5 Boxing Techniques That Strip Away Everyday Stress

1. 260 Vulture St, South Brisbane 4101 Queensland, Australia. Get Free Consultation +61 466 160 115 Home About Services  Video Insights Blogs Pricing Contact Combining Psychotherapy and Bodywork: A New Frontier in Holistic Wellness When Talk Alone Only Gets You Halfway – Why I Fused Psychotherapy with Bodywork This year I found myself, on a number of occasions feeling mentally spent, emotionally drained, and stuck – even after talking it out with family, friends and a psychologist in Brisbane. That’s when I doubled down on movement, and stuck my head right back into training. What I’ve built at On Point Mind and Movement actually springs from this very realisation – that talk therapy often stops short of the body’s experience. What follows is the result of years of hands-on practice, professional training, and real-life experimentation: a thoughtfully integrated approach bridging psychotherapy, martial arts, somatic therapy Brisbane, and mindset coaching. The Missing Piece: When Psychotherapy Feels Insufficient Traditional therapy gives us insight, narrative, and mental tools. But if you’ve ever “understood” your pain and still felt stuck, you’re in good company. My professional practice as a PACFA-registered counsellor has taught me that knowledge alone often doesn’t shift stuck energy. Enter body-based psychotherapy— which honours how we feel in our bodies, not just in our minds. What Exactly Is Bodywork in Therapy? Think beyond massage tables. Here, mental health movement therapy is body talk through action: stance work, breath regulation, martial arts drills, subtle movement shifts. Imagine discussing boundary-setting while grounding in a boxing stance, or practising breathwork while exploring EMDR-like symmetry in your movement. This isn’t “therapy plus exercise” – it’s holistic mental health done differently. Psychotherapy + Movement: A New Standard in Holistic Mental Health Pairing talk therapy with somatic interventions helps clients move from head to body. Studies show that body-oriented psychotherapies – like somatic experiencing, sensorimotor psychotherapy, and dance/movement therapy – reduce anxiety, depression, and emotional dysregulation more effectively than talk therapy alone (Bloch‑Atefi & Smith, 2015; Röhricht, 2009; van de Kamp et al., 2024) . This synergy is what psychotherapy and bodywork is all about. Who Benefits Most? You don’t need to be a fighter, or a marathon runner to benefit. This is for overthinkers, chronically anxious people, those who’ve had trauma but live “in their heads,” or anyone in the online therapy Australia space wanting something deeper. Movement – even minimal – can cut through mental loops. Whether in- person or via telehealth psychology, shifts happen when you hold space for body sensations too. When It Clicks: A More Nuanced Case Study One client had years of talk therapy under their belt – self-aware and articulate – but still couldn’t shake self-doubt and low-level panic. We integrated somatic therapy, pairing week-on-week talk with gentle Muay Thai drills, breath awareness, and posture shifts. By week four, they reported fewer panic symptoms. By week six, they described feeling “less tight in [their] chest”, their voice lowered in intensity, their posture softened yet grounded. That kind of change isn’t possible through talk alone. That’s mind‑body healing in action. The Evidence: Why This Fusion Really Works A growing body of research supports the integration of body-based therapies into mental health treatment. Interventions such as somatic experiencing, sensorimotor psychotherapy, and dance/movement therapy have been shown to significantly reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety, and somatisation, while improving emotional regulation and psychosocial functioning (Bloch‑Atefi & Smith, 2015; van de Kamp et al., 2024). Meta-analyses of Dance Movement Therapy further highlight its effectiveness in enhancing quality of life and emotional wellbeing (Karkou & Sanderson, 2016; Ritter & Low, 1996). These approaches work by engaging bottom-up processing—using interoception, proprioception, and movement to regulate the nervous system and support lasting change (Kuhfuß et al., 2021). How Sessions Play Out—Offline & Online In‑person therapy in Brisbane: We may mix talk with movement – stances, breath, drills, and subtle postural shifts. Online Therapy Australia: Yes, it works. Be it telehealth psychology or mindset coaching, we use breath cues, micro‑movements, posture awareness—all visible via Zoom or other platforms. Whether you’re in inner-city Brisbane, remote regional areas, or somewhere in Australia we tailor somatic therapy in Brisbane to suit your needs – no gym or gear required. Why It Feels Different Because movement isn’t an optional add-on – it’s the medium. The psychology becomes embodied. Instead of analyzing a pattern, you shift it physically. Studies show body interventions positively flood serotonin, regulate cortisol, and activate the brain-body feedback loop in ways talk therapy alone can’t emulate (Field et al., 2005; Frontiers review, 2019) . Final Word: This Is Real Healing—for Mind and Body We store emotional pain, trauma, stress in our bodies. Good therapy uncovers it. Somatic therapy releases it. Integrative approaches—like the one at On Point Mind and Movement—bring both together. It’s not just talk. It’s movement, breath, psychology, presence. That’s where holistic mental health really lives. If you’re in Brisbane and want to see how this fusion feels – or prefer online therapy (Australia) – I’m here to guide embodied healing for real-life wellbeing. If this resonates and you’d like to explore how movement-based therapy could support you, I offer a free 15-minute consultation. You can reach me at gday@onpointmindandmovement.com or call/text 0466 160 115. I’m always happy to chat and help guide your next step (whether it’s together or not!). — References (APA 7) Bloch‑Atefi, A., & Smith, J. (2015). The effectiveness of body‑oriented psychotherapy: A review of the literature. Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.59158/001c.71153 van de Kamp, M. M. et al. (2024). Movement in trauma – a body‑ and movement‑oriented intervention for reducing psychiatric symptoms. European Journal of Psychotraumatology. Röhricht, F. (2009). Empirically evaluated body‑oriented psychotherapy: outcomes in depressive and anxiety symptoms. Body Psychotherapy Journal. Kuhfuß, M., et al. (2021). Somatic experiencing – effectiveness and key factors of a body‑oriented trauma therapy: a scoping literature review. European Journal of Psychotraumatology. Karkou, V., & Sanderson, P. (2016). The evidence base for dance/movement therapy in mental health: A systematic review. SAGE Publications. Field, T. (2005). Body‑centered interventions: effects of massage, tai‑chi, and dance on psychological health outcomes. Frontiers in Psychology. Useful Links Contact Info Gallery Call us +61 466 160 115 Home As a proud member of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA), I uphold the highest standards of professional practice, demonstrating my commitment to ongoing education and ethical conduct. About Us Email Us gday@onpointmindandmovement.com Services Address 260 Vulture St, South Brisbane 4101 Queensland, Australia. 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