Psychotherapy, Counselling, and Alexander Technique Teaching: An Interview with Brigitta Mowat
The ASO Newsletter - 56th edition
Working together to enable greater understanding of the Alexander Technique through disciplined inquiry.
Introduction
This month we continue our series of conversations with Alexander Technique (AT) teachers who offer another professional practice alongside their AT teaching.
Our guest is Brigitta Mowat, an AT teacher and psychotherapist. Brigitta first trained as an AT teacher before completing training as an integrative psychotherapist. Her MSc research, The Impact of Counselling and Psychotherapy Skills on the Practice of the Alexander Technique, was a qualitative study exploring how participating AT teachers used their counselling/ psychotherapy skills in their AT work. She interviewed twelve qualified AT teachers who had received at least two years of counselling or psychotherapy training, alongside a minimum of six months of personal therapy. The study found that such skills were seen as useful and particularly valuable in working with emotions and in supporting the teacher–pupil relationship. The research was written up for the Alexander Journal (Mowat 2006).
During the conversation, Brigitta draws on her experience as an AT teacher and psychotherapist, along with the findings of her research, to reflect on how these two disciplines inform her work and what psychotherapy skills may offer AT teachers to enhance their practice. We also talk about touch in the AT, what this can mean for people, and how it may sometimes lead to emotional release.
“I take up people’s heads. On the table I say, I want you to let me have your head (…) and the fact that they are giving up control (…) I frequently think to myself: I wonder when was the last time you did this? I guess we are back to when they were three months old, whenever a baby develops its own neck muscles, going a long way back, and I think touch is taking us into that place”.
—From Mowat (2006)
Related Resources
Mowat B. (2006). The impact of psychotherapy and counselling on the Alexander Technique. The Alexander Journal, issue 21 (Spring). https://www.brigittamowat.me.uk/s/Brigitta_AlexJournal.pdf
Mowat B. (2008). The use of touch in the Alexander Technique context: A developmental perspective. Congress Papers, Vol 2. STAT Books. https://www.brigittamowat.me.uk/s/THE-USE-OF-TOUCH-IN-THE-AT-CONTEXT_sunday.pdf
About
Brigitta Mowat is an Alexander Technique Teacher and Integrative Psychotherapist. Brigitta trained in the AT in the mid 80’s with Walter and Dylis Carrington in London. Brigitta has published articles, and given talks on the intersection between the AT and Psychotherapy. Brigitta is Course Leader on the MA in Integrative Psychotherapy at the Minster Centre in London, has a private psychotherapy practice, and offers supervision for Psychotherapists. Learn more here.
Lesley Glover is part of the ASO team.
Thank You
Thank you to Brigitta Mowat for her work and contribution to this post. To our community, thank you for being here—your participation matters. To support our work you can subscribe to our newsletter, share this post, comment below, or email us. We’d love to hear from you.