Pesso Boyden System Psychom*otor, also known as psychom*otor, psychom*otor therapy, or PBSP, is a body-mind interactive model thatanalyzes the present-day effect of traumatic memories and helps peoplework to create new memories in order tooffset emotional deficiencies experienced in the past.
Though the approach draws from severalbody and movement-oriented methods, it also incorporates theories and techniques from psychodynamic therapy, systems theory, and cognitive behavioral therapy, among others. This approach to treatment may be beneficial for adolescents, adults, or young childrenwho are seeking therapy.
- History and Development
- How Does Psychom*otor Therapy Work?
- A Typical Session of Psychom*otor Therapy
- How Can Psychom*otor Therapy Help?
- Concerns and Limitations
History and Development
Albert Pesso and Diane Boyden-Pesso pioneered this approach in 1961. The couple, who met as dance students and eventually married and opened their own studio, found that when they urged the dancers who belonged to their studio to express their inner emotions through movement, many of them were able to achieve some measure of psychological relief. The Pessos recognized that whiledance could help people express emotional concerns, dance alone could not resolve those issues that were already present in the dancers' lives.
They began development of an interactive therapeutic approach, one that utilized specific words or phrases, spatial relationships, movement, and physical touch from the external world as responses to the inner emotional deficits expressed by individuals in treatment. The goal of their approach to treatment is to provide people a safe, therapeutic environment in which people have the opportunity toform new body-based memories that are better ableto satisfy any emotional needs that wentunmet in theirearlier years.
How Does Psychom*otor Therapy Work?
Psychom*otor therapists believe that many of themental and emotional concerns a person may experiencein adulthood develop as aconsequence of unmet emotional and developmental needs in early childhood. When childhood needs go unfulfilled in this way, according to psychom*otor theory, the adult a person becomes may not be an accurate representation of their true self.One major tenet of psychom*otor therapy is the idea that humans possess an innate knowledge of their basic needs, as well as an understanding of when a particular need should be met.When a person's basic needs are not met, lasting memories of the negative experience may form, and thesememories can have a significantimpact on an individual throughout life. Find a Therapist
Psychom*otor therapy is designed to helppeople in treatment become more conscious of emotional and sensorimotor information to help them become better able to uncover and address their unique needs.Once the childhood memory of an unmet need is revealed, the therapist can use the acquired information to recreate an external version of the memory with the assistance of objects, other group members, or facilitators. People in treatment can then attempt to address unresolved conflicts, perform incomplete actions, process stagnated emotions, or receive the emotional support that was missing in childhood.
Some mental health professionals are wary of the possibility of retraumatization, but psychom*otor therapy does not involve regression. People in treatment are simultaneously conscious of the historical memory as well as the fact that they arein the present, in thesecure setting of the therapy room.Practitioners of the approach believe that the use of positive symbolic interactions can help offset anypsychological trauma a person may haveexperienced in early life, also suggesting that these new memories may beprocessed internally,alongside the original memory, as a more positive and affirming experience.
A Typical Sessionof Psychom*otor Therapy
During a psychom*otor therapy session (which is referred to as a "structure"), individuals in treatment have the opportunity to access, express, and addresstheir innermost feelings and needs in a safe environment. Structures are generally conducted in a group, but each structure istailored to the individual needs of one person at a time, while the other group members offer support by playing roles or otherwise contributing to the structure.
Peoplein treatment are taught a number of exercises that are meant to help them become more sensitive to the sensorimotor and emotional signals that provide information about the body and maypreviously have beenviewed simply as physical pain. Other techniques learned in psychom*otor therapy include accommodation, a role-playing skill that is used to satisfy requests of the person in treatment, and polarization,a technique thathelps people work to clarify ambivalent feelings. During polarization, two group members represent the positive and negative characteristics of the same person beingrecalled by the individual.
Most forms of psychotherapy involve a therapist who takes charge of the session, but psychom*otor therapy differs in that therapists are directed by the people in their care. This allows the individuals seeking treatmentto maintain a sense of control as they receive the help they need and explore new or previously unconsidered aspects of the self.
The therapist typically asks the person in treatment to speak about the issues being experiencedexperiencing, gradually usingrespectfulbutprobing questions to help uncover the underlying causes of these concerns. As the structure progresses, the therapist works with the individual to keep track of body sensations, emotions, verbal expressions, internalized commands, and core beliefs.Once the individual recalls an emotionally charged memory of a time whena basic childhood need was not satisfied, the therapist asks for permission to recreate an external scene of that memory. Group members may offer or be askedto play the role of the affected individual’s parents, former caregivers, or any other important "characters"in the past memory.
How Can Psychom*otor Therapy Help?
The goal of this approach is to help individuals resolve lingering effects of trauma or memories that have a negative impact on well-being. This may include memories of early parental loss, neglect, or abuse of any kind. This treatment modality caneffectively address a wide range of issues,includinganxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress, relationship concerns,anger, andlow self-esteem.
Psychom*otor therapy has been used in schools to help children experiencing concerns such as aggression, attention-deficit hyperactivity, or oppositional defiance learn to develop new skills and behaviors and put them into practice.
Individuals who have not previously obtained a significant benefit from talking therapy may find this approach to be more helpful, as might people who find themselves dissociating from or somatizingtheir feelings and/or emotions. Individuals who find it challenging to recognize their emotions may experience greater awareness through psychom*otor therapy exercises.
This approach is also likely to be helpful, in a more general way, to people who would like to better understand the mind-body connection or who desire a better understanding of their internal strengths, resources, and talents. People who participate in psychom*otor therapy may, over time, feel more optimistic, engage in behavior that leads to improved well-being,and find more meaning and enjoyment in everyday life.
Concerns and Limitations
According to anecdotal evidence, psychom*otor therapy has contributed toimproved emotional and psychological health in many. However,there is limited empirical evidence to support the efficacy of the approach. Future research, in the form ofrandomized controlled trials,may lendunbiased support to the efficacy of the approach.
This approach maynot be suitable for some people seeking treatment. Individualswho havelimited communication skills, experience restricted movement, or have significant cognitive impairments may experience little to no benefit from this modality. Further, people seeking treatment should be able to distinguish between reality and a symbolic experience in order to participate in psychom*otor therapy without potential harmful effects.
References:
- Houben, C. (2014). Psychom*otor therapy at school. Retrieved fromhttp://nvpmt.nl/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/PMT-in-school-Caroline-Houben-march-2014.pdf
- Pesso, A. (n.d.). Transcript of a pbsp therapy session with commentary. Retrieved from https://pbsp.com/full-transcript-of-a-description-of-a-pbsp-therapy-session
- The PBSP Institute. (2007). Training in Pesso Boyden System Psychom*otor: International curriculum. Retrieved from http://www.pbsp-institut.de/pdf/curriculum.pdf
