Guided by experience, grounded in practice.
Learn from experienced practitioners working in real clinical settings.
Meet the IOS Bowen instructors. A collective of experienced therapists and educators teaching this work as it is applied, observed, and understood in real clinical environments.
Through shared principles and a consistent teaching framework, IOS Bowen seminars are designed to support greater clarity, confidence, and understanding in practice.
One shared approach. Different clinical experience.
IOS Bowen brings together instructors from different countries, professional backgrounds and clinical practices.
Each has developed their own experience as a practitioner, while sharing a common understanding of the principles and teaching approach behind IOS Bowen.
Together, that gives students the benefit of learning from practitioners who are actively using the work in their own clinical settings.
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Name: Robert Smith
Location: Glasgow, Scotland.
Years in practice: Since 2008
Relationship to Graham/IOS:
When, in 2014, he met Graham during one of his early UK seminars, Robert was introduced to Pennington’s tonal model of Bowen, and from this point onwards, he found connection to profound insights into the deeper workings and into the structure and function of Bowen as a technique.
Robert noted:
“Since adopting Graham’s approach, I feel so much better informed at every stage of every treatment, and I am really enjoying ‘unpicking each puzzle’. I now have a core foundation to compare client to client, and this allows me to learn so much faster.”
After this initial seminar, Robert made it his priority to attend all of Graham’s classes during his European visits over the next couple of years, working closely to observe and familiarise himself with the nuance and detail of this approach. In 2016, Robert was asked by Graham to assist in the teaching and facilitation of his work via “The Importance of Symmetry” CPD seminar, which Robert has been instructing now for ten years internationally.Teaching Focus:
“I am passionate about teaching and sharing the incredible potential of a tonally assessed Bowen approach, and its capacity to offer my students a powerful standalone system; to grasp how it can help them successfully treat complex musculoskeletal presentations and bodily imbalances.”
Robert is specifically committed to practitioner development, helping mentor therapist growth in terms of specific focus and practice nuance, all of the small but powerful details that help consistently initiate our clients’ shift back to health and balance.Bio:
Robert found Bowen Technique in 2006-7, after receiving treatment from a Shiatsu colleague who was herself a student in her own Bowen training at that time.
Immediately impressed and intrigued by the power of this seemingly simple method, Robert certified with College of Bowen Studies (then ECBS), in 2008, and set about building his practice and developing his work… inspired everyday by the incredible potential of the technique to improve (and resolve) many often complex symptoms and complaints.
Prior to his retraining as a remedial therapist, Robert worked as a fine artist, and found that his innate sense for balance, his dexterity, finesse and control with his hands made a natural translation to hands-on therapy work.
Outside of Bowen practice, Robert is also a clinical hypnotherapist with extensive experience in working with anxiety and trauma-centred symptoms. He is interested in healing, with an appreciation for the mind-body continuum within all health, and encourages his clients to explore how stress management, belief, identity and emotion all play into one's own story of pain (both physical and emotional).
In his time off, Robert explores the natural world and enjoys reconnecting with his creative and artistic interests as often as he can.Website:
goseerobert.com
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Name: Lucy Cross
Location: Peak District, UK
Years in practice: 14 years
Relationship to Graham/IOS:
What I love most about this work is the clarity it provides in assessing treatment success. Since my first workshop with Graham in 2016, I have studied with him many times and have deeply valued the way he continues to develop and refine the work. Following his principles has significantly improved my clinical outcomes, shortened treatment times, and allowed me to build a busy clinic founded on consistently good results. His workshops always offer new insights, and I feel honoured to now teach his principles.Teaching Focus:
I love making complex subjects simple for people - I have a background in training non marketing people how to create marketing plans and literature, I love to make the information accessible for everyone. I love helping people and coming up with different ways to explain things to make sure they all grasp the concepts fully. The IOS techniques have revolutionised my practice, and I’m excited to share this approach with others.Bio:
Lucy qualified in Bowen in 2012 after a career in environmental communications and studied with Graham shortly after that. She built a busy practice in the Peak District with Bowen as the only modality. She sees a large proportion of active older clients, many of whom the medical profession has been unable to help, but for whom Bowen has restored functional movement. Also, being a rural area, many manual workers, farmers and self-employed people come for regular maintenance sessions to rebalance the strains caused by their jobs. Lucy is also an equine Bowen therapist and treats horses, using Bowen to keep her own three horses active and comfortable. Driven by a desire to make a difference, she brings a caring and humorous approach to both her clients and her teaching.Website:
painfreenorthwest.co.uk
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Name: Matthew East
Location: St Austell, UK
Years in practice: 26 yrs
Relationship to Graham/IOS:
Studied in 2014 and started teaching 2017.Teaching Focus:
I enjoy empowering therapists to be able to work within an assessment framework allowing them to achieve faster results and help their patients more.Clinically I’m fascinated by the mind body connection and the effects of different stressors on the body . I integrate a number of techniques in my approach depending on patient needs and presentation.
Bio:
Matthew East is a dedicated health and wellness practitioner who takes an integrated, whole-body approach to care.
As a physiotherapist trained in Bowen Therapy, the Emmett Technique, kinesiology, naturopathy, and Anatomy in Motion, he blends multiple disciplines to uncover the root causes of pain and dysfunction rather than just treating symptoms. Known for his analytical mind and strong problem-solving skills, Matthew combines clinical precision with genuine compassion, creating a supportive environment where clients feel heard and understood.He runs his own practice, where his positive outlook and tailored treatment strategies help people move better, feel stronger, and live with greater ease. Outside the clinic, Matthew embraces an active coastal lifestyle, with a love for surfing, running, and cold-water swimming. He also channels his creativity through DJing and enjoys exploring fine wine and exceptional food whenever he gets the chance.
Website:
facebook.com/physiomatteast
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Name: Mito Kodera
Location: Lakeport and Oakland, California, USA
Years in practice: Since 2011
Relationship to Graham/IOS:
Mito was certified through the American Bowen Academy in 2011. After she began teaching introductory Bowen courses in the United States and Japan in 2013, she encountered Graham Pennington’s work. In 2014, she attended her first IOS seminar and began ongoing study with Graham Pennington and Dr. Romney Smeeton. Her education has continued through advanced trainings with senior practitioners in the Bowen lineage, including:2024: Toronto, Targeting Primary Dysfunction (Graham Pennington)
2023: Ljubljana, Importance of Symmetry (Graham Pennington); Zagreb, Importance of Symmetry / Bowen in Motion (Graham Pennington and Dr. Romney Smeeton)
2020: London, Targeting Primary Dysfunction (Graham Pennington)
2019: Zagreb, Common Patterns & Clinical Practice (Dr. Romney Smeeton and Graham Pennington); Rijeka, Intensive Bowen workshop (Dr. Romney Smeeton)
2018: Sacramento, Importance of Symmetry (Graham Pennington)
2017: Melbourne, Importance of Symmetry (Graham Pennington)
2015: Chicago, Training Alastair McLoughlin, Gene Dobkin; Intensive training with Dr. Romney Smeeton
2014: Importance of Symmetry (Graham Pennington)
Teaching Focus:
Teaching IOS to established Bowen practitioners as well as introductory IOS Bowen courses to various bodyworkers.Bio:
Mito Kodera is a bodywork practitioner and international instructor specializing in Bowen therapy and integrative manual therapy. Born in Japan, she grew up surrounded by healthcare traditions, observing acupuncture treatments performed for her grandparents at home. Her father was a Judo therapist, through whom she was introduced to Judo therapy, Seikotsu (traditional bone-setting), and Daoist exercises. These early influences shaped her lifelong interest in human movement, structural balance, and the body’s natural healing processes.After moving to California in 1995, Mito developed a clinical practice supporting clients with chronic pain, acute injuries, and functional imbalances. She previously worked as a birth doula before beginning her Bowen therapy journey. Mito serves as the principal of Bowen School Japan, where she has trained practitioners since 2013. Her work is strongly influenced by her studies with Graham Pennington and her commitment to bridging Eastern and Western therapeutic perspectives. She teaches internationally and focuses on helping practitioners develop refined clinical skills while respecting the body’s innate capacity for regulation and recovery.
Website:
bowenseminars.us
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Name: Ozana Pope-Gajić
Location: Osijek / Croatia
Years in practice: 31 years
Relationship to Graham/IOS:
From the beginning of my professional journey, I was drawn to manual therapy and its profound impact on the human body. The IOS Method, however, made everything “click” for me in relation to the Bowen Technique, bringing clarity, depth, and integration to my work.I first learned from Graham in 2013 during the IOS workshop in Croatia and have since trained with him in Chicago, Croatia, Slovenia, and the UK. I am deeply honoured to have his trust to continue sharing his approach.
Teaching Focus:
As an educator, I have worked with future physiotherapists, as well as students in Basic Bowen Training and advanced courses. In all these learning settings, I focus on creating a supportive, safe, and relaxed environment where students can confidently develop new knowledge and skills.By connecting theory with practical examples and maintaining a clear structure and high standards, I help students build understanding, confidence, and professional growth, encouraging them to apply their learning with skill and assurance in real-life clinical practice.
Bio:
Ozana Pope-Gajić is a physiotherapist with over 30 years of clinical experience. She holds a Master’s degree in Nursing and has been a certified Bowen instructor since 2014. She spent many years working in hospital settings and completed numerous professional development courses in physiotherapy. Bowen Therapy remains the foundation of her practice, combining her broad clinical expertise with an effective therapeutic approach.Ozana began her Bowen journey under the guidance of Anneke Loode, and has since been fortunate to receive ongoing mentorship from leading international practitioners Dr. Romney Smeeton and Graham Pennington.
In her private practice, Ergovita, she works with acute and chronic neuro-musculoskeletal conditions, focusing on pain management, improving quality of life, women’s health, and neurodevelopmental support for newborns. Drawing on her extensive clinical experience and theoretical knowledge, she developed a specialized Perinatal Bowen program to support the professional growth of Bowen therapists. She is also the author of two physiotherapy textbooks.
Website:
ergovita.hr
bowen-hr.com
Why learn from
a collective?
Because experience is better when it is shared.
Our instructors bring different clinical backgrounds and ways of thinking to the classroom, while working within the same agreed principles and teaching framework.
That shared approach helps create consistency for practitioners attending IOS Bowen seminars wherever in the world they learn.