What Is Bioenergetic Therapy?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTechniquesWhat Bioenergetic Therapy Can Help WithThings to ConsiderHow to Get Started

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Techniques

What Bioenergetic Therapy Can Help With

Things to Consider

How to Get Started

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What is bioenergetic therapy?Bioenergetic therapy explores how body, mind, and spirit are interconnected. Bioenergetic therapists use movement,breathwork, touch, and dialogue to help their clients release physical tension that may be contributing to emotional and mental distress.

What is bioenergetic therapy?

Bioenergetic therapy explores how body, mind, and spirit are interconnected. Bioenergetic therapists use movement,breathwork, touch, and dialogue to help their clients release physical tension that may be contributing to emotional and mental distress.

Bioenergetic therapy is based on the theory that physical and emotional health are connected. It aims to help clients release physical and emotional tension that might be causing problems.

The word “bioenergetic” has its roots in the Greek words for life (“bios”) and energy (“energeia”).

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Bioenergetic Therapy Techniques

Therapists practicing bioenergetic therapy use a variety of techniques, depending on their areas of specialization and the client’s specific needs.

Some therapists use body movement to express and release emotions, while others encourage clients to express their feelings through words or art activities. The focus is on helping clients release internal tension and stress through body movement, breathing techniques, or other forms of expression.

Bioenergetic therapy can help people move past habitual patterns and learn how to react differently in specific situations. This type of therapy is usually more active than traditional talk therapies, which gives clients time to reflect on what they are learning about themselves.

Bioenergetic therapists encourage individuals to live fully in the present moment, engage in physical activity, and discover new ways of being in healthy relationships with other people.

Below are some specific techniques your therapist may use during bioenergetic therapy:

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Bioenergetic therapy can help with a variety of issues, includinganxiety,depression,stress, anger management, andtrauma. It can also be used to improve overall physical health. It’s particularly helpful for people with issues that involve the body and emotions, such as:

Research on the effectiveness of this and other body-focused psychotherapies in outpatient settings showed that, after six months, patients had significantly reduced levels of impairment and psychopathology.he study authors claim that these results support the effectiveness of body-focused psychotherapeutic methods.

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Bioenergetic therapy will not be the right choice for everyone. Bioenergetic therapy isn’t an effective or appropriate choice for psychological and emotional issues that aren’t connected to the body.

Bioenergetic therapy is not a replacement for traditional psychotherapy or medication. If you are taking medication for a mental health disorder, it is important to continue taking your medication while also undergoing bioenergetic therapy.

If you are considering bioenergetic therapy, it’s also important to recognize the limitations of this approach. Bioenergetic therapy is not effective at addressing all psychological issues, and it will not cure medical disorders. In addition, if you have had boundaries crossed in the past with regard to touch, you may feel uncomfortable during bioenergetic therapy sessions.

Finally, research evidence supporting bioenergetic therapy is sparse. While this does not mean that the therapy does not work, it is important to be aware of the lack of empirical evidence before making a decision about whether or not to pursue this treatment. In particular, it’s important to consider other empirically validated treatment alternatives when making a decision.

How to Get Started With Bioenergetic Therapy

If you feel that bioenergetic therapy may be helpful for you, there are a few steps to take before embarking on this course of treatment. One important step is consulting with your doctor to make sure it’s safe for you to receive bioenergetic therapy given your particular conditions or health status.

Once you have the go-ahead from your doctor, it’s important to find a qualified therapist who can help guide you through the process. You can ask around for referrals or check with professional societies and institutes that provide training in bioenergetic analysis.

Make sure to interview any potential therapists before settling on a particular provider. You should ask questions about their educational background, their experience working with people in your situation, and what techniques they use on a regular basis.

A bioenergetic therapist will try and help you work through emotionally charged experiences that are often difficult to address alone.

Bioenergetic therapists are generally licensed mental health professionals with additional training in the principles of bioenergetics. Your therapist should be committed to providing a safe space for you to express yourself openly and honestly. If a therapist makes you feel uncomfortable, it’s best to trust your judgment and find a new therapist.

A Word From Verywell

Bioenergetic therapy is a form of complementary psychotherapy that focuses on efforts to heal the stress that builds up in the body in relation to past emotional pain. This type of therapy can be most helpful for people who have difficulty expressing their emotions solely through words, and want help in addressing their distress using a variety of body-based techniques.

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3 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.The Alexander Lowen Foundation.What Is Bioenergetic Analysis?GoodTherapy.org.Bioenergetic Analysis.Koemeda-Lutz M, Kaschke M, Revenstorf D, Scherrmann T, Weiss H, Soeder U.Evaluation der Wirksamkeit von ambulanten Körperpsychotherapien–EWAK [Evaluation of the effectiveness of body-psychotherapy in out-patient settings (EEBP)].Psychother Psychosom Med Psychol. 2006;56(12):480-487. doi:10.1055/s-2006-951848

3 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.The Alexander Lowen Foundation.What Is Bioenergetic Analysis?GoodTherapy.org.Bioenergetic Analysis.Koemeda-Lutz M, Kaschke M, Revenstorf D, Scherrmann T, Weiss H, Soeder U.Evaluation der Wirksamkeit von ambulanten Körperpsychotherapien–EWAK [Evaluation of the effectiveness of body-psychotherapy in out-patient settings (EEBP)].Psychother Psychosom Med Psychol. 2006;56(12):480-487. doi:10.1055/s-2006-951848

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

The Alexander Lowen Foundation.What Is Bioenergetic Analysis?GoodTherapy.org.Bioenergetic Analysis.Koemeda-Lutz M, Kaschke M, Revenstorf D, Scherrmann T, Weiss H, Soeder U.Evaluation der Wirksamkeit von ambulanten Körperpsychotherapien–EWAK [Evaluation of the effectiveness of body-psychotherapy in out-patient settings (EEBP)].Psychother Psychosom Med Psychol. 2006;56(12):480-487. doi:10.1055/s-2006-951848

The Alexander Lowen Foundation.What Is Bioenergetic Analysis?

GoodTherapy.org.Bioenergetic Analysis.

Koemeda-Lutz M, Kaschke M, Revenstorf D, Scherrmann T, Weiss H, Soeder U.Evaluation der Wirksamkeit von ambulanten Körperpsychotherapien–EWAK [Evaluation of the effectiveness of body-psychotherapy in out-patient settings (EEBP)].Psychother Psychosom Med Psychol. 2006;56(12):480-487. doi:10.1055/s-2006-951848

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