Core Energetics
A Method That Engages the Whole Human Being
Core Energetics works with the body, emotions, mind and spirit — integrating movement, energetic expression and music to reach places that talking alone cannot. Every part of you matters — your “yes” and your “no,” , your strength and your vulnerability. Your full self is invited, just as you are.
The Transformative Power of the Group
Students describe the group as life-changing:
a space where everyone participates equally, independent of background, education or status — a true meeting of humans, beyond hierarchy.
Multiple Perspectives — One Shared Field
The method invites diverse viewpoints and honors the wisdom that each person brings. It reflects the roots of human creativity: movement, expression and connection.
Grounded Spirituality
NICE offers a place to explore meaning, purpose and the level of the soul — without dogma, but with real human contact and truthfulness at the center.
Transforming old wounds into growth
As children, we learned to hide parts of ourselves. We suppressed anger, sadness, love or longing because we feared losing the love and safety we depended on. Those choices helped us survive then — but they limit us now.
When we continue repressing our feelings as adults, we also reduce our aliveness. We disconnect from the pleasure, joy and intensity life has to offer.
Core Energetics helps you return to your full self. By gently facing childhood wounds, you learn that you no longer need those old trade-offs. You can express your feelings, follow your impulses and allow your energy to flow freely — if you choose to.
Origins
Core Energetics has its roots in the work of Sigmund Freud, whose theories laid the foundation for understanding the unconscious. Wilhelm Reich, psychoanalyst and pioneer, added a vital element: the body as the carrier of experiences, emotions, and life energy. He observed how a person’s tension, movement, and breathing are directly connected to psychological patterns.
Greek psychiatrist John Pierrakos further developed these insights, first in collaboration with Alexander Lowen in Bioenergetics, and later on his own path. He recognized a missing dimension: the soul, the creative and spiritual core from which every person lives, loves, and grows. In partnership with Eva Broch (Pathwork), Core Energetics emerged — a method that combines the depth of psychodynamics and bodywork with the pursuit of meaning, truth, and love.
Core Energetics Today: Growth in the Netherlands
Over the past twenty years, Core Energetics has developed strongly in the Netherlands, thanks to the work of Anna Timmermans, founder of the Netherlands Institute of Core Energetics (NICE). Under her guidance, NICE has grown into an international school and thriving community, where students, trainers, and professionals from around the world come together to learn, deepen their practice, and innovate.
Anna expanded Pierrakos’ original methodology while integrating insights from body-oriented work, trauma theory, character structures, systemic work, and contemporary psychodynamics. She made Core Energetics accessible, practical, applicable, and deeply transformative — laying the foundation for the modern NICE.
The Heart of Core Energetics: Connection with Self and World
What makes Core Energetics truly unique is its focus on the journey inward to your authentic core, and from there, into your relationships and engagement with the world.
Core Energetics teaches you to:
- Feel more deeply
- See more clearly
- Live more honestly
- Stand more firmly
- Connect with more love
- Move more freely in your life
It is a path that requires courage — and works best in connection with others.
At Core Energetics, you are never alone. You are supported by fellow students, teachers, faculty, and a powerful community that guides you every step of the way.