Body Psychotherapy
Body Psychotherapy

Body Psychotherapy

Body psychotherapy is the way we honour the role of the body in our wellbeing and mental health difficulties. Body psychotherapy is a way or integrating your body into your psychotherapeutic process. In any therapy modality we offer the body plays a role. Holistic therapy honours the mind, the body and the soul.

Body psychotherapy is a concept which was conceived by Pierre Janet, Sigmund Freud and Wilhelm Reich. Wilhelm Reich was an Austrian doctor of mediciine and psychoanalyst. His concept of muscular armour, being an expression of the personality in the way the body moves, shaped innovations in psychotherapy specifically, body psychotherapy, Gestalt therapy, bioenergetic analysis and primal therapy.

What Is Body Psychotherapy?

Body psychotherapy explores the link between psychological distress and the way our body functions in response to this stress but also the role it plays in creating it. Common examples might include blocks in chakras, breathing irregularities, posture problems and holding onto trauma in the body from PTSD.

These somatic issues contribute to psychological malady and psychological malady contributes to somatic issues. Our body psychotherapy provides insight into these difficulties as well as providing practical solutions by way of body based interventions.

What techniques do we use in body psychotherapy?

The techniques we use as part of body pschotherapy include:

  • EMDR therapy
  • Somatic experiencing
  • Trauma release exercises
  • Body based awareness
  • Mindfulness
  • Breath work
  • Creative imagination and visualisation
  • Polyvagal mapping
  • Body mapping
  • Emotional freedom technique.

Body Psychotherapy

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Body Psychotherapy

Available in London, Hertfordshire & online

Matthew Alderton Psychoitherapist

Matthew Alderton - Psychotherapist

MA, BSc, PG Dip, PG Dip Psych

As a psychotherapist and EMDR practitioner specialising in trauma, I appreciate how important somatic/body work is, in relation to working through trauma, PTSD and other psychological conditions.

EMDR is a somatic psychotherapy. I utilise the aforementioned to help clients in relation to body work. Some of these techniques include: emotional freedom technique, trauma release exercises, polyvagal mapping, breath work and body based awareness. Working with trauma requires an integrative, holistic approach with each client being different and having experienced different traumas.

I am approachable and down to earth. I loom forward to hearing from you and helping you work through your trauma difficulty.   

Therapist profile

Body Psychotherapy Techniques

Mindfulness

Mindfulness gives us an easy way in, to bring our attention to our present experience moment by moment. It enables us to appreciate our state of being and relax and slow down. Bringing mindfulness into our lives can increase our ability to feel content and relaxed.

Somatic Experiencing

Living a hectic lifestyle with family and work commitments can lead to us going for long periods of time with very limited body awareness. Increasing this awareness increases our ability to feel relaxed and happy because we are meeting the present moment without judgement.  

Breath Work

Breath work is one of the few ways in which we can directly access and calm our body and our nervous system. Breathing is the basis of our existence and the seat of our emotional health. Working with the breath can help us to transform psychological and somatic difficulties. 

Emotional Freedom Technique

When we lead hectic, busy lives especially on top of psychological and somatic difficulties we can sometimes feel overwhelmed. Our body's and nervous system's become unhappy. EFT is a simple yet practical intervention which helps us to relax and feel calmer when we are on the go.

Trauma Release Exercises

TRE is a great way to help release tension held within the body and the body's nervous system. It is a set of practical exercises which you can carry out yourself with practice. It could be likened to an internal massage and helps to release tension from trauma held in the body. 

Polyvagal Therapy

Polyvagal theory based therapy is one of the things I use to help clients understand the role of the nervous system in mental and physical health difficulties. I use it to help clients map their nervous system so they know what they can do for themselves and what others can do to help them reach homeostasis. 

Body Psychotherapy Benefits

Safety

When we are experiencing a psychological or somatic difficulty we feel unsafe. There is no better indicator than the body, as to whether we feel safe. Somatic intervention can help you to regain a sense of safety and balance.

Homeostasis

Body psychotherapy helps to restore the body back to a state or balance, equilibrium or homeostasis. It is important to work on the body as well as the mind because of the influence they have on each other.

Grounding

Difficulties in life, particularly trauma, might make the body feel like an unsafe space to be in. Learn to feel safe and grounded in your body.

Connection

Trauma or psychological difficulty can make it difficult to make a connection between what is going on in our minds and our bodies. Body psychotherapy can help you make this connection so that they are able to work in synchronicity.

Breathing Diagram

Body Psychotherapy Benefits

Breathing Diagram

Safety

When we are experiencing a psychological or somatic difficulty we feel unsafe. There is no better indicator than the body, as to whether we feel safe. Somatic intervention can help you to regain a sense of safety and balance.

Connection

Trauma or psychological difficulty can make it difficult to make a connection between what is going on in our minds and our bodies. Body psychotherapy can help you make this connection so that they are able to work in synchronicity.

Grounding

Difficulties in life, particularly trauma, might make the body feel like an unsafe space to be in. Learn to feel safe and grounded in your body.

Homeostasis

Body psychotherapy helps to restore the body back to a state or balance, equilibrium or homeostasis. It is important to work on the body as well as the mind because of the influence they have on each other.

Client Comments Following Body Psychotherapy Interventions

EA - Hoddesdon

I feel much more at peace in my body after body psychotherapy

BL - Barnet

I am now more in tune with my body and how I actually feel. I am able to check in with it to see how i am doing

BD - Hendon

I never realised how much of a role my nervous system had in contributing to my psychological difficulties. It is such a relief to know why I have felt the way I did for such a long time

IA - Barnet

I have developed some really easy practical exercises to help me feel relaxed and deal with the difficulties life throws as me

Body Psychotherapy FAQ's

What does a body psychotherapy session involve?

A body psychotherapy session might involve a specific therapy like EMDR or body based interventions as a specific approach to a difficulty. This might be as part of a traditional psychotherapy session or make up the entire session. An example might be body mapping, practicing EFT techniques or releasing trauma held in the body

How long does body psychotherapy last?

Body therapy is used as part of an integrated approach in conjunction with counselling and psychotherapy. Each person is different in relation to the difficulties which they might be having. We strive to work with a client until they regain a place of safety and relaxation and can negotiate life with confidence.

What are the Benefits of Body Therapy?

Body therapy has a number of key benefits. When working with trauma our somatic autonomic nervous system drives our experience. Body work will help you to gain insight, find connection and regain homeostasis and safety in your body. It can also help with emotional flexibility in terms of coping with difficult experience.

London Sky Line

Body Psychotherapy London

If you live in London come and see me in picturesque Little Venice Paddington for body psychotherapy.  

Body psychotherapy
Herts Oak Tree Leaf And Acorns

Body Psychotherapy Hertfordshire

If you live in North London or Herts come and see me in leafy green Cuffley, Hertfordshire for body psychotherapy.  

Body psychotherapy
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Therapy Enquiry

If you would like to book therapy with us or have a therapy enquiry please fill in our contact form. 

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