Short courses and introductory courses are available in Cambridge in person. We can also arrange to teach an existing group in your locality. A minimum of ten participants is needed. Courses include Introduction to Body Psychotherapy, Introduction to Biodynamic Massage, and Working with Anxiety, Work with Physical Symptoms, Emotional Anatomy and Physiology. All training is in person.
To book introductory days contact Gill Westland gillwestland@cbpc.org.uk
Please see Training in Biodynamic Massage for full details of the Emotional Anatomy and Physiology course, which is suitable for counsellors, psychotherapists, and complementary therapists wanting to know more about the relevance of the subject to their work.
Open Events
Open events have a talk on body psychotherapy and information on training courses offered at CBPC. These are all in person.
The next Open Event is on Friday 8th March 2024 4.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m.
To book, please contact gillwestland@cbpc.org.uk. The fee is £10.00.
Venue: CBPC, 28 Ditton Walk, Cambridge, CB5 8QE
Please see map on this site on how to reach the centre.
FILM of the Conference : Being in touch: Communicating through touch in psychotherapy
A one day conference on Saturday 9th July 2022 9.30 a.m. – 5.00 p.m.
at King’s College, Cambridge University
FILM available from WHOLE BEING FILMS https://wholebeingfilms.com/product/being-in-touch-conference-2022/
INTRODUCTION
Speaking and touching are two streams of communication which seamlessly weave together in daily relationships. Touch is a “language” in its own right and it can sometimes communicate more than words can say. The foundations for this are laid down prior to birth and afterwards.
Communicating through touch is a way of relating in body psychotherapy. Body psychotherapists are trained to touch, have a touch lexicon, are skilled in its timely therapeutic use, and know how to observe and discuss the impact of touching with clients. Ways of touching are diverse and complex. Varying speed, rhythm, pressure and depth, focussing on different tissues of the body, touching skin to skin, through clothes and blankets, touching with finger tips, the palms of the hands, elbow to elbow are some of the possibilities. Through experience the skills and methods of touching become embedded in the psychotherapist and are pulled out of the practitioner, often intuitively, in a “dance” between client and therapist at appropriate moments.
Unfortunately, other forms of psychotherapy have often neglected therapeutic touching, usually have no training in it, and can be ambivalent about it. Discussions between psychotherapists of other modalities have tended to be somewhat limited and general, rather than exploratory and detailed.
Until fairly recently neuroscience has also neglected research on touch, and concentrated on the other senses. However, there is now a burgeoning interest with papers being written on Affective Touch, mirror touch, vicarious tactile experience and so on. The importance of touch in infancy is also generating papers. In society generally the international Touch Test (2020) https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2020/the-touch-test-results has awakened touch as a topic for discussion and the social distancing of the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted what it is like not to be able to touch others.
We hope in this one-day conference to bring together body psychotherapists, counsellors and psychotherapists from other modalities and neuroscientists to exchange ideas and dialogue with each other. Much remains unknown about touching therapeutically. What, for example, is happening from a neuroscientific perspective, when we touch in a particular way. Why is one form of touch more effective for some sorts of clients than others, why might touch be the first form of help for a particular client?
SPEAKERS
Professor Francis McGlone Losing Touch with Touch: It Will Cost Us Dearly
Dr Natalie Bowling, Individual variability in touch attitudes and experiences.
Dr Katarina Fotopoulou, The Neuroscience of Affective Touch: From the Lab to the Couch
Tom Warnecke, Stirring the depths – reflections on touch in psychotherapy
Gill Westland, Sue Frazer, Touch in Body Psychotherapy
Dr Elya Steinberg, Dr David Tune, Courtenay Young Panel Presentation
Introduction to Biodynamic Massage
Suitable for complete beginners, counsellors, healthcare professionals. One day course to learn basic methods and theory of Biodynamic Massage. Biodynamic massage involves “contactful touch” and the day will provide opportunities to explore communicating through touch.
Date: dates for 2024 to be announced
Cost: £120.00
Course leader: Sue Frazer
Introduction to Body Psychotherapy – Basics 1
Body psychotherapy starts with awareness of body awareness (noticing physical sensations). Body awareness comes from bringing attention to the body when speaking, sitting, walking, moving and living life. Body sensations are usually background information that can be brought into focus. The body communicates and guides us on what helps or hinders; what brings joy in living and better well-being. The themes of Grounding, Centring and Facing will also be explored. The emphasis will be on Grounding. Grounding is about being in reality, seeing things as they are and living from a place of inner strength.
Date: Dates for 2024 to be announced
Cost:£120.00
Course leader: Gill Westland
Affective Touch
A Continuing Professional Development course.
For those qualified in Biodynamic Massage or Body Psychotherapy, Sue Frazer offers a one day introduction to Affective Touch from time to time.
BOOKING FOR SHORT COURSES: To book please send the full fee. Please email us for our bank details for a bank transfer. Please also include brief details about yourself e.g. profession, area of work, reason for wanting to do the course.