Bowenwork utilizes gentle touch to influence the energy systems of the body. It is neither massage nor energy work but rather a distinct practice that requires a unique skill set and specialized training.
American Bowen Academy is authorized by Bowen Therapy Academy of Australia to provide this specialized training and to certify Professional Bowenwork Practitioners with a certification that is recognized around the world.
In the United States, the Bowenwork certification program includes several components common to most bodywork practices (e.g., anatomy and physiology, CPR, and professional ethics). However, it does not include training in techniques that are specific to massage or other hands-on practices because:
• Such techniques are not necessary for the safe and successful performance of Bowenwork and
• They actually can detract from the effectiveness of Bowenwork by diluting the work’s targeted and minimalist focus.
Level I Practitioner Training
Certification by both the American Bowen Academy and the Bowen Therapy Academy of Australia for Professional Bowenwork Practitioner Level I requires the completion of a minimum of 380 hours of training:
• 212 hours in the theory and practice of Bowenwork (including classroom training, the preparation of 10 case studies, and a minimum of 50 hours of logged hands-on practice)
• 120 hours of anatomy and physiology
• 30 hours of business skills (or proof of having run a private practice)
• 6 hours of workplace hygiene, health, and safety
• 8 hours of bodywork ethics (taken within the previous 10 years)
• documentation of CPR certification
At the end of their certification training, students are required to pass a rigorous 16-hour practical assessment of the hands-on work and a written test.
Bowenwork students, practitioners, and instructors are required to abide by a strict Code of Ethics.
Here are more details and costs for the Professional Bowenwork Practitioner Certificate Program.
In order to maintain certification, practitioners are required to complete 32 hours of continuing education every two years, 16 of which must review the hands-on work. After 10 years of practice, the continuing education requirement is reduced to 32 hours every four years. Here are the details and costs for the Academy’s continuing education classes.
Many of the Academy’s classes are also recognized by one or more professional licensing boards for continuing education.
Practitioner Training 500-Hour Certificate
This second level of certification is available for practitioners who complete 500 hours of Academy- recognized classes. Click here for more details.
Who Studies Bowenwork?
Many health professionals incorporate Bowenwork into their previous practice of massage, physical therapy, naturopathy, acupuncture, chiropractic, or medicine because Bowenwork increases their patients’/clients’ wellbeing. Prior training in, e.g., anatomy and physiology, may be credited toward the Academy’s requirements for certification.
Some individuals without any prior experience in bodywork study Bowenwork only to help friends and family; of these, some later change careers entirely to offer professional Bowenwork services to others.
