Myrto Charalampous is an internationally certified body psychotherapist and dance researcher (PhDc), specialized in the biophysical aspects of developmental and relational trauma. With extensive experience in psychodynamic psychotherapy and nervous system health, her transformative work leads individuals and couples towards self-development, resilience and a profound connection with their body. Through her expertise in dance and somatic disciplines, she has pioneered academic research exploring the relationship between the body and the environment in the choreographic process. She is a Full Member of EABP and offers her services online and in person in Copenhagen.
Myrto Charalampous, Body Psychotherapist
Could you talk to us about the importance of the body in therapy, and why it matters?
Of course! In therapy, one important aspect is to work with the unconscious and to bring consciousness into feelings, mechanisms, and behaviors in order to be more able to take control over them and over our choices. The other important aspect is to work with our traumatic experiences and rebuild resiliency and balance. Although we might have a certain idea about what is trauma, in reality trauma encompasses every experience that is overwhelming for the nervous system and the way we respond to it. So what is traumatic to you might not be traumatic to me and vice versa. While everyone wants to overcome trauma, what happens is that the part of our brain responsible for our survival is reactivated after the traumatic experience, even when there is no actual threat. This reactivation mobilizes amounts of stress hormones and activates brain circuits that impact our nervous system and our overall health. Trauma is in a very primitive, survival part of the brain and picks up what is safe and what is dangerous responding automatically without our cognitive consent. Even if we think that we are safe, our body keeps re-experiencing the traumatic experience. And here, body psychotherapy can really help by accessing our experiences through working with the body and the nervous system, rebuilding resiliency and promoting safety and a healthy nervous system.
What is unique about your approach in the work that you do?
My work is based on body psychotherapy along with elements from emotionally focused therapy, an attachment-based approach, and somatic practices. Body psychotherapy combines a strong psychodynamic foundation along with somatic techniques that focus on working with the nervous system. I find this combination powerful as it addresses all dimensions of the human being. It focuses on cognitive aspects, increasing awareness of unconscious factors that have shaped one’s personality while also addressing the realm of the body. Ignoring the somatic world may manifest to symptoms as stress, anxiety, difficulty to feeling oneself, establishing boundaries, maintaining relationships or even to autoimmune and physical diseases. Many approaches tend to emphasize either on the mind or the body exclusively, missing the connective link for an integrative experience that will lead to a lasting change. In my approach, I try to incorporate all aspects towards both a healthy mind and a healthy nervous system. In addition to my psychotherapeutic training, my previous experience in dance and somatic techniques enriches this direction and allows me to support my clients in the best possible way.
You are also pursuing a doctoral thesis on performance practices. What is your research topic, and how does it relate to your therapeutic practice?
Yes, I am currently completing my practice-based Ph.D. research on the relationship between the body and the environment, exploring space as a resource for choreography. I apply somatic techniques, using theories from dance, architecture, and psychoanalysis, to address questions about our connection with the places we inhabit. Although it is an artistic practice, I see it as interconnected with my therapeutic approach. In both areas, my goal is to support people in connecting with their authenticity, expressing themselves without fear, trusting their bodies and discovering new possibilities for being and relating. It’s an outdoor practice, and the process and somatic tools I use are quite different, though, as you can imagine, from a therapeutic framework.
In a therapeutic framework, how a session looks like?
Well, that really depends on the person, their experience in therapy and various other factors as their needs and therapeutic goals. One crucial aspect is education. I assist my clients in understanding how their system works, what it means that “our experiences are held in the body” and in uncovering the underlying causes of their symptoms. This understanding gradually helps to build a relationship with their body, where they can start listening to it and trust it. Through somatic techniques and exercises that increase bodily awareness we can delve deeper into working with the somatic world towards nervous system balance, always accompanied by a trustworthy dialogue where they can reflect and gain insights on the topics they bring.
Who can work with you?
I work with people from diverse backgrounds, ethnicities and ages. Often individuals reach out because they specifically seek help for physical symptoms, such as stress and anxiety manifested through bodily pain, depression, difficulty to experience pleasure or a struggle to connect with oneself and others. However, many people are drawn to this approach when starting therapy because it offers a comprehensive experience. It’s truly an approach open to everyone seeking care and personal development.
What is your biggest achievement in your career?
I am very grateful for my clients’ process and the space we create together for them to be and express who they are. Witnessing a person overcome their fears, claim their truth, dare to pursue what they long for, make changes that felt impossible at first, love themselves, and create supportive relationships – all these are the biggest achievements!
