Ilana Rubenfeld

has been called "the Grande Dame of the body-oriented therapy movement", a world-recognized pioneer in integrating emotions, intuition and bodywork.

Ilana directs bodymind energy as if she were conducting a symphony—and well she should. The founder of the Rubenfeld Synergy Method® graduated from the Juilliard School of Music and enjoyed a career in music conducting until a debilitating back spasm re-orchestrated her life journey. She has been an influential teacher, healer and inspirational workshop leader for the past 45 years.

Realizing that the emotional history of some students seemed fundamental to their physical problems and their resistance to change, she sought more answers. During the 1960’s she studied with prominent psychotherapists in New York, then with Fritz Perls at the Esalen Institute in California. Here she found another missing piece to the integration puzzle – the practice of the "now" which is an important element in her work. Gestalt therapy noticed body posture, but without using touch. Ilana sensed that verbal communication only went so far. The therapist could not know what was occurring more deeply, "close to the bone."

In the 1970’s, Ilana continued to develop her unique way of working with people. At a fortuitous meeting with Buckminster Fuller, he suggested the name "Rubenfeld Synergy" as the integration of touch and talk. Ilana organized groups, workshops, and presentations using this new method, while maintaining a busy private practice. Many people in her ongoing groups wanted to train with her so they could practice the Rubenfeld Synergy Method with their clients. So it was in 1977 that the first Rubenfeld Synergy Training Program was begun.

Ilana is a well-known keynote speaker who has presented thousands of workshops world-wide. In 1977, she founded The Rubenfeld Synergy Method® Professional Training Program. Ilana is a storyteller par excellence - integrating humor and history. She is a faculty member of the Omega and Esalen Institutes and the New York Open Center. Ilana celebrates over 30 years of The Rubenfeld Synergy Method® Professional Training Program, which has certified over 600 synergists to date.

In 1994, Ilana was given the "Pathfinder Award" by the Association of Humanistic Psychology (AHP) for her outstanding contributions to Humanistic Psychology.

In 2002, Ilana received "Life-Time Achievement Award" from the United States Association for Body Psychotherapy. Author of many articles, Ilana's  book: The LISTENING HAND: The Healing Power of TOUCH and TALK  was published by BANTAM in 2000.

In 1957, she entered The JUILLIARD SCHOOL of MUSIC, and received the Frank Damrosch Award For Outstanding Conducting and graduated with a B.S. in 1961 in Music Conducting. She had recommendations from her teacher Pablo Casals, the famous conductor Leopold Stokowski, and The New York Times gave her RAVE REVIEWS at her inaugural concert in Carnegie Hall.  None of these helped!

Since WOMEN were not being hired to Conduct at that time, she turned to another career - the BODY/MIND/BRAIN/EMOTIONAL and SPIRITUAL components -A HOLISTIC APPROACH to the whole person in a HEALING MODALITY!

Ilana's creation of this work has been taught to others for five decades.  She states: "I believe that The Rubenfeld Synergy Method (RSM) is a model for the FUTURE.  It cuts to the heart of how SOMATIC work will evolve in the 21st Century.  This Synergistic multi-modal approach is a key to sustained CHANGE!

The Rubenfeld Synergy community is committed to making RSM viable in the world and promoting self-healing through the LISTENING TOUCH! The Ilana Rubenfeld Foundation, TIRF, is in the process of converting all the material gathered over the years into archives which can be used by a University or College and disseminated to the public.  Efforts are being made to form a Rubenfeld Synergy Library.