Psychotherapeutic Postural Integration


Psychotherapeutic Postural Integration (PPI), is an alternative body psychotherapy method, which uses Postural Integration (PI) in a psychotherapeutic context. Body Psychotherapy is a distinct branch of psychotherapy developed over the last seventy years. It is an ethical and scientifically validated method of professional practice for relieving emotional and mental distress and for human growth. [1]

PPI is in this context an effective way to support individuals in dealing with the challenges in their lives in a more creative manner. The method helps them to change in every part of themselves, supporting them to become more aware in their bodies and empowering them to change their "bodymind" - that is - their bodies, emotions and attitudes, thus furthering their personal development.

In theory

At a practical level, PPI is an active psychotherapy in which the patient–client and practitioner (psychotherapist) interact to guide the development of self-awareness and consciousness, enabling clients to increase their sense of well-being, their capacity to feel, their ability to emotionally express themselves with clarity in their relationships.

Psychotherapeutic Postural Integration integrates a whole process and procedure of therapeutic touch into the ongoing psychotherapeutic process. [2] This method therefore has a special place in the "science" of body psychotherapy. [3] In PPI the claimed specific stimulation of the layers of fascia, allows the opening of specific dimensions of experience and history of the body and its different parts.

In the process of the sessions, bodymind connections become apparent linking memories, physical tensions, sensations and emotions. [4] As in every psychotherapy, the client goes deeper into their own self. The main difference to verbal therapies is the role of the body in the process. The interaction between the spoken words, the sensations experienced and the emotions felt becomes deeper. The clients therefore get a greater felt sense of themselves, their inner resources and their inner tensions. Hidden wounds and old sufferings from personal family history are consciously expressed in the body.

In practice

In the presence of a supportive therapist, the clients can release the weight of emotional charge which holds them down and often, like a keystone, links different webs of tension in the bodymind. The result can be a lightening and softening and greater sense of aliveness.

To engage aliveness is a fundamental strength of PPI:

Validation

Body-Psychotherapy has been scientifically validated by the European Association for Psychotherapy (E.A.P.) as have a number of the various modalities within this mainstream branch of Psychotherapy. One of these approaches or “modalities” within Body-Psychotherapy includes Psychotherapeutic Postural Integration which has been recognised as scientifically valid by the EAP. [5]

Notes

  1. ↑ Ben-Shahar, Asaf Rolef: Touching the Relational Edge; Body Psychotherapy pp.xxiv-xxv, Karnac Books Ltd., London (2014) ISBN 978-1-7822009-4-9;
    Body Psychotherapy as defined by the European Association of Body-Psychotherapy (EABP) and the United States Association for Body-Psychotherapy (USABP) (see ext.-links)
  2. ↑ Young, Courtenay: Article The Power of Therapeutic Touch
  3. ↑ Young, Courtenay: Article The Science of Body-Psychotherapy
  4. ↑ Keleman, Stanley: Your Body speaks its Mind, Center Press (US) (1989) ISBN 978-0934320016
  5. ↑ EABP & EAP article confirming scientific validity of PPI, p3 by second source author Courtnay Young

See also

External links


Reading References