Skandinavisk Institut for Bioenergetisk Analyse (SKIBA)

The members of SKIBA are certified bioenergetics therapists or under education to become certified bioenergetics therapists under IIBA

Mother and child

SKIBA was foundet in 2014 by Michael Nissen, clinical psychologist, certified bioenergetic therapist from Denmark, Claes Ekenstam, PhD, Assistant professor from Sweden and John Sjoevold, Specialist in clinical psychology from Norway. SKIBA is a member of The International Institute of Bioenergetic Analysis. The members of SKIBA are certified bioenergetics therapists or under education to become certified bioenergetics therapists under IIBA.

The mission of SKIBA is to promote information about bioenergetics in Scandinavia and to organize continuous educational groups in bioenergetic analysis. In Scandinavia we have strong traditions for bodyorientated psychotherapy; Wilhelm Reich lived in Denmark from 1933-1934 and in Norway from 1934-1939 and had a great influence on psychotherapy. Alexander Lowen visited Scandinavia several times to give workshops and bioenergetics has been practiced since the early 70th in Scandinavia.

Working bioenergetic psychotherapeutically is grounded in body processes, which is an integral part of all psychological process; its focus is on the expression of the self in body, movement and relationship to others. The search to become emotionally healthy must be grounded in the integration of psyche and soma. The goal of SKIBA is to promote and give information about the work of Wilhelm Reich, Alexander Lowen and how bioenergetics analysis has been developed up to today as a modern psychotherapeutic method. In SKIBA we want to emphasize the richness in recent development in bioenergetics analysis, including theory and documentation from developmental psychology, childhood and relational research, knowledge about the effect on childhood development of relational trauma and abuse, recent development in neuroscience and its close relationship with bioenergetics analysis, and the importance of considering the body in assessment of both trauma, and in general psychological evaluation.

This happens through:

  • Education to become a certified bioenergetic therapist (CBT) according to the standards of the International Institute for Bioenergetic Analysis.
  • Scientific research and publishing about bioenergetics analysis.
  • Offers and therapy from certified bioenergetic therapists
  • Supervision and further education for certified bioenergetics therapist and bodyorientated psychotherapeutic interested professionals.
  • Offering and arranging training events, seminars and conferences.

The SKIBA is run as a non-profit organization by a board of directors, which is elected every two years by the General Assembly, which also appoints the Training Committee.

Founders of Skiba

The founders of SKIBA in 2014 Michael Nissen, John Sjoevold and Claes Ekenstam