PBSP

“We are made to be able to be happy in an imperfect world, which is endlessly unfolding. We are the local agents of this cosmological unfolding.“

“We are born for self-realisation.“  Albert Pesso

Albert Pesso (19.9.1929 – 19.5.2016)

Albert Pesso was known throughout the world as an inspirational, creative and influential therapist. He and his wife, Diane Pesso Boyden (1929–2016), were dancers originally. They became interested in how emotions are stored in the body and started to explore the emotional impact of body movements and posture on dancers and their audience. These investigations and their enthusiasm and creative genius lead to the development of a unique therapeutic modality called Pesso Boyden System Psychomotor (PBSP).

What is PBSP therapy?

PBSP was invented by the Pessos in 1961. It has evolved into a highly respected, state-of-the-art psychotherapy. It has been used  effectively by hundreds of therapists for over forty years in countries including the USA, the UK, Holland, Germany, the Czech Republic and others. The basic theory in PBSP is that people have difficulty meeting life tasks as adults if they missed certain essential experiences with caregivers in childhood and/or they experienced trauma. If we miss adequate experiences of nurturing, protection or support in childhood, for example, what we thought and felt and how we coped with that experience is stored in memory. People may not be aware of such memories or see how they continue to affect their life. They may only report feeling dissatisfied with life; feeling depressed, anxious or confused; repeating patterns of behaviour that leave them distressed and unhappy; having difficulty relating with others or other issues.

Scientific context

PBSP is congruent with current research on child development and with attachment theory. These sources explain that sensory and emotional interactions between a child and its parents (or care givers) have a major impact on how the child’s brain develops. These early effects carry on into adulthood and are  apparent in the way that adults experience the world and manage their lives. (John Bowlby; The Centre for Developing Child at Harvard University). When a child does not experience emotionally safe and nurturing parenting, it can lead to an inability to cope with the challenges of adulthood. Early trauma is now widely researched by neuroscientists. A recently proposed diagnostic category, Developmental Trauma Disorder, refers to trauma which occurs repeatedly over an extended period of time in childhood within care giving relationships. This is believed to be   one of the most damaging forms of trauma (van der Kolk 2015).

How does it work?

PBSP is “one-to-one therapy”, which can be done in an individual session or a group setting. The client, in a close collaboration with the therapist, explores key events from his childhood and their influence on his current life. The Pessos discovered interventions which combine talking with bodily and emotional experiences. In a PBSP session the client is in a feeling state of mind and experiences imaginary scenes which are dramatized and felt. The ultimate goal is to have the client taste what it would have been like to have had a benign and happy past with good and safe parents (Scarf 2004).

Are you interested in PBSP therapy in Czech or in English?

Contact us and learn more. We provide PBSP therapy in Czech and in English.