Bowen Therapy balances the physical, mental and emotional planes. Its rejuvenating effect empowers the quality of our lives. Natural Approach are providing bowen therapy treament in Melbourne and Carlton.

1. Bowen Theory and Therapy
Bowen is a remedial body technique that
is extremely gentle and relaxing. It
empowers the body's own healing
resources to achieve balance and
harmony.

2. The Breadth of a Bowenian
Perspective
●
Bowen theory is not about
families, but about life.
●
Bowen emphasized that humans
have more in common "with
other forms of protoplasm … and
that traditional social science to
emphasize differences have …
increased our denial about what
really makes us tick" (p. 135).

3. A Perspective of Universals
●
Bowen theory emphasizes universal continua
rather than discrete categories (i.e.,
nature/nurture, male/female, patient/therapist).
●
Bowen theory embraces aspects of multiple
social and behavioral sciences.
●
The family is the unit of observation and
treatment. Multigenerational forces can create
symptoms at one of three locations:
●
the marital relationship;
●
the health of one of the marital partners;
●
children.
●
Implications of a "universal" perspective:
●
diminishes the importance of becoming an
"expert" in specific symptomatologies;

4. A Perspective of Universals
●
Bowen theory emphasizes universal continua
rather than discrete categories (i.e.,
nature/nurture, male/female, patient/therapist).
●
Bowen theory embraces aspects of multiple
social and behavioral sciences.
●
The family is the unit of observation and
treatment. Multigenerational forces can create
symptoms at one of three locations:
●
the marital relationship;
●
the health of one of the marital partners;
●
children.
●
Implications of a "universal" perspective:
●
diminishes the importance of becoming an
"expert" in specific symptomatologies;

5. The Emotional Being of the
Therapist
●
Differentiation of therapist is emphasized:
"Bowen has consistently maintained that it is
hard for the patient to mature beyond the
maturity level of the therapist, no matter how
good his or her technique" (p. 138).
●
Capacity to apply Bowenian theory is a function
of the therapist's own differentiation.
●
"Maintaining a non-anxious presence … is
connected to the being of the therapist, not to his
or her know-how" (p. 138).
●
Bowen and Kerr (1981) have suggested that
learning Bowenian theory requires an emotional
chance that is only possible by apprenticing with
someone who is a "master" or a disciple of a

6. Concepts in Bowen Theory
●
Four Seminal Constructs
●
Differentiation
●
Emotional System
●
Multigenerational Transmission
●
Emotional Triangle
●
These major constructs are
interdependent.

7. Chronic Anxiety
●
Anxiety is natural. It is an
emotional and physical reactivity.
●
Chronic anxiety is an
"exaggeration of a basic rhythm
of life: the instinctual, nonthinking
response necessary of
wilderness survival as well as the
habits required for playing a
sport" (p. 140).
●
Anxiety is transmitted by families

8. Differentiation
●
A "lifelong process of striving to keep one's
being in balance through the reciprocal
external and internal processes of definition
and self-regulation" (p. 140).
●
This refers to a process rather than a goal
that can ever be achieved. It is a direction in
life.
●
Differentiation is not synonymous with
●
individuation,
●
autonomy,
●
independence.
●
Differentiation includes a connectedness to

9. Emotional System
●
Emotional system refers to any group of
people (or collection of animals, for that
matter) that have developed emotional
interdependencies.
●
The group has an organized structure.
●
Family emotional system includes
●
the members thoughts, feelings, emotions,
fantasies, associations, and past connections
(individual as well as group connections);
●
the members physical makeup, genetic heritage,
and current metabolic state;
●
each individual sibling position and parents'
sibling positions;

10. Multigenerational Transmission
●
This does not simply refer to the influence of the
past. It is the "presence" of the past.
●
Nature and degree of intensity of emotional
responses are passed down from generation to
generation.
●
The distinction between generations is a false
dichotomy because all generations are part of a
continuous natural process.
●
Family of origin work does not emphasize
identifying relatives or even patterns of
interactions. Rather, it is the process of connecting
and re-connecting with the natural processes that
go back generations.
●
Self-differentiation is the process of getting in
touch with intergenerational processes, to know

11. Emotional Triangle
(a/k/a "triangle")
●
An emotional triangle is more complex than a
triad.
●
This refers to any three parts of an emotional
system.
●
It can include either three individuals or two
individuals and an issue.
●
Rules that govern emotional processes:
●
One person cannot change the relationship
between two others or between another person
and her or his habit.
●
The more you try to relationship of another, the
more likely it is that you will reinforce the aspects

12. Emotional Triangle
(cont.)
●
Clinical Implications:
●
If a clinician is recruited into a
triangle with a couple and is able to
refrain from overfunctioning or
emotionally reactive, the clinician
can help facilitate change that
would not be possible if the two had
the same conversation alone.
●
A clinician inducted into a triangle is
likely to experience the stress of the
couple. This is positional and

13. Bowen Therapy
●
Objectivity
●
Objectivity does not refer to an
intellectual/cerebral process. It is an emotional
phenomenon.
●
This refers to a clear headedness that is a prodict
of differentiation.
●
All procedures to maintain objectivity
(differentiation) will help promote change.
●
Procedures to foster an objective state:
– mischievous, paradoxical responses;
– avoiding interpretations;
– diagramming;
– telling (disguised) stories about other clients as
projective techniques;

14. Bowen Therapy
(cont.)
●
Proximity and Protoplasm
●
Lack of differentiation can be destructive.
●
Major problem of families: not to get them closer
but enable them to be clearer about where they
end and others in their life begin.
●
Therapeutic goal: encourage self-differentiation of
individual members.
●
Healing is a Self-Regenerative Phenomenon
●
A Natural Systems View of Pathology
●
Inability to differentiate self from others causes
problems.
●
Inability to regulate self prevents maturity.
●
Problems that persist continue because others

15. Bowen Therapy
(cont.)
●
A Natural Systems View of
Healing
●
Health is natural.
●
Therapeutic processes:
– reduce chronic anxiety than inhibits
healing by being a well-differentiated,
nonanxious presence;
– stimulate the clients own resources.

16. Bowen Therapy
(cont.)
●
Therapy Process:
●
Longevity in therapeutic contact promotes deeper
involvement with multigenerational processes.
– Change is not equated with symptom relief or feeling
better but with an increase in differentiation level of the
family.
– Frequency of sessions is less important than time in
therapy (over time, clients may have longer time
between sessions). Increased time between sessions
may reduce dependency.
●
Time frame for evaluating change:
– Bowen suggested that it takes four years to help a
family so that multigenerational patterns will not
automatically continue to the next generation -- an four
years is not a guarantee.
– Two criteria for evaluating fundamental change in a

17. For More Information About Bowen
Therapy Melbourne, Visit:
http://www.naturalapproach.com.au/