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(for an explanation of
WHAT IS BIOENERGETICS, please see article
of same title)
HOW DOES
THIS THEORETICAL APPROACH EXPAND A THERAPIST’S ABILITY TO RELATE TO HIS OR
HER CLIENTS?
Most research has
revealed that approximately 94% of our communication is non-verbal. Some
call it “body-language.” In Bioenergetics, we are able to read this
language of the body as well as have a sense about its meaning to the
client. We are given tools to help
the client access understanding as to how they have organized their
presence in the world according to the emotional responses their
environmental experiences have generated.
Candace Pert, credited
for her research on endorphins and neuropeptides,
writes in her book, Molecules of Emotions that the
body has capacity for memory all throughout, especially in
areas where there are concentrations of neuropeptides.
In psychology, Carl Jung is well-known for his
contributions to the field. He has
been quoted to have said that “your unconscious becomes your process.” In Bioenergetics, we believe that the
body holds that “process,” or energy in the body.
EXAMPLES OF THIS
“BODY-MIND LANGUAGE”
Before therapeutic
interventions, someone who has been battered or abused will have what is
called an “exaggerated startle response.”
They will unconsciously flinch or jump when they hear a loud noise
or someone makes a sudden movement around them. This is just one example of
a myriad of unconscious memories the body holds stored in its defensive
repertoire.
Think of the expression “stand on your own two
feet” as in “being grounded.”
Or, “shouldering our responsibilities” as a description of
those of us who carry unneeded tension in our shoulders and neck because of
unprocessed stress and psychological burdens.
Another example would be “hold your head up high”
as instruction for keeping one disconnected from the feelings that might “bring
you down.” It’s almost
impossible to cry and release sadness if you “keep your chin up.”
And, there are the sayings “to lose your heart,
open your heart” or, “having a broken heart.” Energetically, these expressions can be
used to describe the posture, emotion or experience that person is having.
In Bioenergetics we know someone experiencing a broken heart will most
likely have caved in looking sternum and rounded forward shoulders.
Thus, our language belies the body-mind
connection that exists in our daily lives and expressions. The body’s energy patterns are directly
related to the individual’s experiences in life. Just as the psyche has had to organize defenses in
relationship to environmental responses, the person’s body has also been
present and experiencing the gamut of emotions and feelings---all physical
felt-senses. The Bioenergetic therapist is able to utilize this added
information to facilitate the client in releasing past experiences and
integrating her awareness of self into the present moment.
SUGGESTED READING
Johnson, S. (1985). Characterological
Transformation, The Hard Work Miracle.
Norton & Company
Lowen, A.
(1975). Bioenergetics. Penguin: Arkana.
Pert, C. (1999).
Molecules of Emotion, The Science Behind Mind-Body
Medicine.
Simon & Schuster.
TOP
@Copyright 2001,2003 by Tarra
Judson Stariell, MFT, CBT
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