Body-mind psychotherapy (Aposhyan)

Domain IV · Body-oriented psychotherapy · Susan Aposhyan · 1980

What it is

BMP is an integrative somatic psychotherapy developed by Susan Aposhyan in the 1980s and 1990s. She studied psychology and dance at the University of Virginia, did graduate work in psychology, biomechanics and dance therapy at the University of Virginia, Boston University and New York University,…

Format

• BMP is not a fixed phase protocol. Aposhyan is quoted as saying that "Every BMP session is different". The 2004 book is organised in four parts: (1) theory of mind–body unity and the biology of consciousness; (2) the basic form of BMP, covering the tasks of therapy, the body-mind interaction cycle,…
• Session structure (as reported in the secondary profile):

Who practises it, and how they are trained or regulated

• Training (reported by GoodTherapy, not verified with an institute): three levels. A fundamental level covers personal embodiment, self-tracking, presence and grounding, and the basic principles; a second level covers observing and tracking others and empathic attunement; a final certification level covers advanced facilitation, complex presentations, integration with other modalities, and supervision and mentorship.…
• Version followed: Susan Aposhyan's Body-Mind Psychotherapy (BMP) as set out in Body-Mind Psychotherapy: Principles, Techniques, and Practical Applications (W. W. Norton, 2004; ebook edition 2018), with her 2001 paper on interactive psychobiological regulation for the relational side. Source limits: the 2004 book is not drawn on here. Sources include: the book's four-part structure (Norton description); the four…
• BMP is an integrative somatic psychotherapy developed by Susan Aposhyan in the 1980s and 1990s. She studied psychology and dance at the University of Virginia, did graduate work in psychology, biomechanics and dance therapy at the University of Virginia, Boston University and New York University, and taught and performed postmodern dance. She certified as a practitioner and teacher of Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen's…

Questions to explore with your client

• What drew you to it, and what are you hoping it will change?
• Is there physical contact? Was it explained beforehand, and do you feel free to say no or stop at any point?
• Does it involve any substance, plant preparation, remedy or supplement? Has your doctor or prescriber been told, especially about any medication you take?
• Does it involve intense or unusual breathing? Have you been told about the medical conditions for which that is not advised?
• Does it involve fasting, a special diet or 'detox'? Have you discussed this with your doctor?
• Who runs it, and what training or registration do they hold?
• What actually happens in a session or meeting, and how often?
• What does it cost, and is there pressure to commit to more?
• How do you feel afterwards, in the hours and days that follow?
• Does it fit with, or clash with, the work we do here?

What practitioners of it watch for

• over-literal or magical interpretations; keep it to sensation.
• the client self-reports their state accurately and uses the strategies unprompted.
• practices that are too long or too intense to keep up; framing them as homework 'grades'.
• losing track of yourself in long sessions; using the client's material to process your own.
• over-intellectualising, which cuts off the felt sense. Keep returning briefly to the body while talking.

When to involve someone else

• New or worsening physical symptoms, or advice to stop or change prescribed medication: involve the client's doctor or prescriber.
• Signs of coercion, isolation from family and friends, escalating costs or secrecy: discuss openly and consider safeguarding.
• A crisis or thoughts of suicide: follow your crisis protocol. In the US, call or text 988; in the UK and Ireland, Samaritans on 116 123.

Drawn automatically from the guide's own sections. Stay curious: neither endorse nor dismiss what the client values, and check anything that matters against the full guide and its sources. Not medical advice.