Tom Bowen & Bowen Therapy is an interesting study…
The history of Bowen Therapy was born with its founder Mr. Tom Bowen, who developed the Bowen Technique in Geelong, Victoria. After serving in World War II Mr. Bowen became interested in ways of alleviating human suffering. He noticed that when he made certain moves on a body, it had particular effects which initiated healing of many complaints. Mr. Bowen developed the technique without training in any health care field: he claimed that the work was simply a gift from God. He developed the system as it is today and eventually opened his clinic full time. The 1975 Victorian Government inquiry into alternative health care professionals cited Mr. Bowen as seeing some 13,000 patients per year (as assessed over a 27 week period).
In 1974 Mr. Bowen invited Mr. Oswald Rentsch and his wife Elaine to study with him for the next two and a half years. Mr. Bowen had no notes, charts or manuals but under the guidance of Mr. Bowen, the Rentschs observed and documented his technique. This was subsequently verified by Mr. Bowen and his assistant, Mrs Rene Horwood, as a true representation of the original technique.
But the History of Bowen Therapy doesn’t stop there!
By agreement the Rentschs did not start to teach the technique until after Mr. Bowen died. The first Rentsch seminar was in Perth, Western Australia. Four years later the Rentschs were teaching full time in Australia, New Zealand, North America, the United Kingdom and Europe. Dedicated to preserving the technique and ensuring it was taught in its original form, the Rentschs founded the Bowen Therapy Academy of Australia in 1987 naming the technique BOWTECH – The Bowen Technique.
Bowen Therapy Becomes Nationally Recognised
In 2005 the Bowen Therapy Academy of Australia teamed with the Border College of Natural Therapies to produce the first government accredited Bowen certifications – a Certificate IV in Bowen Therapy and a Diploma in Bowen Therapy. The Certificate IV in Bowen Therapy is now the minimum requirement to be a full member of the Bowen Association of Australia. Members are required to undergo regular continuing education and refresher courses and maintain a current first aid certificate.
The History of Bowen Therapy has now progressed to the point where it is recognised as a valid and powerful natural healing tool.