychotherapy training, I was then asked to run the Gerda Boyesen London Centre as their financial administrator which I did, very successfully, for over a year. I did further training with Helen Davis at the Minster Centre in north-east London, with David Boadella, and also starteda Diploma in Psychology at London University. I then worked as a Residential Social Worker in London in a psychiatric "half-way house" type of hostel and also with delinquent adolescent girls in another hostel. At the same time, I was studying for the Diploma in Psychology and running Biodynamic Massage Clinics in Hampstead, Acton, & Knightsbridge in Central London, as well as acting as Literary Agent for David Boadella. Continuing my work as a publications agent, I had reviewed all of Arny Mindell's books on Dreambody work (as it was called then; now Process Oriented Psychotherapy) for Routledge. Since then I also have done a significant number of training modules with Arnie Mindell and his associates. I also did a Holotropic Breathwork training with Stan Grof and associates at the Findhorn Foundation, but I do not use his techniques. I also helped David Boadella to get his definitive book on Reich, "Wilhelm Reich: The evolution of his work" re-published by Arkana, and then, as his editor, was privileged to help him write his book on the type of neo-Rieichian Body Psychotherapy that he developed and that he now calls Biosynthesis. The book was entitled “Lifestreams”. This was published by Routledge in 1987. Subsequently, I joined the European Association for Body-Psychotherapy (EABP). In 1993, I was elected to, and became Chairperson of, the EABP Ethics Committee and thus a EABP Board Member, and in 1995 I was elected as the EABP General Secretary, in which capacity I served for 6 years. I have represented EABP at many conferences in Europe and America and in the European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP) meetings, helping to establish psychotherapy as an independent profession in Europe, and - more significantly - Body-Psychotherapy as a significant branch of psychotherapy. In 2002, I was elected as President of EABP for a four-year term of office, retiring in 2006. However, I continue to work as a Body-Oriented Psychotherapist, with my private clients, and even in the NHS taking a very 'body-oriented' approach to clients / patients especially with stress, anxiety, depression and low self-esteem. I have more recently been appointed as one of the editors of the Journal of Body, Dance & Movement in Psychotherapy and I am now editing the English-American language version of the "Handbook of Body-Psychotherapy" (edited by Halko Weiss & Gustl Marlock, published in German by Schattauer, 2004). In October 2010, I was elected as an Honorary Member of EABP. |