Counselling and
stress management
in Southampton
Autogenic Therapy
Learn to relax with AT
Developed in the 1930s, AT combines mindful body awareness and self-hypnosis to support the balance and wellbeing of your embodied mind. The term ‘Autogenic' is a bit of a mouthful but it's actually a helpful description of the process. As Auto means self and genic means produced or created, Autogenic Therapy literally means 'self created therapy.' So with AT, you really are your own therapist!
Regular practice of Autogenic Therapy could bring you healing and meaning-filled moments of:
Relaxation
Release and
Restoration.
'Mindfulness is not complicated,
we just have to remember to do it.'
Sharon Salzberg
Learning AT
What you do
You'd learn four main self-help practices. They build on and support each other to create a comprehensive toolbox of practical and flexible AT exercises. You do the first three mindfulness practices while sitting or lying down with eyes closed.
1 Standard Exercises: There are six of these core, foundation practices which systematically build on each other. Each one takes 10 to 15 minutes and can include an optional body scan.
2 Balancing Exercises: These take between about about 30 seconds and three minutes and often help to calm acute distress.
3 Personal Formulae: Building on the final Standard Exercise, you learn to apply the healing potential of AT to specific issues in your life.
4 Partial Exercises: Done sitting or standing with eyes open, you can use them any time you need a relaxing moment while on the go. Can be used discreetly when with others.
5 Optional Extras: These additional stress-management ideas and activities have helped many of my counselling clients over the years and sit well with AT principles and practices.
If you'd like to try a Standard Exercise taster, please get in touch as this can be offered as part of your initial assessment appointment.
How you learn
If Autogenic Therapy seems right for you:
Either focus on AT as a specific course over two months or take more time and integrate AT with your counselling. Find out more about AT fees and options.
You can learn it on your own or in a small group.
We can adapt sessions to meet your specific needs.
After learning AT, you can develop a practice that works for you.
You need to initially commit up to 30/45 minutes every day to really benefit from learning AT.
Online resources
Once we agree that now is a good time for you to learn AT, I'll give you access to the secure site below. This has extensive resources to support your initial and ongoing practice. A Google account is needed to access this site.
It is important that you commit to completing all steps of the AT process, including your follow up review. Doing this gives you lifetime access to the site. If you do not do this:
Counselling option: You have three months of access after our last day of contact.
Course option: You have one year of access, timed from the day you started the course.
Therapy rather than Training
The course I teach is officially called Autogenic Training as there are other methods in the Autogenic Therapy family. However, Autogenic Training can be highly therapeutic in it's own right and is often the only Autogenic method that people learn. In light of this, I talk about Therapy rather than Training to acknowledge its healing potential.
Find out more
Try a body scan
This is the optional body scan you can do before each Standard Exercise. Why not try it now? It may help you feel more grounded and calm. Go to the body scan page.
Autogenic Therapy
Autogenic Dynamics
Dr Ian Ross describes extensive research underpinning AT and related practices.