How
is Bowen Technique Plus different?
When I was first taught the Bowen technique in 1994, I was taught
the following:-
"Don't bother to use Bowen
if you use any other modality on the same day. Don't bother to use
Bowen if you massage before or after on the same day. Don't bother
to use Bowen if you manipulate, adjust, lay on your hands or stay
by the patient between moves; your other work whatever it is cancels
Bowen…adding extra moves and your own personal input shows a
lack of confidence in Bowen, in your ability; it even demonstrates
an inferiority complex." (Bowen’s hands - December 1994).
Though the technique as I was
taught it did get good results, this approach never felt
right to me and struck me as rather rigid. I found it hard to believe
that Tom Bowen, being such a brilliant pioneer and innovator, was
as rigid as this in his own practise. I could not accept that the
fact that I was open to combining it with my own ideas "demonstrated
an inferiority complex".
However it was not until August 2002 that I received an email from
Kevin Ryan, the last person taught by Tom Bowen before his death in
1982 who confirmed my suspicion. Kevin stated the exact opposite of
what I had originally been taught and what you just read above. He
stated that "Every one of us who comes in contact with his (Tom
Bowen’s) approach, has the opportunity to continue its development
as we consciously or inadvertently incorporate it into what we already
do, or vice versa. One of the wonderful things about Toms' approach,
is that it does integrate well with many if not all other body therapies."
These words sounded much closer
to the truth to me. My current approach to practicing this technique
has been strongly influenced by these words. Consequently, I present
a less rigid approach to the work as I was originally taught it, allowing
room for the practitioner to use their own intuition and to couple
it with their existing knowledge if they are already trained therapists.
It is still based on the original training I received, but it has
been influenced by other approaches to Bowen’s work which I
have come across, Kevin Ryan's letters to me, and of course my own
experience and consequent development of the technique, after treating
several thousand people in my clinic. For this reason I call it "Bowen
Technique Plus" as it delves deeper, and is more flexible than
the training I received in 1994. It combines Bowen with NST, VHT and
many ideas and procedures I have developed (based on the Bowen 'move').
For further information visit the "What
is Bowen page of the site".
.
More
on the Bowen technique
