A joint exploration of the client's character structure: how the body is organized in response to early experience, which defenses have become habitual, what resources are contained in them.
Step-by-step guide
- From the body reading — a hypothesis about the leading structure
- Explore through the body: "When you contract like this — what do you feel?"
- Link to history: "When did this start? Who else did this?"
- Name the resource of the structure: "Your endurance is your strength"
- Identify the cost: "And what do you pay for it?"
- Explore the alternative: "What if it could be different? What does the body want?"
When to use
- After several sessions, when trust is in place
- To deepen understanding of patterns — not in the first session
Key phrases
I want to share a lens I'm beginning to see. Not a label — a map. Your body has organized itself in a particular way that once protected you. Let's look at what it gives and what it costs.
Follow-up questions
When might this structure have first been useful?
What happens when you loosen it by 10%?
Which part of you is still on duty, even now?
What is the body's alternative — what does it want to try?
Alternative phrasings
Pure types do not exist — this is a blend.
If the word I use does not fit, we find another.
Warnings
- ⚠️ This is not a diagnosis and not a label. Pure types do not exist.
- ⚠️ Say "you have traits of…", not "you are a masochistic type". Always through the resource, not through the deficit.
Source: Lowen A. 1958 — The Language of the Body; Lowen A. 1965
Materials are informational and educational and summarize publicly available scientific sources. They are not medical or psychological advice, are not intended for self-diagnosis or self-treatment, and do not replace consultation with a qualified professional.