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Information for Health Writers
These materials provided as a supplement to the more general information about Autogenic Therapy found elsewhere on this site. It includes some archive material, including articles published on AT in the press during the past 25 years. It will be of particular value to journalists wishing to write about AT. It also contains a number of information sheets about AT. It has been produced in RTF format to facilitate transfer to other formats. As the BAS office is not staffed full time, please contact the following person should you require any further assistance: Jane Bird: Tel: 01923 675501 email: jane@autogenic-therapist.co.uk
Contents - General:
Welcome to the British Autogenic Society What is Autogenic Therapy? What are the benefits of Autogenic Therapy? Autogenic Therapy - the nine session course Who can benefit from Autogenic Therapy? What people say about Autogenic Therapy Articles: "Hanging Loose" Leslie Kenton (Harpers and Queen Magazine, September 1980 "Clear away the stress" Jane Alexander Daily Telegraph, October 1999 "AT - the best form of self-help" Jane Bird Positive Health Magazine, September 1997 "Train the mind to calm itself" Dr Malcolm Carruthers General Practitioner, 16th July, 1982 "Autogenic Therapy: life force management for health" Dr. Alice Greene BH Med Assoc Journal - Holistic Health, Summer 1999 "In training for relaxation" Liz Hodgkinson The Times, Thursday, October 13, 1988 "Autogenic Therapy and Training Overview" Dr Alice Greene and Dr Ann Bowden The CompMed Supplement, May 1999 "Give your mind a workout" Jane Alexander Daily Mail, 1995 "Human Factors in aviation - A non-pharmacological approach to stress control in Flight Operations" Capt. Frank Hawkins MPhil FRAeS Welcome to the British Autogenic Society New Identity At an Extraordinary General Meeting in March 1999, it was agreed to change our name to The British Autogenic Society (from the former British Association for Autogenic Training and Therapy, founded in 1984). In addition our new administrative headquarters would be based at the Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital, London, whose own re-organisation is moving towards a Centre of Excellence encompassing Homoeopathy and Complementary Medicine. Autogenic Therapy has a very wide application in healing and well-being, addressing both physical and psychological problems. Patrons We are very pleased to welcome four eminent people as Patrons of our Society. They are Professor Ernst FRCP (Chair of Complementary Medicine at Exeter University) Leslie Kenton (author and expert on many complementary approaches) Dr Roger Neighbour FRCGP 2004-7 President of Royal College of General Practitioners, and author of standard GP training works) Dr Patrick Pietroni FRCGP (Founder of the first General Practice Surgery to incorporate complementary medicine, Marylebone Road) All our patrons have experience of AT and recognise its value. We are proud to have them 'on board'. AT is a non-drug approach to better health and well-being. It gives people responsibility for their own lives, a feeling of greater control of their well-being, and a key to open the doors of good health for life. Autogenic Therapy uses simple mental exercises to bring about profound physical relaxation and a state of inner peace. This allows the mind/body system to tap into its own self-curative processes. Education/therapy Autogenic practitioners are primarily therapists who have an essential educative role in helping their clients/patients to learn and practise AT standard exercises. Clients gradually trust their own innate healing capacity, and bring about improved physical and psychological health. British Autogenic Society therapists have at their fingertips a truly unique, well-researched healing method which is currently underused in the UK. Origins of Autogenic Therapy Autogenic Therapy was developed by Dr Johannes Schultz, a neuropsychiatrist who studied with Oscar Vogt, an eminent researcher into human brain functioning in Germany during the 1920s and '30s. Further researched by Dr Wolfgang Luthe, (Professor of Psychophysiology, (delete McGill) University of Montreal), Autogenic Therapy has been available in the UK for nearly 30 years. It is a unique and very special method, simple to learn and use as part of everyday life. Research AT has been thoroughly researched world-wide. For example: In Italy a study by Professor Farné (1992) concluded that AT brings about a positive personality change, still present nine months following AT training, which helps to foster significant reduction in anxiety, with increased ego-strengthening. In Japan Professor Sasaki reported a study (1999) involving 23,710 industrial employees working in 28 companies. Results show that AT improved both mental and physical health, reduced industrial accidents by two thirds, increased productivity, decreased the suicide rate, and brought about a reduction in absenteeism and medical expenditure. International Representation AT was represented at the 2nd World Conference of Psychotherapy in Vienna in July 1999, and at the 11th World Congress of Psychiatry in Hamburg in August 1999. In Hamburg a research review reported that more than 60 controlled clinical studies of Autogenic Therapy gave evidence of positive effects concerning the psychosomatic aspects of hypertension, asthma, headaches, irritable bowel, atopic dermatitis, glaucoma, frontal lobe epilepsy. Moreover, studies indicated positive effects in anxiety, sleep disorder and mild to moderate states of depression. (Current Opinions in Psychiatry, vol. 12, supplement 1, 1999 page 162.) With Our New Identity Our Challenge Is to: • See Autogenic Therapy in every GP surgery, health centre, primary care centre, workplace, school and sports training centre • Create wider public and professional awareness of autogenics • Train sufficient therapists to meet growing demand • Bring our membership numbers up to levels comparable to other European autogenic organisations • Establish ongoing research in the UK The British Autogenic Society is a member of: United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) European Association for Advanced Analytic Autogenic Therapy (EAAAT) International Committee for Autogenic Therapy (ICAT) WHAT IS AUTOGENIC THERAPY ? AN EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE SELF-HELP THERAPY A UNIQUE MIND AND BODY THERAPY WHICH GIVES SELF CONTROL OVER HEALTH AND WELLBEING Autogenic Therapy uses simple mental exercises to bring about profound physical relaxation and a state of inner peace. This allows the mind/body system to tap into its own self-curative processes. These mental exercises are easily learned silent formulae related to the body in a relaxed state (e.g. heaviness and warmth in the limbs). Repetition of these formulae induce a deeply relaxed state which allows the mind to calm itself by switching off the body's stress responses. A variety of changes in physical function and brain wave activity can be measured during autogenic practice, showing that a normalising process takes place. 'Autogenic' means 'self-generating'. The method is self administered and taps into the system's remarkable capacity for healing and re-balancing of both physical and psychological functions. Once mastered, AT is always available without the need for a therapist or any equipment. The Autogenic Standard Exercises can be adapted to include personalised formulae to help with specific goals in performance, motivation or healing. Once learned, AT is an important and invaluable life skill, providing the inner resources to maintain healthy balance and deal with stress in body and mind. PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING A variety of complementary exercises are introduced to deal with the effect of unresolved emotions on our health and well-being. These address feelings such as anxiety and fear, anger and frustration, sadness and hurt. The combination of using a deep relaxation programme, with the added dimension of emotional release when required, gives an individual a remarkable tool-kit for maintaining emotional and physical equilibrium for the rest of their lives. Autogenic Therapy is a permanent life skill. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF AUTOGENIC THERAPY ? Significant improvement can occur within a few weeks. People who have learned AT commonly report:
WIDE APPLICATION
Autogenic Therapists work in many different fields, including: ¨ Royal London Homeopathic Hospital ¨ NHS cardiac units ¨ NHS psychiatric units ¨ NHS rheumatoid and arthritis units ¨ NHS hospices ¨ Complementary therapy centres ¨ Private practice ¨ Psychotherapy practices ¨ Counselling practices ¨ GP practices ¨ Homeopathic practices ¨ Education ¨ Sports clinics ¨ Industry AUTOGENIC THERAPY THE NINE SESSION COURSE Overview The standard exercise is built up gradually over a nine session course and is made up of a number of mental formulae practised for a few minutes each day which utilise the body's natural ability to reverse stress Initial Assessment An individual interview to assess the suitability of AT and the individual needs of the client Session One Gives information on comfortable postures for practising AT and focuses on heaviness in the limbs as a common manifestation of relaxation Session Two Extends heaviness to the neck and shoulders, which carry a lot of tension and introduces complementary techniques to facilitate the autogenic process Session Three Introduces warmth to the limbs as deepened relaxation reverses the stress response and blood flow to the skin increases Session Four Focuses on a calm, regular heart beat Session Five Focuses on breathing Session Six Focuses on abdominal warmth Session Seven Focuses on cooling the forehead and on remaining cool headed even when not doing an AT exercise Session Eight Introduces personal formulae, giving a chance to personalise the message to the system Session Nine Is a follow-up session six weeks or so after completing the course WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM AUTOGENIC THERAPY ? Autogenic Therapy can be used to provide a non drug approach for many problems or to support and enhance progress in other therapies. It has been clinically applied over a wide range of disorders. It is not necessary to be ill to benefit from AT. Many people learn AT in order to improve their work efficiency by sharpening their awareness and discernment. Others use AT to mobilise creativity, improve sports performance or facilitate personal growth and inner development. CONDITIONS AND PROBLEMS HELPED BY AUTOGENIC THERAPY ANXIETY ARTHRITIS ASTHMA BACKACHE BLADDER DISORDERS BOWEL PROBLEMS (Irritable bowel, Colitis) CHEST PAINS CIRCULATION PROBLEMS DEPRESSION FATIGUE HEADACHES INABILITY TO RELAX LACK OF CONFIDENCE LOSS OF CREATIVITY MIGRAINE MUSCULAR PAIN AND TENSION NEGATIVITY PAIN PALPITATIONS PANIC ATTACKS PENT UP AGGRESSION PHOBIAS PHYSICAL TENSION POOR CIRCULATION PRE MENSTRUAL TENSION RAISED BLOOD PRESSURE SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION SKIN PROBLEMS SLEEP PROBLEMS WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT AUTOGENIC THERAPY "Autogenic Therapy has given me greater confidence and awareness, a sense of more choice in life. Life is now more positive and pleasurable." MH 96 "I am able to relax and deal with daily events. I am more confident and optimistic about the future." KK 97 "I feel Autogenic Therapy has helped me more than anything else with my anxiety: very impressed." JA 97 "The main change is an improvement in my eczema. I have tried many things but Autogenic Therapy definitely makes my skin healthier, less inflated and less dry." PW 96 "I am now able to face public speaking without a tranquilliser." CC 97 "I have been able to come off my Blood Pressure tablets." RH 96 "I feel I now have the tools to cope with life." CP 96 "Since learning Autogenic Therapy I am more relaxed in my approach to everything. I am less hurried and putting less pressure on myself. I am not worrying constantly about issues and problems." LB 96 "I am getting to sleep faster than I ever have before. I wake properly rested." BB 98 top of page previous article next article |
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