The Swedish Physiotherapist Gertrud Roxendal started the ”Project Development of Body Awareness – therapeutic and educational perspectives” in the early 1980s. She invited a group of specially interested BAT - physiotherapists to join her in what she called ”the teachers group”. She invited eight Swedish and two Norwegian physiotherapists into this project group; it was called the Swedish-Norwegian teachers’ group. This group had about 3-4 meetings annually, mostly in Sweden, sometimes in Norway. The group was lead by Gertrud Roxendal.
From the establishment in early 1980 the BBAT teachers’ group and the structure of the organisation have developed in line with needs from inside and outside the group. There has been a close relationship between the Swedish and Norwegian group. Both groups have expressed that this relationship is beneficial and strengthening for the development of BBAT. This view was particularly evident at the Blentarp meeting January 2007. There has been a continuous development of the group for more than 30 years. As can be observed from the growth, the atmosphere has been nourishing and productive.
The International Association of Teachers in Basic Body Awareness Therapy, IATBBAT, was formally established in 2003. At the meeting of the International Teachers Association in BBAT (IATBBAT) at Sundsgården, August 2009, the subject of the organization of the IATBBAT was addressed. It was a continuation of previous discussions at the teachers meetings.
Nowadays the association contains members from; Norway, Sweden, Danmark, Finland, Estonia, Iceland, Faroer Islands, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Schwitserland, Austria, Spain and Turkey.
Source: Skjærven, Mattsson, Parker, Backe. 2010 Draft for discussion at the IATBBAT august 2010 of the organizational model