Body psychotherapy

Body Psychotherapy, synonymous with " body-oriented psychotherapy " is the term for different psychotherapy methods that deal with the mental and physical dimensions of human experience equivalent. They share the assumption that the body and mind form an inseparable unit. Almost all body psychotherapy methods are deeply psychologically oriented and use awareness of the body as a way to uncover unconscious mental processes, ie to bring into consciousness. Body Psychotherapy methods work experience -oriented, which means that the current and especially physically felt experience is while the therapy process in the focus of attention.

8.1 Germany
8.2 developments
8.3 Switzerland

Access to the unconscious

Depth psychology-based therapeutic approaches assume that unconscious mental processes human action, thought and feeling much influence and awareness of these unconscious processes is an essential precondition for change or healing. Sigmund Freud described the interpretation of dreams as the " royal road" to access the unconscious mind. His method of free association amended and extended this access. In today's deeply psychologically oriented therapy approaches the analysis of the transmission events plays an important role in uncovering unconscious action. In the Body Psychotherapy access is sought to the unconscious over the body.

The body- psychotherapeutic approach

Charles M. Schulz was Charlie Brown once mutatis mutandis to say, "If I pull the corners of the mouth upward, that is very bad for my depression. " Normally, it seems quite natural that physical postures, gestures and facial expressions "fit" to certain feelings. In contrast to the everyday situation in which happened the physical expression and the physical sense of how automatically and unconsciously simple physical phenomena are focused and raised awareness in body psychotherapy. In therapeutic interest are primarily those physical structures, processes or emotions that are so used and of course the ego - feeling that they are not consciously perceived.

Psychodynamic oriented body psychotherapists assume that in the physical organization of the adult emotional information are stored from the early childhood. This can be derived " core beliefs " such as from early experiences. "I 'm not good enough " According to the theories of body psychotherapy, such " core beliefs " saved as a feeling in the body and determine the belief, how the world is "really". Found that if one person with the anchored in the body since childhood feeling "I 'm not good enough " always keep this principle, regardless of what he has already done real or what he perceives intellectually. Body psychotherapists assume that an emotionally internalized belief can only be changed if a different experience possible on the perceived physical level. Albert Pesso calls this alternative reality-based and directly felt experience " antidote ". In the example of the man who does not believe to be good enough, would this " antidote " that experienced in the here and now, and independent of rational considerations feeling to be good enough.

Body psychotherapeutic techniques

The amount of different schools and techniques is difficult to comprehend. In principle, three categories of techniques can be distinguished, namely the work by physical touch, the work by means of physical exercises and working through body awareness. The selection and combination of the techniques are different depending on body psychotherapy method. Body touches can be very gentle and serve the realization or can be massively used with the aim of a physical change. The physical exercises the span of taking " stress positions " ranges with strong contractions until minimalist experiment in which the effect of very small physical changes on the consciousness is examined. In body awareness, attention is directed to the interior and especially physical experience. Mindfulness is a state of consciousness in which it is possible to witness the current experience from a non-judgmental inner spacer out.

History

The origins of body psychotherapy at the beginning of the 20th century go back especially to psychoanalysis and the reform movements in gymnastics and dance. From the reform movements had been especially Elsa Gindler with their " seminar for harmonic body training " strong influence on the body therapy and body psychotherapy. The strongest influence came from Wilhelm Reich, a psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud was excluded mainly because of its departure from the pure " talking cure " of the International Psychoanalytical Association. Empire lay with its developed from 1934 Vegetotherapy a foundation for the Body Psychotherapy.

As a result, over 20 body psychotherapy schools were founded, which vary strongly influenced by psychoanalysis, from body therapy from the humanistic psychology, of the progressive education, from the free dance, the theater, western philosophy and / or from the eastern philosophy. There are, since 2010, a school -wide study focus on " Body Psychotherapy ", which is offered at the University of Marburg under the master's degree program Motology.

The body psychotherapy took place over decades hardly any positive attention from the most important psychoanalytic and behavioral psychotherapy directions and resulted in health care in the shadows. Since the 90s of last century obtained by means of imaging techniques to new research findings in the neurosciences were published, interest in body psychotherapeutic methods and the inclusion of the body in psychotherapy is growing increasingly being discussed within established psychotherapy directions.

Neuroscientific Aspects in Body Psychotherapy

Both the basic assumption of Freud, that the thoughts and actions of unconscious internal processes is at least determined, a basic assumption, which is also shared by the psychodynamic body psychotherapies, as well as the central assumption of body psychotherapy methods that body and mind are in an inseparable interaction, supported by new research in the neurosciences.

The importance of the unconscious have eleven leading neuroscientists in a joint manifesto out: " We have found that in the human brain related neural processes and consciously experienced mental and psychological states inextricably and unconscious processes conscious precede in a certain way. "

Antonio Damasio examined the interactions between body and consciousness and came to his empirical studies conclude that the centuries adopted, especially by Descartes postulated separation between body and mind is a mistake. Instead, he concludes that a indissoluble connection between body and mind, which are constantly tugging on each other.

Damasio's theory of emotional experience memory corresponds to the concept of implicit memory of Daniel Schacter. Then there is of the explicit memory usually known a sensory and motor structured memory, which is localized in the limbic system and which is not directly accessible to consciousness. This is where the body psychotherapy who wants to make affective and sensorimotor memories conscious and therefore editable with their methods of body awareness.

Body Psychotherapy Methods

The European Association for Body Psychotherapy ( EABP ), which is also the co-initiator of the " American Association for Body Psychotherapy " has established itself as an umbrella body psychotherapy methods and sets the global conceptual and ethical standards. She gives as an organ for the presentation of current scientific research, a quarterly magazine out: International Journal for Body Psychotherapy ( IJBP ).

Recognized by the EABP Body Psychotherapy Methods

Biodynamic Psychology and body work by Gerda Boyesen
Biosynthesis of David Boadella
Core Energetic Therapy by John C. Pierrakos
Hakomi by Ron Kurtz
Integrative Body Psychotherapy (IBP ) Jack Lee Rosenberg
Client-centered conversation and body psychotherapy integration GRP psychotherapy (Carl Rogers ), Focusing (Eugene Gendlin ) and body psychotherapy ( Wilhelm Reich and other body-oriented methods ).
Body -centered psychotherapy IKP by Yvonne Mason
Organismic Psychotherapy by Malcolm Brown and Katherine Ennis Brown,
Orgodynamik by Gabrielle Plesse - St.Clair and Michael Plesse
Postural Integration of Jack Painter
Psychotherapy by Albert Pesso
Unitive Body-Psychotherapy by Jay Stattman
Structural Body Therapy ( SKT )
Psychotherapeutic Postural Integration ( Claude Vaux / Jack Painter )
Emotional Reintegration ( Peter Bolen )

More Body Psychotherapy Methods

Further methods can be named:

Vegetotherapy limited by Wilhelm Reich; modified by Ola Raknes, Bjorn Blumenthal, Federico Navarro and others
Depth psychology-based body psychotherapy to George Downing;
Bonding by Dan Casriel;
Initiatory therapy after Karlfried Count Dürckheim;
Formative Psychology by Stanley Keleman;
Integrative Movement Therapy by Hilarion Petzold;
Psychoanalytic dance therapy by Elaine Siegel;
Synergetic Therapy by Bernd Joschko;
Functional relaxation after Marianne Fuchs;
Concentrative movement therapy after Helmut Proud;
Postural Integration by Jack Painter
Analytical Body Psychotherapy
Biosynthesis by David Boadella
Transition circle by Uwe Christian Dech.

Differences between the Body Psychotherapy Methods

In the variety of body psychotherapy methods, there are a wide range of theoretical and practical differences. So is, for example, in some schools of therapy, the energetic aspect with assumptions about physical " energy flow " and " energy blockages " in the foreground, with other schools of therapy, however, information-theoretic aspects are lifted. There are methods which consider physical contact as a central element of the work, and others who work without touching. Also on the nature of verbal communication and its importance in the therapeutic process, there are very different viewpoints.

Effectiveness considerations

There are still very few and little meaningful empirical studies on the effectiveness of body-oriented psychotherapy. Central assumptions of body psychotherapy but they are supported by recent neurophysiological research. Scientific validity evidence has been provided to date for all widespread mental illnesses and a recognition of the method as a cash benefit in the medium term is expected. Already, body psychotherapy method, the most common method used second in psychotherapy.

Legal Status of Body Psychotherapy

Germany

According to the Act on Psychotherapists Psychotherapy may be (including Specialists in Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy ), psychological psychotherapist or child and adolescent psychotherapists charged with the statutory health insurance as a disease treatment by physicians with psychotherapy training. However, body psychotherapy as the sole method of therapy is not billable. The reason: Body Psychotherapy is not currently in the psychotherapy guidelines established procedure (2007). Is possible, however, that licensed psychotherapist, so behavioral therapists, depth psychologist, analyst or call psychotherapists work with elements of body psychotherapy. Persons with authorization for psychotherapy Heilpraktikergesetz ( HPG, "Little Naturopaths permit") have since more freedom. You may not offer as complete treatment method body psychotherapy yet, the client must pay, however, in general privately. However, after the applicable Psychotherapy Act, these medical practitioners should not " Psychotherapist ( in) ' call as this the approved psychotherapists (see above) is reserved for base profession as a psychologist, doctor or social worker. To the current discussion of the legal status of medical practitioners for psychotherapy see also.

Developments

Politically, the umbrella organizations of body psychotherapists in Germany appear to have come to terms with the situation that they are no more than "full psychotherapy" recognized by health insurance. With advanced training for licensed physicians and psychologists try to save at least elements of their therapy process. Whether the body psychotherapy so that unwinds itself remains to be seen.

Switzerland

In Switzerland, no distinction is made according to methods. The decisive factor is the skill of the therapist. Open to psychotherapy trained doctors who in turn can do psychotherapy trained psychologists. Of these therapies carried out - including all body therapies " are paid by health insurance.

The FSP (. Federation Switzerland psychologists ) has in turn two methods of body psychotherapy recognized: Integrative Body Psychotherapy by Jack Lee Rosenberg and Bioenergetic Analysis and Therapy by Alexander Lowen.

Mindfulness (psychology) Expressionist dance Malcolm Brown (art director)

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