Our Founder - Jean-Pierre Barral, DO, MRO(F), RPT

Jean-Pierre Barral, DO, MRO(F), RPT, is a Diplomate of Osteopathy, a Member of the Registre des Ostéopathes de France, and a Physical Therapist. He is internationally recognized as the developer of Visceral Manipulation (VM), a manual therapy approach based on organ-specific fascial mobilization.

Through decades of extensive clinical work with ten's of thousands of patients, Jean-Pierre Barral observed the profound influence of visceral mobility and motility on overall health and function. His work in dissection laboratories further allowed him to explore and confirm the internal anatomical and physiological effects of manual techniques, grounding Visceral Manipulation in direct anatomical study as well as clinical observation.

Jean-Pierre Barral served as Chairman of the International College of Osteopathy in Saint-Étienne, France, and was a faculty member at Médecine de Paris Nord - Université Paris Nord. While on faculty, he became Chief of the Visceral Manipulation Department—marking the first time in the world that a Visceral Manipulation therapist held a leadership position within a medical faculty.

In recognition of his groundbreaking work, TIME Magazine cited Jean-Pierre Barral for his development of Visceral Manipulation and named him one of the Top Healing Innovators to Watch in the New Millennium.

Our Founder - Jean-Pierre Barral, DO, MRO(F), RPT

Leader, Innovator, and Educator

Throughout more than four decades of clinical practice, research, and teaching, Jean-Pierre Barral has continued to expand the field of manual therapy. Based on his ongoing clinical research, he developed additional advanced manual therapy disciplines, including Visceral Vascular Manipulation, Neural Manipulation, and the New Manual Articular Approach, in collaboration with Alain Croibier, DO.

His most recent discipline, the Manual Therapy Approach to the Brain, represents decades of clinical refinement and anatomical study, further extending his work into the central nervous system and brain function.

Jean-Pierre Barral is the Curriculum Developer for the Barral Institute and has taught these modalities since 1985. He has trained and certified a global faculty of International Instructors who continue to teach Barral-based manual therapy courses worldwide. He remains the head of the Barral Institute Academic Leadership, alongside Alain Croibier, Mark Bloemberg and Christoph Sommer.

Reflecting on his lifelong work, Jean-Pierre Barral often reminds therapists:.

“Even after more than 40 years of research, clinical work, and educating tens of thousands of therapists around the world, we know so little; only the tissues know. We may think we know what to do, but it is only when we place our hands on the person that the tissues show us what is needed.”

Visceral Manipulation Interview with Jean-Pierre Barral

Author and Scholar

Jean-Pierre Barral is the author of numerous foundational textbooks that have shaped modern manual therapy education worldwide.

Professional Memberships

Member, Registre des Ostéopathes de France

Through his clinical insight, anatomical rigor, and commitment to listening to the body’s inherent intelligence, Jean-Pierre Barral has profoundly influenced the evolution of manual therapy and continues to inspire generations of practitioners worldwide.