Integrative Bodywork & Movement Therapy
I began to teach what would become the Integrative Bodywork & Movement Therapy (IBMT) three-year Diploma Programme in September 1990. The first programme began in Berlin when a colleague invited me to teach a year-long introduction to Body-Mind Centering®. Because of the enthusiasm and commitment of those first German students, the programme was able to grow and eventually expand into the evolving community that we have today. Many students have passed through our Diploma Programmes in Germany, the UK, Lithuania and Russia, and IBMT graduates are now practising in many countries across Europe (see www.ibmt.co.uk).
September 1st 2023 marked the end of a 33-year cycle for me, when I handed over the Directorship of the IBMT Institute to Jane Okondo and Paul Beaumont. We had been preparing for this over several years, making a gradual and gentle transition into a new phase of the Institute’s life, and I know that it is in very good hands under the co-Direction of Paul and Jane.
I could not have imagined this growth when I began that first course in Berlin thirty-three years earlier, and am deeply grateful to every student, assistant, teacher, organizer and co-ordinator who has worked with us – each one has helped to shape and support the development of IBMT and its rippling out into ever widening circles in our communities.
In the spirit of the changing times we live in, IBMT is now supported by collective leadership, with Jane and Paul holding the administrative centre with care and skill. I send my heartfelt wishes and support to them, and my deepest gratitude to all our Programme Directors, whose hard work and careful guidance is enabling IBMT practice to grow and flourish. Today’s world needs embodied relational practices, such as we offer, more than ever!
If you are interested in exploring the IBMT approach to somatic movement, and maybe joining the training programme, please check out www.ibmt.co.uk.
IBMT diploma programme
The IBMT Diploma Programme continues to be offered in the UK, taking place near Totnes, Devon. The programme consists of five Modules running over three years, giving a thorough grounding in somatic movement practice that is rooted in the principles of Body-Mind Centering®, Authentic Movement and Somatic Psychology. The course was founded by Linda in 1990 and is now taught by an international faculty.
Graduates of the Diploma can apply to ISMETA for professional registration as a Somatic Movement Therapist and/or Educator: www.ismeta.org.
Please visit the IBMT website or enquire at info@ibmt.co.uk.
You can also find the contact details for the programmes in Lithuania and Russia by clicking on IBMT Diploma Programme.
