Ausbildungszentrum Transformative Körperpsychotherapie  

Training Center for Transfomative Bodypsychotherapy

Bettina Schroeter

Nassauische Straße 26       

D-10717 Berlin     

Germany

Tel: +49-30-873-9180           

info@transformative-koerperpsychotherapie.de www.transformative-koerperpsychotherapie.de

School history

The training centre for Transfomative Bodypsychotherapy (TBP) was founded in 1993 by Bettina Schroeter (Hp.,M.A.) and Barbara Kalinowsky (Dipl.Psych), and has trained about 100 people since then in different ways.

Basic theory and concepts

Transfomative Bodypsychotherapy integrates the human developmental theory of modern and ancient Transpersonal Psychology (Maslow, Jung, Grof, Yalom, Buddhist Psychology) with the therapeutic methods of modern neo-reichian body-psychotherapies (Reich, Lowen, Boadella, Boyesen, Keleman etc.).

We assume that there is an existential predicament for a human being, living as a spirited being in a mortal body, having to survive under the conditions of different environments formed by nature, culture and human history.

Therefore psychotherapy cannot only be concerned with clearing up the past and complementing early childhood deficiencies but should also provide energetic, mental and psychological resources to help the adult individual to maturity, unfold essential qualities and develop an inner strength which makes it possible to undergo inevitable human crisis situations with a stable and healthy attitude.

Focussing also on the existential affairs of a human being living on earth, it includes encountering the harsh reality of personal death. This reality is still widely repressed in modern western living and even to a large extent in the mainstream of (body)-psychotherapy. Acknowledging and integrating this reality can help mature the individual and deepen their quality of life.

Personal integrity implies the self-regulative grounding of the personality in the social environment as well as being in contact with life force itself. This also means valuing experiences beyond the boundaries of time, space, birth and death whilst at the same time being fully grounded on earth.

Our methods and techniques are inspired by Reichian vegetotherapy, biodynamic psychology and biosynthesis. They integrate different styles of transformative breathwork, massage and group dynamic work as well as elements of hypnosis, meditation, behavioural therapy and other modern approaches to working with the mind and its cognitive structures.

However the integrative ground of all the different approaches is always the body or the embodied soul with its energetic presence. Breath, movement, touch, emotional expression and improvising social communication are the central tools to support the individual in strengthening their personality as well as supporting the roots of their existential being.

Training description

We offer training, which takes four to five years and short-term training for professional therapists, in the form of modules.

The training consists of three stages:

1. A one-year training, which introduces vegetotherapy, biodynamic massage, body-orientated group-dynamics as well as basic energetic and therapeutic concepts and skills.  This consists of 30 training days, evening meetings in peer groups and group supervision, as well as meetings in couples for guided therapy exchange exercise.

2. A two-year basic training which teaches basic therapeutic skills in vegetotherapy, massage, group-work, trance work in connection with bodywork, transformative breathwork etc. It also introduces concepts and methods around the process of identity formation concerning early childhood and young adulthood - issues of sexual identity etc. There is teaching and supervision around therapeutic presence, a range of interventions and therapeutic ethics. It consists of 60 training days, evening meetings in peer groups, participation in a 'therapeutic exercise exchange chain’, which is two meetings a month. There are three or four days of lectures around theory during the third year. The first three years include 100 hours of individual therapy with a professional body-psychotherapist.

3. Two years’ advanced training in clinical psychology and transpersonal psychology, which is integrated with the body-orientated approach.

In the fourth year the following is taught - characterolgy, diagnosis, first interview, anamnesis, long-term therapy-process, working with trauma and personality disturbances, ethics, supervision of skills and techniques.

The fifth year includes issues around birth, death and dying, existential loneliness and life crisis, transformative work with sexual energies, transpersonal issues and the meaning of life.

There are 45 training days as well as days dealing with theory and the continuation of participation in evening peer groups and the 'therapy-exercise-exchange-chain'.

Trainers

• Bettina Schroeter, Hp. Päd. M.A., director and founder of the Institute (1993). Has a background in Biodynamic Psychology, Biosynthesis and Transpersonal Psychology (Grof, Buddhist Psychology etc.)              Specialities: Vegetotherapy, developmental psychology, identity process and sexual identity, transpersonal psychology and therapeutic ethics.
• Wolfgang Hegenbart, Dipl.psych., clinical psychologist. Has a background in Bioenergetics, Biosynthesis and Hypnotherapy (Erickson)

                Specialities: group dynamics, hypnotherapy in combination with bodywork, clinical psychology, psychopathology

• Barbara Kalinowski, Dipl.Psych., clinical psychologist, trainer and supervisor for behavioural therapy and trauma therapy. Has a background in biodynamic psychology, behavioural therapy and trauma therapy.

                Specialities: biodynamic massage, behavioural therapy in combination with body-psychotherapy, psychosomatics      and trauma therapy.

• Helmut Josefowicz, Hp., Päd.M.A., trainer and supervisor for body-psychotherapy, background in biodynamic psychology, biosynthesis and psychoanalytical therapy.

                Specialities: group dynamics, family dynamics, conflict management, socio-anthropology and the body.

• Bo Wahlström, Swedish breath therapist and trainer.  Has a background in rebirthing, meditation and energy work.

                Specialities: transformative breathwork, breath and mind connection.

State of recognition

The Training school in Transformative Bodypsychotherapy was accredited as a Body-Psychotherapy Training Institute by the EABP FORUM in 2000 and is still working on getting recognition from the EAP.

EABP Members

Bettina Schroeter, Barbara Kalinowski

Literature - Publication - Research

Schroeter, Bettina, Über die Notwendigkeit einer Biodynamischen entwicklungspsychologie Vortrag zum Kongreß für Biodynamische Körperpsychotherapie, June 1988 published in 'Biodynamische Blätter, special edition May 1989

Schroeter, Bettina, Körperpsychotherapie mit Frühstörungen in: Körperpsychotherapie zwischen Lust- und Realitätsprinzip, 1994

Kalinowski, Barbara, Besteht das Universum aus lauter Dreiecken? oder: Wie Kommt die Energie in den Körper? in: Körperpsychotherapie zwischen Lust- und Realitätsprinzip, Oldenburg 1994

Schroeter, Bettina, Einfachheit oder die therapeutische Neurose in: Narzissmus, Körperpsychotherapie zwischen Energie und Beziehung, Berlin 1997

Schroeter, Bettina, Die Zukunft- Stiefkind der Körperpsychotherapie. Über den Umgang mit der Zeit. Lecture at the Congress of the DGK in Berlin, June 1998 Audiotape can be ordered from the DGK.

Schroeter, Bettina, Around death and dying in Bodypsychotherapy. Lecture at the congress of the EABP in Travemünde 1999, unpublished manuscript.

Schroeter, Bettina, Psychotherapie in den Zeiten der Globalisierung oder: Über die Grenzen westlicher Therapieorientierung, lecture at the Congress for Bodypsychotherapy of the DGK 2003 in Berlin, unpublished manuscript

Schroeter, Bettina, Knapp-Diederichs, Volker, Der narzissmus des Therapeuten.  Schattenwürfe eines Berufsstandes. Lecture at the Congress of DGK 2003 in Berlin, unpublished manuscript.

	Bettina Schroeter		Wolfgang Hegenbart		Barbara Kalinowski