FAQ’s For Students

Students “Impanelled” in North Carolina

Neural Touch sounds a lot like [fill in the blank]. Are they similar?

Open up an alternative therapies advertising magazine and you’ll find at least a dozen varieties available that sound just like Neural Touch: “subtle; gentle; works with the body,” etc. The body is the body, after all, and anything that claims to affect the nervous system will ultimately be traveling some of the same routes. But nothing else seems to be Neural Touch.


Is Neural Touch the same as “Bowen Technique?” or “NST?”

Bowen this, Neuro that, “Original!” “Advanced!” What’s the deal with all these Bowen systems?

Good question! At last estimate there are about ten institutes worldwide claiming the legacy of Tom Bowen’s body of work. And they’re all good! You can’t go horribly wrong with any of them, because the basic technology of Tom’s tissue pull and move unlocks a very primal receptor in the human body.

One of Mr. Bowen’s students, Oswald Rentsch, was the first popularizer of the work. He distilled thirty years of Bowen’s technique down to a relatively small number of strict sequences of moves. Most of the other Bowen schools are hard to distinguish from Mr. Rentsch’s as regards technique. Neuro-Structural Integration Technique® (NST) sequences have elements from a student of another of Tom Bowen’s students, Dr. Kevin Ryan as well as other innovations and kinesiological influences.

As often happens in the circumstance of a founder’s death, there has been considerable debate as to who has the “authentic” claim to the system. What Tom did originally, and what he did later in his career are very hot topics. Conflicting histories, theories and “proofs” abound.

What all these systems have in common is the complete reliance on sequences. Whether this is an accurate reflection or not, Mr. Bowen has been gone for 20 years. Given his prolific practice (as many as 13,000 patients per year) and restless innovativeness, who is to say what his work would look like today? And in this context, how significant is it whether one claims to be emulating the 1977 or the 1979 version of his work?

Neural Touch™ completely sidesteps the debate about historical authenticity. We are concerned only about what works. In this vein, Gene Dobkin, having sampled most of the existing systems, has deconstructed them down to their basic elements and principles. Additionally he has put them back into the context of the osteopathic foundation that Mr. Bowen himself favored. Thus students are presented with a much freer and more flexible, and ultimately more satisfying foundation from which to mold their own practice.

Dr. Kevin Ryan (who by the way does not support any interpretations other than his own) has said that Tom Bowen never did anything without an expectation of what result it would produce. Whether or not this result followed, it all added to his learning curve. This is worlds apart from following recipes by rote, not knowing why, and not knowing what the elements are. It is Tom’s scientific and artistic spirit, as much as the tools of his trade, that inspire Neural Touch.


Is Neural Touch exactly the work Tom Bowen did?

No. Tom Bowen developed his work continuously over a period of 30 years, treating hundreds of thousands of patients. It would be sheer folly and arrogance to believe that any of his heirs would be able to capture the totality of what he did, much less teach it in a couple of weeks. Even students who worked directly with him over a period of years are amazed to find how divergent their interpretations have been. We do believe, though, that Neural Touch has captured enough of the core of his body-mapping and protocols to produce a highly usable, easily learned and applied therapeutic system that produces consistent, reproducible, highly satisfying results.


What is the usual charge for a Neural Touch session?

This is impossible to answer, or even estimate. Practitioners have to make their own way on this one. Some factors include the area of the country, ones licensure, clientele, etc. Prices can be as low as $25 to over $200 per session. Unlike with massage, the cost does not seem to be as tied to the length of the session.


How long does a session last?

There is a great deal of variability here as well. A significant factor is often what type of practice the therapist is in. Chiropractors and osteopaths generally do briefer sessions, sometimes as short as 10 to 15 minutes. Massage therapists are more oriented to sessions of an hour or so. Often the difference between the two extremes is determined by giving the client more and longer rest periods between procedures. This doesn’t necessarily give better therapeutic results, but can produce a more restful, indulgent “completed” feel to the session.


Is there anything I can read or do to prepare myself for the class?

There are no books at present on Neural Touch, though a volume will eventually be available. Other than that, you might consider refreshing your knowledge of basic anatomy. An excellent book for this purpose is:
Trail Guide to the Body: How to Locate Muscles, Bones & More! by Andrew R. Biel; Published by Andrew Biel; ISBN: 0965853403.

There is a two-volume set of books available on the "Bowen Technique." Gene wrote these as an expansion on the training maual when he was an Instructor with the Bowen Therapy Academy of Australia. The books are called A Bowen Home Companion Volumes I and II. Volume I is more practical, showing moves and procedures. Volume II is more adventurous, getting more deeply into theory, philosophy, and issues surrounding running a practice.

Important Notice

These books are NOT reflective of most Neural Touch techniques or philosophy. They were specifically designed (about five years ago) to fit into the protocols and philosophy of an earlier, more austere interpretation of Bowen's work. The Books are offered as the only popularly available written archive of what is still the most widely-represented version of Tom Bowen's work. No book is quite the same as taking a class, but these will bring you quite a ways along.

Each volume is US$50.00 plus shipping and handling (and sales tax in California). The books are presently in their fourth printing and in use in 15 countries worldwide.

As to what you can do to prepare. . . if there is a practitioner in your area, it is strongly recommended that you receive one or more sessions before class. As well as confirming your decision to take the class, this will begin the learning process in a completely visceral way. Additionally it will go a long ways toward removing any compensations or “blocks” you have in your own body. This will make your time in class much more pleasant and productive.


Will Neural Touch training give me my needed CEU’s?

Yes. We have been accepted for Category A massage CEU's throughthe National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) and The Texas Department of Health. Both groups recognize Neural Touch Beginning and Advance classes for continuing education credits:
Basic Class - 35 credit hours
Advanced Class - 28 credit hours.

We have on occasion been qualified for continuing education credits for physiotherapy and occupational therapy. But every state has different standards, definitions and requirements. This has to be explored on an individual by individual basis, and we expect the student to do some of the legwork.


If I take Neural Touch training will I still have to take massage or other courses in order to be able to practice legally in my state?

Quite possibly. Though Neural Touch certification is recognized by a national licensing board (and therefore by many state boards) for continuing education, this is no substitute for basic massage training classes and exams where required. Even some medical professionals do not have soft tissue manipulation within their scope of practice -- and some are only licensed to touch certain parts of the body. (We recommend you check with your licensing board.)

About half of the states have licensing of massage. In these states a massage license is usually the minimum qualification that will allow you to touch strangers in a therapeutic setting.


Is Neural Touch covered by insurance?

Sometimes. If you are (or work in the office of) a primary care provider, such as M.D., D.C., D.O., etc. it will usually be covered as a sub-modality of your practice. Other practitioners, such as massage therapists can be covered if they are licensed, and the sessions are prescribed by a primary care provider. Often, other arrangements can be made with private insurance carriers, such as for employees of a covered company. As the laws on insurance and licensure differ from state to state, you would be best advised to contact your local licensing board or client's insurance carrier for specifics.


How do I know if I’m qualified for the five-day Basic class?

There are two basic prerequisites:
• Familiarity with basic human anatomy and physiology
• Being in an ongoing, hands-on therapeutic practice

These are in order that the class flow smoothly, and that experienced professionals are not working with beginners who are unfamiliar with basic therapeutic concepts and often overwhelmed by the rigors of long days of practice. There is even what could be considered a kind of “intimacy overload” from the ongoing therapeutic contact.

There is some flex in the requirements. Anatomy needn’t necessarily have been studied in college. In fact, the “practical” anatomy that massage therapists often develop can be more appropriate than an anatomy class taken half a lifetime ago by someone who doesn’t specialize in body therapies. However, because of the clarity and universality of anatomical language, it is used in class, and should be a part of your repertoire.

“Hands-on practice” similarly means many things to many people. “Again, most important is the practical anatomy mentioned earlier. Can you palpate and identify muscles, tendons and bones from the surface?

Specifically, practitioners who work exclusively with energetic techniques can find conventional palpation skills problematic, even though they are, literally speaking, working “hands-on.” If for any reason you have some question as to your qualifications to take the course, contact us and we can work it out.

My concern is that I'll be overloaded getting a 5-day intensive experience in one shot.

We find that the intensive structure of the courses gives students the most learning possible for the least overall expenditure of time and money. Many other institutes have shorter classes, but the number of classes required for proficiency is much higher. With Neural Touch you get a fully usable technique right "out of the box."

Extracurricular Activities

But your concerns are understandable and worth addressing. Yes, there is a degree of overload to a five-day course. Nobody, not even the most seasoned of manual therapists goes away having it "nailed" 100%. But there are unquestionable benefits to this intensive process as well:

• There are no distractions. Class segments are not interrupted by your workaday world and practice (where you’ll be expected to do other techniques).

• Neural Touch is fairly "idiot-proof." Even when performed with only approximate accuracy, even with what in some other sysems would constitute major mistakes, it will yield results that are very gratifying and sometimes astounding.

• Within the five days there is ample time for review. Especially the basic body balances, the set-up for all specific procedures, become second-nature.

• The system should not be thought of as a purely intellectual process. There is an art to it as well, a way of palpating and addressing the body, that marks the more successful practitioners. After a few days of working on and being worked on by classmates, there is an inevitable fogging of one's more cerebral mechanisms.

But this is by no means a failing. At this point a more subconscious, visceral learning process takes hold. One's hands begin to directly absorb the information without the head having to intervene (or interfere) appreciably. People have gone through the intensive process have found it to be personally enlivening and transforming as well as supplying them with invaluable new tools.

Home

U.S. Bowen
Gene Dobkin, Director
999 S. Santa Fe Ave, #23
San Jacinto, CA 92583
seminars@usbowen.com
Phone - (951)-654-9907
Fax - (951) 602-6010