Frequently Asked Questions

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Bowen Therapy has been taught and applied around the world. Hundreds of thousands of Bowen Therapy sessions have been performed. Bowen Therapy appears to be very safe.

Bowen Therapy has been used on expectant mothers, before and during labor, newborn babies and young children, on up through all age groups to the very elderly.

I have been unable to find reference to any reported case of serious injury or death resulting from a Bowen Therapy session. Indeed, I have been unable to find a single lawsuit resulting from Bowen Therapy.

Please note some Bowen “moves” are contra- indicated for use with pregnant woman.

I find my typical Bowen Therapy session lasts forty minutes. That said, each client is an individual with their own unique needs and specific requirements. The content of subsequent sessions may be quite different and therefore the time in any given session may vary.

I have, because of a clien'ts condition, had sessions of less than twenty minutes and sessions that lasted in excess of an hour. There is no set time. It all depends on what is appropriate to your situation.

My philosophy regarding the length of a session: It is not time driven. I'm more concerned about identifying and applying the most appropriate Bowen “moves” for a client's unique needs and optimizing the amount of work done, so as not to overload the client.

Please note some Bowen “moves” are contra- indicated for use with pregnant woman.

Typically during a Bowen Therapy session there are a number of short (two minute) pauses, where the therapist will leave the room.

These pauses are to allow the body to assimilate the energy flows that have been initiated and stimulated by the just completed “moves”. It is important not to overload the body's senses with too much noise. The pauses serve to allow the body to assimilate and settle before subsequent moves are applied.

Bowen Therapy is an extremely gentle and effective therapy for the relief of pain and symptoms.

Bowen Therapy typically gets to the very core of your body to effect these seemingly miraculous results. This is known as a 'correcting process' and your body can have a diverse and full range of feelings and emotions.

Generally, following a Bowen Therapy session, clients feel positive, energized and upbeat. Typically clients quickly experience a reduction in pain and relief from symptoms.

However, in some instances the 'correcting process' brings with it some discomforting feelings and emotions, such as: lethargy and fatigue; difficulty sleeping; shifting body sensations and emotional fluctuations. In some (rare) instances a short term worsening of symptoms has been known to occur. This is known as a 'healing crisis' and while very rare, is typically short in duration.

My philosophy on all of these feelings, both positive and negative, is that it is all good. It shows that your body is receptive to Bowen Therapy and that change is taking place. My experience is that positive things tend to happen, even following a temporary worsening of symptoms.

I find my typical, and indeed majority of, clients require only three sessions.

That said, the number of sessions is very much determined by:

What the problem is?

How acute (severe) the problem is?

How complex the problem is?

How long you have had the problem?

Will your lifestyle continue to contribute to the problem?

Have you multiple problems - if so how many?

Bowen Therapy is very forgiving, it allows us to work simultaneously on multiple problems. It generally provides safe, speedy relief and it typically works well on long standing problems.

I have seen at the extremes, simple problems resolve in just one session and more complex situations require as many as seven sessions. Some problems resolve but require ongoing maintenance to remain symptom free, this is relatively rare, but does sometimes happen.

If you are seeing absolutely no positive results after the second session, I would seek to find other alternatives with you, rather than proceed with another session.

My philosophy regarding the number of sessions is determined solely on results. If you are seeing tangible and measurable improvements and obtaining symptom relief, but are not quite there yet, I would recommend you continue therapy. The final choice though, will always be up to you.

I recommend a week between Bowen Therapy sessions. Sometimes that is not possible, so a range of five to ten days is permissible.

I have seen, at the extremes, follow-up sessions performed within three days to alleviate some new problem and I have seen people wait weeks between sessions, seemingly without ill effect. Bowen Therapy is very forgiving and each individuals' situation should be treated on its merit.

My philosophy regarding frequency of sessions is not to adhere to a rigid number of days, but rather to optimize the body's response to the follow-up treatment session. If, given a particular situation, I think it would be best to follow-up in five days, then that is what I will recommend. My experience is that for most situations the week offers the optimum time for the previous session to 'bed in' and ready the body for the next session.

Bowen Therapy is usually performed through (light) clothing. I request that my clients wear loose fitting clothing - preferably t-shirt and shorts, but lightweight blouses/shirts and slacks are acceptable and won't impede the effectiveness of a treatment.

No - the world of insurance has yet to catch up to Bowen Therapy.

No - a Bowen Therapy session does not use oils, lotions or creams.

No - I believe my focus is on obtaining results through the application of appropriate Bowen “moves” and facilitating your healing process. I don't believe I can do that successfully while I'm trying to sell you something!

I offer my services in the greater Sacramento, California area though if you live further away we can make special arrangements or I'll try to refer you to a therapist in your area.

I will gladly make "house calls" to your home or office. Ideally, we want an environment that is quiet and soothing so that your body can concentrate on relaxing and healing without distractions.