Frequently Asked Questions

A.Bowen Therapy, founded by the world famous body worker Tom Bowen, is a physical, hands on treatment that is extremely effective at relieving pain and structural dysfunction. It is derived from a combination of therapies, Chiropractic, Osteopathy, Reflexology and Acupressure and there is no doubt in my mind that Bowen Therapy is unique and exceptionally good, how, you might ask?

Bowen Therapy has been specifically designed to work on the fascia network that covers your entire body like a glove and by doing so, has an impact on all of the structures and systems encompassed within it. It is a powerful and effective therapy and is at the forefront of changing pain and dysfunction. Don’t just take my word for it, read client testimonials and check out the celebrities who are also using it and recommending it as a first line treatment for pain.

A. Body Mind Work, founded by behavioural change expert Matt Hudson using the Hudson Mind Process, is a unique psychological talking therapy designed to create simple, yet profound changes, in a person’s belief or perception of their problem. The body manifests what the mind believes to be true and through behavioural change coaching, body mind work has been clinically proven to help people rid themselves of problems, even after every seemingly applicable avenue has been exhausted. How does it work if all else has failed? By coaching the non-verbal communication and belief systems of clients and creating a feedback loop, it enables a person to explore new meanings of their problems that otherwise they are not yet aware of. Through this process a client can learn how their mind works and how they “do” their problem. This way they can move forward in life, free of self-sabotaging behaviours and limiting beliefs to become much happier and healthier than believed possible.

A. Please rid yourself of the notion that you have to have physical or psychological pain to benefit from these therapies. Whilst these therapies are predominantly used to relieve pain and pain related dysfunction in the mental and physical domain, they are also effective in changing the drivers or precursors that could lead to ill health such as anxiety, depression, phobias, fears, unwanted habits etc the list is endless. What makes Body Mind Bowen so effective at changing the longest standing pains and dysfunctions, is its ability to change the underlying primary cause and the patterns that have enabled the problem to have become the problem in the first place. This is and continues to be, an area that most other healthcare providers overlook and therefore miss the real cause of ill health. Body Mind Bowen’s ethos is to seek and find the true cause of a person’s health issues and make lasting changes for a better quality future for that individual.

A. The most significant advantage is that there are no lengthy waiting lists for you to join in order to start treatment. Whilst you may have to wait a few days depending on appointment availability, you will not be left waiting for the many months, sometimes years that the NHS sadly have to adhere to. Whilst treatment with Body Mind Bowen is not free, what you get for your investment is a prompt and professional service that is personally tailored to you and your presenting problem, without reliance on pharmaceutical intervention. You will only ever be assessed and treated in clinic by a fully trained and registered healthcare professional that has both the insight of working in the NHS emergency and urgent care system and holistic care environment for many years. This offers confidence to clients who may have had unpleasant experiences with many other services.

A. Anyone and everyone can have Bowen Therapy and Body Mind Work. All disabled persons, pregnant ladies, newborns, children and adults are able to receive the physical treatment of Bowen Therapy and no one is excluded. Those persons in wheelchairs can be treated in their chairs if they are unable to transfer to a treatment couch and babies can be treated in the arms of their parents. All people of an age that are able to communicate, understand communication and talk to the practitioner can reap the benefits of Body Mind Work.

A. Prior to your first session of Body Mind Bowen Therapy you will have been emailed a consultation form that you will have had to read through, complete, sign to acknowledge and bring with you. At the start of all initial consultations you will have a brief chat about what you have stated is your problem and this will be followed by an assessment of your current physical structure if you are having Bowen Therapy or straight into a talking therapy session. Physical assessments are generally performed lying down on a treatment couch but can take place standing or sitting for those who cannot stand and transfer or in too much pain to lie down. Assessments are specific to you and never prescriptive in order to determine the underlying cause of your unique problem. Talking therapy treatments are performed sat in a chair or on the couch depending on your preference.

A. The number of treatments you require will depend very much on how long you have had your problem, the nature of your problem and what your drivers to your problem are. Some people respond very quickly to therapy and others who have complex health issues experienced over a long period of time, may indeed take longer. The longer you have had your problem the more ingrained it may have become and could take more time to change as we work to remove the secondary layers to find the primary cause. If the behavioural patterns that keep the problem being a problem can be easily changed, it is possible your problem will need less time invested into it. What stands Body Mind Bowen apart from other therapies and therapists is that it is assessing and treating you both mentally and physically and long-standing problems that other health services may have been unable to resolve, have responded amazingly to this treatment in a long lasting way. As previously mentioned, don’t just take my word for it, read the client reviews to learn more.

A. There are no side effects, only an “effect”. The effect of feeling freer mentally and physically, being happier, having reduction in pain if not being pain free and feeling empowered to move forward and improve your current state, are the effects of this therapy. Body Mind Bowen has no side effects or contraindications and is a safe treatment and has been designed to be delivered pleasantly by utilising a less is more approach. This can mean that for complex, long standing physical issues, a gentler approach may be required so a person’s change does not overwhelm them. If recent surgical procedures have been performed on a client, the practitioner will use caution at all times and may request the client gains permission from the surgeon, consultant, GP or other healthcare practitioner involved in their care, to have Body Mind Bowen Therapy and a disclaimer signed. This is to avoid any litigation, protect all persons and have fully informed consent from all parties concerned.

A. Very simply, get in touch with me by using one of the following methods: Call or text 07724 562951 and leave me a message, face book message me on my Body Mind Bowen business page, email me at claire.makarewicz@gmail.com or visit my website www.bodymindbowen.co.ukand complete a request a consultation form. My clinic opening hours are varied and displayed on my Body Mind Bowen website or facebook page. I am able to accommodate Body Mind Work Skype therapy sessions outside of clinic hours upon agreement.

A. There are 2 clinics to choose from, one in East Devon and one in South East Cornwall: The Barn Spa China Fleet Country Club, Saltash, Cornwall, PL12 6LJ and Holmedale Health, 34 Denmark Road, Exeter, Devon, EX1 1SE.

A. Home consultations are only reserved for those persons who cannot physically access one of my clinics. Hence they are infrequently performed. Bowen Therapy sessions require a treatment couch and other equipment being transported making it more difficult to be mobile and so attending clinic is essential. For Body Mind Work Talking Therapy sessions attendance to clinic is not necessarily essential and can be performed over Skype providing you have adequate technological capability.

A. To get the best from both Bowen Therapy and Body Mind Work it is best to book them as separate treatments. This is because each therapy works in its own unique way on different aspects of you and from them you will get the biggest benefit if the maximum amount of time is spent on each individually. Physical attendance to clinic for talking therapy is not always required and can be performed over Skype making it easier to have both treatments regularly.

A. Your first session of Bowen Therapy or Body Mind Work will last for 45 minutes to enable a rigorous first assessment, unless you are a child or baby. All follow on sessions will last for 30 minutes for brief assessment and treatment. For babies and young children up to the age of 12 years, treatments are limited to 30 minutes because they need much less work and their ability to cope with more than this is difficult for them.

A. In an ideal world being able to undress to your underwear is optimum for the hands on physical Bowen Therapy so the practitioner can palpate your soft tissue and check trigger points for pain. If you are uncomfortable undressing, which in no way will detract from the quality of your assessment or treatment, I recommend wearing light and loose clothing, that way they can be worked through. For all Body Mind Work Talking Therapy appointments please wear whatever you feel comfortable in. As previously mentioned you will need to bring your emailed completed consultation form with you to your first appointment. I would also encourage you to bring your diary with you each time you attend clinic so you can book follow up appointments as required.

A. The cost of all treatments I provide is £45 per session. Payments can be made in the following ways: on the day of treatment at the clinic reception using cash or card payment. Direct to me via cash or BACS payment. Please note I do not accept cheques as a payment method.

A. You will be charged full fee if you cancel your appointment, unless exceptional circumstances dictate, within a 24-hour window of your appointment time. On your consultation form you will have signed to say you agree to this term and condition. This is because treatment slots are not always readily available to people and so a cancellation without a valid and authentic reason is unreasonable on other clients who may have had to wait longer to be seen and could have had your slot.

A. Yes I do. I offer Kinesio and Fascia Taping for acute injury recovery, rehabilitation of sporting injuries and lymphatic drainage. Taping treatments will usually last about 30 minutes and involve assessment of the injured site and specific taping techniques applied. Taping is very effective as a short-term method of reducing pain, inflammation, bruising and restoring functional movement to an injured area. Taping is ideal for active sports persons who required continued performance levels to remain whilst carrying some minor injuries. It is also useful for pregnancy pre and post birth to help support the physical changes experienced and aid recovery from stretched abdominal musculature. I also offer Neurostructural Integration Technique Deep Cures assessments that are designed to use muscle testing and a large selection of vials to identify areas of dysfunction at a cellular level within tissues. These assessments take 30 minutes and will identify any areas of systemic impaired dysfunction and tissue/cellular deficiencies, which will be recorded allowing the client to understand what the results mean, so informed action to change can be taken. The benefits of this assessment process is that whilst a person may appear healthy on the outside, internally within organs and their subsequent structures, tissues and cells may not be performing so well and thus optimum health is not being achieved for that individual.