[Solepa]

I would like to share my experience with this type of therapy as there is not much information about it so it might help someone now or later.

Body Psychotherapy was not something I would plan to go for but it just worked out that way.

I started with eclectic psychotherapy and did that for one year. But it did not work too well. I was as much disconnected as always from my emotions and experiences plus trusting my T seemed impossible.
While I was looking for ways to help myself with the process I started to go to group bionergetic exercises to release body tension, stress and connect with emotions which this type of exercise is suppose to help with.
It works much better then I would ever expect and I am really surprised by the power it has. The exercise is lead by a psychotherapist who has analytic approach and also works with the body. I had very intense reaction during one specific exercise and it was very scary but she was so nice about it and was there with me and made me feel much better. After it she got me a blanket and covered me with it while I was still shaking. It was such a caring and comforting gesture it made me feel all fuzzy inside for a long time.
My ex - therapist never did anything of this kind and I found myself in a place when I needed it. So I switched and it works well so far.

I keep going to the group exercise and I see her for individual sessions once a week as well. We just talked so far (3 months in) as she needed to get to know me and learn my history a bit and I needed to trust her a bit. Today we did the body work for the first time.
She has two areas in her office. One half is just normal space with chairs and coffee table for her and clients to sit and talk and then there is area with a matt and blankets on the floor, boxing bag, exercise ball... so like a little gym.

I was able to feel ok lying on the floor today and even let her touch me. I can never imagine that with my ex-therapist. I am sure that the fact she is also my group exercise instructor makes it much easier for me to do these even during therapy session.

She asked me to do some specific exercise and talk about how I feel while doing it. Then I lied down and she pressed on some points on my body (over clothes) and asked me how I feel and what is going on for me.
During this I had some traumatic picture memories come to me. My T thinks this might be the way to get to the trauma stuff as I am so shut off I can´t seem to be able to connect to it with just talking.
She then put her hands on my stomach and back and hold it there for a bit. I felt a lot of warmth from it and after she seemed little distressed. She kind of shook her hands and said that she can feel a lot of pain stored in my body even thought I can´t feel it myself... which I found little weird.

So yeah I assume we will continue as she asked me if that would be ok. We will just need to have more conversations about touch as I have issues around this topic she doesn´t know about. Like my fear of coming across as gross or disgusting to her.

So I can continue posting about it a little if anybody would be interested.

Wish you all the best

This would SOOO not work for me because of the nature of my abuse, but I'm glad it is working for you.

[Solepa]

Originally Posted by 1914sierra

This would SOOO not work for me because of the nature of my abuse, but I'm glad it is working for you.

It is not for everyone of course. I have history of CSA and physical and emotional abuse so my T is super careful. I would not be able to do this one year ago when I started therapy but I am in different place now.

It does sound interesting. My therapist actually teaches a CBT/yoga/mindfulness group. He talks about it a lot, but hasn't recommended it for me. He says I'm not strong enough for it yet, and by that he's talking about my ability to handle how triggering it would be for me. I can see how that kind of work would be really helpful for some though.

[sweepy62]

Yeah I'm no where near that, not even close to lying down on a mat let alone having t touch my stomach, I think I would curl up and die of embarrassment .

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[Asiablue]

I think this is fascinating stuff, how the body records trauma. I would really like to hear more about it, so please do update us on how it all goes for you.

[rainbow8]

Solepa, I'm interested in hearing about your body psychotherapy because my T does SE, somatic experiencing, with me. She's taking advanced training in it.

I've seen 4 Ts before this one, and they all did traditional talk therapy, so SE is quite a switch! I was very hesitant at first because I don't like talking about my body, but T persisted, gently, with her "where in your body do you feel that?" She says our bodies tell us a lot.

We are using touch to calm down my nervous system. Earlier in therapy, I discovered that holding her hand felt incredibly safe and healing. This was before she learned SE. Now she pays attention to my breathing and asks how I feel when I hold her hand. I say it's "magic" because it enables me to feel settled inside.

She has suggested touching other parts of me; I think my shoulder, and when I had a cold she didn't want to hold hands so she had me put my feet on top of hers. That felt good too.

I never could have imagined that I would do this kind of therapy but my T is right. She said it would be very good for me, and it is!

[H3rmit]

I would like to do it, because I am very alienated from my body, even though I exercise quite a bit and have no physical abuse history. I am just not attuned to it or emotions, but if I were I think the awareness might help my understanding of daily life. I work hard on becoming aware of feelings, alone. I'd love some help.

I'm so glad this therapy is working for you. I knew nothing about it, and it sounds fascinating. Please continue to keep PAC posted on your healing journey. Maybe, other that are looking for something will be inspired to try this.

Thank you for sharing, and good luck.

[JaneC]

Thanks for this Solepa, and I'm really glad it is working for you! I can imagine how wonderful it must have felt to have your T give you a blanket when you needed it, so caring.

At the moment I know I could not do it, but my T does what rainbow8's T does, and asks me always where I feel things in my body. I find it so uncomfortable probably because I am soo not connected to my body. It is slowly getting easier. I had no idea that was part of SE, in fact not even sure what that is lol.....

[Aloneandafraid]

I would like to try this. I think it could be extremely powerful and would need a well trained T to handle this. Really interesting. Thank so much for sharing.

[Raging Quiet]

I've been seeing a body psychotherapist for 7 years, the first 4 years there was no touch as we spoke about CSA and I had to be ready. We started off small -with minimal contact until now I can have a fully clothed massage without having a breakdown.

She also does other talking therapy and is trained in humanistic and psychodynamic therapy.

What I love about seeing her is that she will give me a hug, touch my shoulder as I leave and my body can tell her what my mind is sometimes not able to. She used to be a nurse so she may pick up on my pulse, breathing and work out what my body is trying to communicate. She's also a brilliant therapist - some sessions are purely talking and some are bodywork.

When I had a trauma traveling to her, she rocked me to calm me down which was extremely effective. We also do some art therapy and empty chair work. She is brilliant at sensing my energy and I find bodywork can really calm me down when I am feeling manic.

I think I would not be able to see a therapist who doesn't do touch after this T personally. It's healed me in ways that stand alone talking would not touch - it's quite holistic. For an eating disorder, this was the only treatment that has really helped me because my head was separate from my body.

Thank you for sharing your experience

[tinyrabbit]

My T is also a body psychotherapist, as is the other T I've occasionally seen during his breaks. They're both superb.

Have never done any kind of massage except my usual T massaged my temples once when I had a headache.

[Solepa]

Hello everybody! I'm glad you find this topic interesting.

I will keep posting about it then. I find that with my type of issues and the level of detachment I'm in this it just one thing that might work as my body is more responsive then I'm haha.
With talk therapy I had trouble with starting processing anything as I can't seem to feel it is mine. My body on the other hand is very aware and has responded to the work. Now I just need somehow connect the two.
And of course I have also bunch of problems with touch but we will work on it too. Yesterday I send my T email about me being afraid of anybody touching me and thinking I'm disgusting. It is embarrassing for me to talk about but now it is out there and she knows I guess I will have to.

On Sunday I'm going for 3 hours exercise group ( the bioenergetics) so I will let you guys know how it went. It is an intense long one with small group of people and often it triggers a lot of things. Which is good for me as I can then process it. Another session is on Monday and on Tuesday group exercise again (1,5h). So things are gonna happen

Be well peeps and thank you

[kittyfaye]

Sounds very interesting, I'd like to try that myself. I probably wouldn't be able to afford it though, being that I have no health insurance.

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[Solepa]

Hello again!
So there is another week of body therapy behind me. I had 3 hour group bioenergetic exercise on Sunday with my T which went well. We did mainly Kum Nye which is Tibetan Yoga (more information here: New to Kum Nye? « Kum Nye Tibetan Yoga). So that was relaxing mainly.

Then on Monday I went for individual session and we talked about "THE" hardest stuff like CSA and what I remember (chaos). I found out from my mum that I have medical records from paediatric gynaecologist that she used to take me to since I was 1 year old as I had chronic "issues". These records are with my GP and I have to make a decision if I want to see them or not. They are the possible proof of what happened ( or did not happen) as my memory is not great. But I am not sure I am ready..... so yeah hard week I have to say.
My T said we will do individual body work again next week as I was too overwhelmed already with the "news".

On Tuesdays I had the group exercise again for hour and half and something weird happened we did an exercise which is called "flying" and it is very slow and you lift your hands up very slowly in a motion like a bird and then slowly put your hands back down again. It can take like 10 minutes or more as they should move just a little with your breathing. It was very quiet nobody talked and there was just the hand motion. And then it just came all of a sudden and I felt tears going down my face. I was facing the window so nobody saw me so I just let them (BIG improvement).
I should point out I really don´t cry much (never in therapy and usually never in public or when people can see me, maybe once or twice a year if I am alone) soo yeah. I dunno what it was even about but it just happened and I let it ... which I am little proud of

I will write more in next few days about the purpose and ideas of these exercises and how it is suppose to work specifically.

Be well guys and good luck on your journeys

[tinyrabbit]

Wow, that exercise sounds amazing.

I couldn't do group with my T. I want him all to myself!

[Depletion]

humm, I'm sure that I would benefit a great deal from this kind of therapy, but I worry that touch with me triggers obsessive erotic transference, But I had such an intense physical experience after my SA that I feel like something like this would help me. I really wish I had the money to pay for a bodywork person and a therapist.