Barbara Salzberg

Barbara Salzberg has been living in Israel for the past 30 years. She has worked as a childbirth educator, a teacher of English and as a therapist with troubled youth, children and the elderly. She has also worked with Holocaust Survivors using voice and story. Her varied experiences led Barbara to specialize in Voice/Movement Therapy as she became convinced of the potential of voice work for fostering growth and overcoming emotional blocks.

Barbara studied Voice/Movement Therapy (VMT) in England in 1998 with Paul Newham, the founder of VMT. She holds a B.S. in Educational Counseling and a M.A in VMT. She is the founder of VMT in Israel and has worked continuously here since 1999. During this time she also conducted a VMT Practitioner training course in St. Paul Minnesota with her colleague Dr. Carolyn Campfield and lead workshops in New York, Connecticut and California.

In Israel she has worked with representatives from a wide variety of Israel society; teachers, therapist, musical performers, actors, teenagers, elderly, holocaust survivors and the terminally ill. Over the last 4 years Barbara has completed 3 VMT Practitioner training courses and another which is still in progress.  She also has a private practice in Zichron Yaacov.

In Barbara's words

"During my work as a Voice/Movement therapist, I have witnessed the miracle of individuals liberating and releasing their inner emotions. These images encountered while working with people moved me. They left me feeling honored to be part of this unfolding passion. The intensity of emotions generated by their process was something so unique that I searched for a way to capture this so that other people could witness this force of emotion. The sounds I hear and the faces I see are at times truly overwhelming, and I feel intensely alive when I am a part of this process.

“I believe that in any therapeutic setting, the client-therapist relationship is the therapy. This is especially true for Voice/Movement Therapy, and expressive therapy in which the relationship goes beyond verbal exchange. When I work with a student or client I am aware of the fine line between keeping emotional distance and taking an active part in the process of the client. I believe that in order for people to feel safe to explore their life journey vocally, they need to know that there is someone with them who is prepared to stay and support them wherever they feel they must go. I must transmit to them that I am merely there to escort, not to lead. Everyone has their own pace and I need to decide at what point to encourage movement and when to recognize that my clients have reached their limit of what is possible at that time.

“I also believe that to go to these depths, a person needs to feel safe and surrounded by touch and empathy. Being touched and held is a fundamental human desire and is never more needed than when fear appears. Even at times of euphoria or emerging awareness of something long hidden, human touch is a means of grounding and cementing that emotion. The concept of the safe journey and the safe return cannot be over-emphasized. Without it, the space would be taken up by fear, which sabotages our life. The safe haven created by the practitioner and trusted by the client is a place where the spirit can soar and dreams can happen.”    

Contacting Barabara Salzberg

Contact Barabara at 972-4-6296557 or 972-5-28580305. Her email addresses are barbsf@netvision.net.il or barbarasalzberg@hotmail.com.