The bellicon has been given a special place in our therapy and movement room at the counselling centre. The idea was to acquire a movement and relaxation device with the bellicon that would appeal equally to clients (in our case children, young people and parents) and to staff members. And after several months of use, we can say: it worked!
When children come to the counselling centre, their day has usually already been full of school demands and long periods of sitting still. Bouncing and jumping on the bellicon, which is among the favourites in the movement room for children and young people, is then pure joy and fun, and good preparation for the therapeutic work.
Experience with parents, who use the bellicon either during a specifically placed break during the counselling session or afterwards, has shown that the gentle swinging can release restlessness and tension and increase energy and concentration. That physical movement has a therapeutic effect, “kick-starts” the body’s self-healing powers and has a positive effect on mood is not just a subjective feeling, but has been proven in many studies. In a certain sense, stress cannot be “swung away” with a bellicon, but it can be positively influenced with a good feeling of self-efficacy. This aspect of “help for self-help” is also very important to us in our counselling work.
For some counsellors in particular, moving on the bellicon during breaks has also become a wonderful way to release tension (after often sitting for a long time and working with concentration) and clear their heads again. When the brain is fully focused on movement, there is little room left for other thoughts. A wonderful break effect!