The Cotswold Health Centre 01453 767600

Ralph Maliphant

Professional Profile

Ralph’s move to bodywork followed an extensive career in Scientific Research, Systems Development and Care Work, during which time he trained in Humanistic Psychology and became Principal of a Crisis and Support Centre.

He trained as a massage therapist with the Maitri Foundation in 2003-4, graduating with a credit from the Association of Physical and Natural Therapists. After practising for some time, he extended his ability by following a year’s advanced training in Dynamic Bodywork with Darien Pritchard (Dynamic Massage, Cardiff).

In January 2009 he began a 4-year training in Rosen Method Bodywork (a gentle approach to working with mind in body and body as mind) and will be qualified to practise as an Intern from January 2012.

Personal Profile

My fascination with electromagnetic radiowave propagation led to an extensive career involving scientific research in Canada (including various Arctic locations) and the UK (Principal Scientific Officer at GCHQ), as well as the development of large-scale computer systems. But my attention moved away from technology when my first wife suffered a breakdown and I became aware of the lasting effect of early experiences. Much later, when the opportunity arose, I changed career to work in a number of therapeutic communities (including Principal of a Crisis and Support Centre) after training in Humanistic Psychology under the auspices of the Institute for the Development of Human Potential. My earlier work with electromagnetic energy supported my study of energy fields within and around human beings and I developed this in a report entitled Not All in the Mind: The Somatic Counterpart of Emotional Disturbance (available on request) to obtain a credit from the APNT when I initially trained in Theraputic Massage at the Maitri Foundation (2003-04).

After practising for some time, I attended a weekend workshop of Dynamic Bodywork run by Darien Pritchard (Dynamic Massage, Cardiff). Inspired by the possibilities, I enrolled for a year’s advanced training with him in Bristol, and this has provided a very sound basis for my work with Therapeutic Massage.

My particular interest in body-mind interaction found a new impulse when I experienced Rosen Method Bodywork. Although I knew that emotional release might take place during a massage session (and had written about this in my research report), in my experience this was a rare event and I always wondered how deeper issues could best be reached through a different approach to bodywork. I found the answer when I first experienced this new modality – before I even knew its name – and I became more and more drawn to the possibilities of Rosen Method Bodywork. In January 2009, I committed myself to a 4-year path of training with Rosen Method UK in London, and will be able to start practising as an Intern in January 2012.

I remarried 30 years ago and my wife (who was then a Social Worker) subsequently trained in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy. Her knowledge and the extensive library we have ensures that my comprehension is sound. I am delighted to have found a way to meet with the ‘somatic counterpart of emotional disturbance’ that I elected as my research theme to complete my original training as a Massage Therapist.

Therapeutic Massage &

Rosen Method Bodywork

What to expect

At the first appointment you will be asked about your current symptoms, medical history and lifestyle, and we will discuss aspects of treatment. I will then leave the room while you undress and lie face-down on the massage table using a warm towel for covering. When I return, I will initially work through the towel including rocking motions that inform me of your body-state. When I subsequently work directly on skin, I will use oil to reduce friction, exposing only that part of the body being worked on. The massage will be designed to meet your particular needs and will always be adjusted to your body-state, with feedback being welcomed.

I use Dynamic Bodywork in my approach to Therapeutic Massage. The focus is on using the body most effectively when giving a massage, involving the whole body to generate power and movement. Sweeping the forearm in a rhythmic motion over larger areas engenders a sense of interconnectedness throughout the body, and a guided elbow or knuckle provides localised pressure when required. The technique is both dynamic and relaxing, providing optimal benefits.

The body and mind operate together as a single organism, with traumatic events imprinted in body tissues as well as the mind. Early difficulties can fashion our body and influence our approach to life, and I pay particular attention to tensions in the body that have become habitual (and unconscious).

Special Clinical Interests
Emotional and mental health
Releasing unresolved stress held in the body
Personal growth and vitality
Counteracting the effects of ageing
Working with disabilities, including degenerative conditions

Training
Maitri Foundation, Whiteway, Gloucestershire             1-year
Dynamic Massage, Cardiff                                         1-year
Rosen Method UK, London                                        4-year training started in January 2009

Experience
I have been practising professionally since 2005 and have always augmented my work with Continuing Professional Development involving research, writing, and attendance at related workshops. I have been an Executive Member of the APNT for some years and have recently (August 2011) been elected as acting Chair of the association. I have published various book reviews relevant to the field and a substantial research paper entitled Body of Knowledge: In Touch with Healing. Some of my writing is accessible from the ‘Essays’ tab on my website.

Current memberships 
 Association of Natural and Physical Therapists (APNT)
British Complementary Medicine Association (BCMA)

Recommended links
www.apnt.org
www.bcma.co.uk
www.rosenmethod.co.uk
www.rosenmethod.org
www.dynamicmassage.co.uk
www.ralphmaliphant.weebly.com