Abstract

This study aimed to explore the meaning of body psychotherapy as practiced by experienced counselors. Interviews were conducted with seven experienced counselors who actively employ this approach, and the data were analyzed using van Manen’s phenomenological method. The analysis yielded six themes: (1) establishing a vibrant relationship while respecting boundaries, (2) engaging in a bodily journey toward emotions and the sense of self, (3) the client’s body as a base camp, (4) mobilizing the body frozen by trauma, (5) vividly sensing relational wounds, and (6) a new path shaped by somatic awareness. The discussion highlights how body psychotherapy functions as a therapeutic resource to facilitates trauma recovery, addresses attachment and relational difficulties, activates emotions, and supports memory reconsolidation, thereby enriching existing approaches. The findings suggest the potential of strengthening the therapeutic alliance through embodied relationality and experiencing the body as a “secure base.” This study provides foundational data for the application of body psychotherapy within the Korean counseling context.