Hypnosis & Bioenergetics for LifeChange - Shawna V. Carboni

Bioenergetic Analysis is an innovative way of integrating movement and the body into the psychotherapy process.


		"I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavor." -- Henry David Thoreau

It was one of the first somatic or body-oriented psychotherapies developed in the early 1950’s, and was originated by Alexander Lowen, MD. Rooted in psychoanalytic and developmental theory, it focuses on the dynamic inseparability of mind and body and integrates current mind-body research into its holistic approach.

As Dr. Lowen explains, “Bioenergetics is a way of understanding personality in terms of the body and its energetic processes .... As we all know, mind and body can influence each other. What one thinks can affect how one feels. The converse is equally true. This interaction, however, is limited to the conscious or superficial aspects of the personality. On a deeper lever, that is, on the unconscious level, both thinking and feeling are conditioned by energy factors .... The energetic processes of the body are related to the state of aliveness of the body. The more alive one is, the more energy one has, and vice versa.”

Bioenergetics focuses on how body structure, breathing patterns, and bound-up energy express one’s history and personality. This body language refers not only to non-verbal communication styles but more significantly to somatic and energetic patterns that constitute one’s character and how one deals with life situations and relationships.


		"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." -- Anais Nin

For example, a client struggling with depression may feel unmotivated, hopeless, helpless, perhaps unlovable. His or her body will likely exhibit a similarly depressed posture -- shallow breathing, a sunken chest, low energy and reduced vitality. Using specifically-designed breathing, stretching and expressive-movement exercises, this body language can be slowly altered. As the person's breathing becomes freer, their energy is enhanced and muscular constrictions ease. Often, feelings and past experiences that had been unavailable and unresolved can begin to surface and can then be therapeutically addressed.

It is essential that any experiential work with the body needs to be understood and integrated psychologically. Correlating somatic patterns with psychological and emotional development is the foundation of Bioenergetic Analysis. Thus, enhancing self-knowledge and insight is as central to Bioenergetic Analysis as is working with the body.

For more information, please refer to the following books by Dr. Alexander Lowen, a pioneer of mind-body psychotherapy:

Bioenergetics (1975; an excellent introduction)
Language of the Body (1958; considered a classic in the field of somatic psychotherapy)
Joy: The Surrender to the Body and to Life (1995, Dr. Lowen’s last book, written when he was 85)

See also www.bioenergetic-therapy.com, the website of the International Institute of Bioenergetic Analysis; www.USABP.org, the website of the US Association for Body Psychotherapy, and www.lowenfoundation.org, the website of the Alexander Lowen Foundation.