The history and development of Body Psychotherapy: European collaboration

Abstract

This article, part of a series on the history of Body Psychotherapy (Young, 2006, 2008, 2010), covers the extraordinary collaboration, co-operation and integration that happened between the diverse schools and countries to further the development of Body Psychotherapy in Europe, which started in the mid-1990s. This collaboration was primarily political, but has since extended much further. In this process, various other offshoots are becoming apparent, as the mainstream or field of Body Psychotherapy is being generated. In this complex process of development, the necessary ‘structures’ for European Body Psychotherapy are also described.

Keywords:

• Body Psychotherapy
• history
• Europe
• professional politics
• training standards
• accreditation
• ethics

Notes

Notes

1. EABP Congresses: ‘Body Psychotherapy in Europe’, Davos, Switzerland, 1987; ‘Body, Health and Society’, Seefeld, Austria, 1989; ‘Words, Touch and Transference’, Lindau, Germany, 1991; ‘Science and Love’, Strasbourg, France, 1993; ‘Six Perspectives on Body Psychotherapy’, Carry-le-Rouet, France, 1995; ‘100 Years of Wilhelm Reich: Energy, Sexuality, Character and Society’, Pamhagen, Austria, 1997; ‘The Flesh of the Soul’, Travemunde, Germany, 1999; ‘The Art of Relating’, Egmond-am Zee, The Netherlands, 2001; ‘The Future of Body Psychotherapy’, Ischia, Italy, 2002 (with ISC); ‘The Body at the Centre of Psychotherapy’, Athens/Marathon, Greece, 2004; ‘Bodies of Knowledge’ Askov, Denmark, 2006; ‘Body and Consciousness’, Paris, France, 2008 (with ISC); ‘Body Mind Relationship’, Vienna, Austria, 2010.

2. ISC Conferences: Mexico, 1987; Montreal, 1990; Barcelona, 1993; Beverley, MA, 1996; Ischia, Italy, 2002; Sao Paulo, 2005; Paris, 2008; Caracas, 2011.

3. USA Universities: (1) John F. Kennedy University, Berkeley: Masters in Counseling Psychology: Somatic specialization. (2) California Institute of Integral Studies: San Francisco: Masters in Counseling Psychology. (3) Santa Barbara Graduate Institute: Masters & PhD programs in Somatic Psychology. (4) Naropa Institute, Boulder, Co: MA Somatic Psychology Program.