FAQ about Biodynamic Massage

Q:   In what way is Biodynamic Massage (BDM) different from other forms of massage?

A:   In BDM we address the energy flow of the client. The aim is to balance, enhance, stimulate or calm the available energy and to clear the system of metabolic waste accumulated in stressful situations.

Q:   What are the effects of a BDM?

A:   Your natural energy flow is enhanced, which can be felt in different ways. Clients may report they feel "deeply relaxed”, “back in one piece again”, “relaxed and at the same time energised”, “connected with all the part of the body”, “having let go of tensions”, “revived”, or  “connected with a deeper source”.

Q:   What to expect from a session?

A:   A session normally lasts between 50 and 60 minutes. In the first session the therapist will take a brief medical history and then you will discuss together a treatment plan (i.e. a one-off, regular weekly sessions or a course of treatments). Throughout the treatment on the couch you will be covered by a blanket and/or sheet. The therapist doesn’t use oil, but may choose to use a stethoscope to monitor your progress.

If you wish you can stay fully clothed, or you can take some or most of your clothes off. In any case, your therapist will ask you to keep your underwear on.

Q:   How deep is a BDM?

A:   BDM is a tailor-made treatment to suit your individual needs at a particular time. It can be that the therapist chooses to work on the skin level, the connective or deeper tissue, the muscles or even down to the bone level. In any case, the therapist will endeavour to meet you at the level that is both enjoyable for you and effective.

Q:   Why does the therapist use a stethoscope?

A:   The therapist puts it on your tummy and uses it as a feed-back for how your system is unwinding during the massage, i.e. the tummy rumblings (called “psychoperistalsis”), broadly speaking, indicate to what degree your system is “digesting” past stressful events.

It was Gerda Boyesen’s discovery that the gut has the second function of digesting our nervous stresses and emotional strains.  This second function of the intestine she later termed ‘psycho-peristalsis’ to differentiate it from the digestion of food.  The psycho-peristalsis is our innate self-regulation system which would ‘clear the remnants of the day’ when we relax at the end of a stressful day. One distinctive feature of Biodynamic Massage is therefore that the therapist may listen with a stethoscope to the ‘tummy rumblings’ during the session.  This is to monitor how the system is responding to the treatment, as a form of bio-feed-back.  It gives the therapist a further layer of information in addition to what she feels in the muscles and tissues.  

Q:   What conditions can BDM help with?

A:   BDM is particularly helpful in dealing with stress related problems that affect your body, when you have lost touch with your body, or you are feeling tired and low in energy.

Q:   How many treatment sessions will I need?

A:   You will probably feel different already after the first treatment, but for lasting changes you would need to have a series of sessions over weeks or months.

Q:   Who is giving BDM?

A:   Within this web-site you will find a register of therapists who work in private practices. All listed therapists are fully trained and are members of the London School of Biodynamic Psychotherapy, adhere to the school’s codes of ethics and professional practice and are under regular supervision.

Q:   What are the arrangements at the Student Clinic of LSBP?

A:   BDM is given at the LSBP student clinic by our advanced student and under supervision. The treatments are given at low cost, allowing the clients to enjoy the benefits of BDM and the students to gain experience.

Q: How much does a session cost?

A: Depending on the location and the years of experience, therapists may charge between £30 and £70 for one session.