Deborah Bowes: Biography

I co-founded the Feldenkrais Center for Movement and Awareness, with Julie Casson Rubin, in San Francisco in 1988.  We closed after 32 years in August, 2020 due to the pandemic. I now teach online, and continue with a small in-person private practice.   I provide mentorship for Feldenkrais practitioners. 

I am interested in how Feldenkrais Method improves overall health and well-being in both the client and the practitioner. 

Education and Learning

I finished my basic Feldenkrais training in 1987 and became certified as a Feldenkrais Trainer in 1999. I teach in many Feldenkrais training programs in the US and other countries, training the next generation of practitioners. I am a graduate of Columbia University in Physical Therapy, and have a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Shenandoah University, and a B.S. in Biology and Physical Education from Rhode Island College.  I have practiced and studied mind body medicine approaches for more than 40 years.  The studies that have influenced me the most include: Tai Chi Chuan, Qigong, yoga, sensory awareness, meditation, and dance. I’m a life long learner, and Feldenkrais has given me a learning process to continue to develop and grow. 

Presentations, Teaching, and Publications

In 2020, my online courses are presented live on Zoom and then available for your home learning and review. My conference presentations and in-service trainings have been for Stanford Coordinated Care, the American Physical Therapy Association, Fisioterapia Internacional de Colombia, Worker’s Compensation Nurses and Case Managers, UCSF PT Doctoral Students, Kaiser Dermatology Department, Catholic Social Services, Sonoma Valley Hospital, UC Davis Pain Management Conference, Buen Dia Family School, Pacific Association of Women Martial Artists, St. Francis Hospital Women Physicians group, the Pacific Business Group on Health, SF State Holistic Health program, and the International Conference on Rheumatology, .  

I have authored and recorded specialized Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement programs addressing chronic pain (Discover Easy Movement & Pain Relief) and pelvic floor issues (Pelvic Health & Awareness). 

My practice philosophy

Feldenkrais Method® has meant much more than a complementary medical approach to Physical Therapy. It allows me to creatively work with a person of any age, even in a situation where it could seem hopeless. Engaging people in a pleasant process of learning about themselves to improve the quality of their life. The improvement can be in any area of thinking, moving, sensing and feeling. My work nourishes me as well as my students.