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Psychomotor therapy (PMT)

Mental health complaints do not live only in your head. They live in your body too. PMT uses movement and body awareness as a therapeutic tool, and so reaches what words sometimes cannot.

What is psychomotor therapy?

Psychomotor therapy (PMT) is a recognised form of therapy in which movement, play and body-oriented exercises are used to treat mental health complaints. Where other forms of therapy work mainly through conversation, PMT works through the body.

That makes sense, because many mental health complaints also show up physically. Tense muscles with anxiety, held breathing with stress, freezing with trauma. By working with the body you reach levels that are sometimes hard to put into words. That makes PMT particularly suitable for people for whom talking is not the most natural way to speak about themselves, such as people with trauma or people who get stuck in other forms of therapy.

Scientific basis: PMT is recognised as a treatment within Dutch mental healthcare and is included in the Dutch multidisciplinary guidelines for eating disorders, anxiety and trauma. Body-oriented therapy for trauma connects to the theory of body memory (Van der Kolk, 2014, The Body Keeps the Score). The NVPMT sets quality standards for certified therapists.

Who is it for?

✓Trauma and PTSD (a body-oriented approach)
✓Stress, burnout and tension
✓Anxiety and social anxiety
✓Eating disorders (body awareness)
✓People who find it hard to talk about feelings
✓Physical complaints without a medical explanation

Related complaints

TraumaAnxiety disorderDepressionBurnoutPhysical complaints

Related treatments

HaptotherapyACTMindfulnessSchema therapy

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to be sporty for PMT?
No. PMT is not about performance. The exercises are adapted to what you can do and are never competitive.
What kind of exercises are used?
That differs per provider and per complaint. Think of conscious breathing, balance exercises, movement games or simple body awareness exercises.
Is PMT also possible online?
Some elements of PMT can be applied online, but the strength of PMT lies in physical presence. Most providers prefer to give PMT in person.

Ready for a first conversation?

Book an intake with a certified provider who specialises in psychomotor therapy.

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Sources: Probst (2010), Psychomotor Therapy in Eating Disorders · Dutch Association for PMT (NVPMT)