Biodynamic Massage

What is Biodynamic Massage?

Biodynamic Massage is a psychotherepeutic form of massage with roots in Body Psycotherapy. It works with the whole individual at a physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual level.

Biodynamic Massage is a kind and gentle form of touch. An intention of the therapy is to meet you where you are. It is not ‘done to you’, but rather, we very much work together throughout a session and I am guided by you, how you feel and what arises. The aim is not to ‘cure’ but to ‘allow ‘ what is present to emerge. Through this we can perhaps invite a little more balance and a little more ease.

Biodynamic Massage invites attunement and a sense of awareness. The way that we react to our life experiences is embodied in muscle, tissue and our energy. Biodynamic massage works with this - the relational power of touch can help us come into contact with emotion and experiences that may be causing us physical tension in the body or stuck in habitual loops within our daily lives.

Biodynamic Massage was developed by Gerda Boyesen who was trained as a psychoanalyst and physiotherapist. She found that when working with patients, touch seemed to be the critical thing that really helped them to get better. She integrated her trainings and developed her own biodynamic approach.

What could I expect?

Massage may be offered through physical and/or non-physical contact. You may be clothed or partially-clothed depending on how you feel that day. I may ask you to lie on your front or on your back. If lying on the front, you are invited to rest on the side of your head on the massage table instead of the face cradle. This is so that I can see your face and be a little more ‘with’ your experience, to check in with you and adapt appropriately.

Biodynamic Massage uses a number of different techniques. Some may help you be more in touch with feelings or emotions; others may invite a sense of aliveness, expansion or vibrancy; some to allow softness and relieve tension; others may help with feelings of anxiety of overwhelm and allow you to feel held and supported. No two sessions are the same.

The healing process initiated by the massage takes place during our time together and also in the days that follow. For consistency, massage is offered on a weekly basis and you will have your own specific time each week.

If you want to work with me as a new client then I offer a course of 6 sessions. It takes this time to begin to feel a shift in how you feel and how you are in relationship with yourself, your environment and with others.

Who is it for?

Biodynamic Massage is suitable for anyone that feels out of sorts or for those perhaps experiencing pain, tension, stress, headaches, anxiety, grief, depression or worry; for those that feel as though ‘something isn’t quite right’ or for those wanting to feel more connected.

It is suitable for all bodies, including those that are pregnant, postpartum bodies, those that have experienced pregnancy loss or abortion either very recently or many years ago.

Why do you use a stethoscope?

We use a stethoscope in Biodynamic Massage to listen to the sounds of peristalsis in the gut whilst we are working together. This may sound strange at first but soon the sounds become familiar. As we work with the body charge and tension are released through the gut. Listening to the sounds helps me understand what process you may be going through. You may hear all sorts of sounds as the weeks and massages progress and it can be another amazing way to come into contact with yourself. Sometimes the sounds may not mean very much, sometimes they will be very quiet and at other times they are quite loud. It is just another way to be curious about the body and your experience.

Why don’t you use oils?

Skin to skin contact is an important aspect of Biodynamic Massage. Although at times we may work through blankets or clothes when we do touch the skin then we want this to be as pure and as simple as possible. Skin to skin contact and touch for infants is known to be incredibly soothing and a way to communicate between infant and care giver. As Biodynamic Massage is a relational therapy we look to keep this communication path between therapist and client as clear as possible.

It’s lighter than I imagined. Why don’t you work more deeply on me?

Biodynamic Massage is a gentle form of touch. When we meet resistance, tension, or the body’s ‘armouring’ as it is sometimes called, we are very respectful of how the body has been protecting itself. It may be an armouring that has been in place for many years. Biodynamic Massage brings us in to contact with these armoured parts of ourselves and, in time, they may begin to soften.

Where will I go?

I offer Biodynamic Massage in Sheffield from my home here in Meersbrook. My therapy space is a spacious and light filled room in my attic up two flights of stairs. I will also be also offering massage from a more accessible space come September 2025.

How do I book?

The first thing to do before starting a course of biodynamic massage is to book a consultation. This lasts an hour, where we will cover your reasons to have biodynamic massage, your medical history and what is happening in your life generally. Our conversation may take up the whole hour or less depending on the intricacies of your situation. A brief taster of biodynamic massage will be offered if there is time in the consultation hour.

Booking will be available from July 2025. 

My Qualifications

I trained with the Cambridge Body Psychotherapy Centre and am a member of the Association of Biodynamic Massage Therapists. I receive supervision on a weekly basis.

Booking will be available later in June.