Pesso Boyden self-development workshop – Chiswick
"I can truly say that working with Emma and PBSP has had a transformative impact on my life." - Jacqui
Pesso Boyden System of Psychomotor (PBSP) psychotherapy is a liberating mind-body approach, releasing us from seeing the present through the lens of past memories.
Is PBSP for you? Good question! PBSP is a great approach for healing early childhood issues where our basic needs haven’t been met (you’re not alone there), as well as issues around trauma. Attending as an o-p will give you a good sense of whether you’d like to have a structure another time.
Bessel van der Kolk is one of the world's leading trauma experts. In his book The Body Keeps The Score, he says that PBSP helps "rewire your negative thinking and dissolve unwanted patterns that keep you from enjoying your life."
In this workshop, you’ll be safely supported to create new symbolic ideal memories which will give you a felt-sense of what you needed to have happened in the past, enabling you to live your life more freely in the present.
What can you expect? PBSP is creative. Everything is client-led and guided by Emma, your therapist for the day, or John Dinwoodie, whom she co-facilitates this workshop with. We work as a group throughout, supporting each other. There are up to three structure places available, and several observer-participant (o-p) places.
Clients having a structure work 1:1 with Emma within the group, and o-p’s role-play ideal figures, if needed, for the client. When o-p’s witness clients getting their needs met in a structure, they often piggyback on the healing that takes place.
Where is PBSP from? Albert Pesso and Diane Boyden were dance choreographers who noticed their students getting stuck. As a result, their curiosity led them to develop PBSP, which became an official psychotherapy in 1961.
Al and Diane realised that when we don’t get our basic needs met as a child – a safe place to grow up in, enough support, nurture, protection or loving limits when we needed – then we’re left with deficits which we fill with our own thoughts, strategies and behaviours to keep ourselves safe. Those automatic responses don’t necessarily serve us to live our best lives or allow us to move freely in life. That’s where PBSP can help.
To find out if this workshop is a good fit, have any questions, curiosities or want to book, contact Emma. Teas and snacks included.
John Dinwoodie is a UKCP Registered Psychotherapist with 20 years' standing, offering in-person and online therapy both in private practice and at Nicholas Rose Associates in Chiswick, West London. John is also a graduate of the PBSP training centre. Also familiar with most psychological issues faced by individuals and couples, particularly early family trauma, anxiety and depression, John is experienced at working with underlying family dynamics and patterns of emotional behaviour, using a range of therapeutic approaches.
Emma and John have been attending PBSP workshops as participants since 2010 and collaborating to run workshops together since 2025.
Contact the host to book.