“Amid the mountains, delicious food, and wonderful people, I discovered myself and others through body work. It was a hands-on training program where everything came together perfectly: the location, the faculty, and the body work content, which just naturally integrates into everyday life.” This is how one participant described her experience after completing our three-part training series,“Our Bodies Carry the Load—Trauma-Sensitive Body Work Based on the Flexible Power-Response Guidelines,” which we concluded in January.
But what exactly is this professional training program about? The focus is on the body-oriented Power-Response method, which is based on a fundamental principle of movement: action and reaction. During the training session, we explored the physical reactions that people exhibit as survival responses when faced with danger—flight, fight, tension, or freezing. A particular focus was on understanding and experiencing what helps the body break free from old, ingrained patterns, which are often responsible for persistent symptoms in those affected.
Through intensive practice of simple movement sequences, the participants came to realize how the body can regain its balance and rhythm. We have experimented, developed, and reflected on how this methodical body-based knowledge helps people who have experienced trauma to become more mentally and emotionally free, to find their bearings more easily, and to release the physical barriers created by trauma.
The training was also supported by the extensive experience of our physical trainers, Gaby Eder and Dieter Meyer, who shared their in-depth knowledge of trauma in a lively and practical way.
One participant summarized her learning process this way: “During the first module, I couldn’t yet imagine how much I would take away by the end of Module 3. It’s not just technical knowledge and methods, but above all the compassionate perspective on people and their bodies in the context of trauma that the instructors conveyed so vividly. Experiencing it firsthand makes it clear what it’s all about. Thank you very much!”
We all greatly enjoyed exploring the possibilities of change and healing after trauma through the connection between body and mind and in community, and experiencing just how supportive and empowering body-oriented work can be.
For anyone interested: The next training session begins in April 2027. You can find more information here.
Regina Miehling
