Aadel Bülow-Hansen

Aadel Bülow-Hansen (1906 – 18 November 2001) was a Norwegian physiotherapist. She was known around the world for developing Norwegian psychomotoric physiotherapy with psychiatrist Trygve Braatøy, from 1947–1953.

Through her practice, Bülow-Hansen had seen how important the breath was to physiotheraputic development. A controlled respiration was one of the things contributing to a healthy body. Controlled breathing can also lead to control of the emotions. Bülow-Hansen was interested in the body as a whole, and didn't like to think of the body and psyche as two separate parts.

Although her only education was at Christiania Orthopediske and Medico Mekaniske Senter, she read a great deal of literature. She grew up in a high-class environment, with a father who was a doctor with friends in high places. She moved in the "upper circle". Although she worked with doctors and psychiatrists, she had little time for psychologists, whom she saw as treating patients too theoretically.

During the war, she worked together with Dr. H. Seyffarth to find treatments for work-related stress, which was a growing problem. She did not develop a treatment for these patients, but understood early on that there might be a connection between muscle tension, respiration, and mental trauma.

Bülow-Hansen was a lively and interested member of the academic faculty, even when her years were more advanced. She worked with many patients and did not refer to theory, but treated each patient individually.

Many speak of the way in which Bülow-Hansen used her hands. She gained a lot of knowledge from the way in which she used her hands, something which was previously overlooked in physiotheraputic therapy. Her advice was to try things out: "If there is something you don't understand, scratch your head and try to understand. And read anatomy!"

She was the first physiotherapist to be named to the First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav, and in 2000, she was named as the physiotherapist of the century in Norway.

One of her students was Gerda Boyesen, who later developed Biodynamic Psychology, a form of Body Psychotherapy.