What Is Somatic Psychotherapy?

Somatotherapy is a treatment that targets both the body and the mind. It is a treatment that touches the mind through the body, so it is the deepest and most effective type of psychotherapy.

Somatotherapy is a treatment that targets both the body and the mind. It is a treatment that touches the mind through the body, so it is the deepest and most effective type of psychotherapy.
Chinese name
Body therapy
Foreign name
somatotherapy
Physical treatment of mental disorders mainly includes drug therapy and electroconvulsive therapy. [1]
The main and basic measures for drug therapists to improve mental disorders, especially severe mental disorders. Electroconvulsive therapy has a place in the treatment of the acute phase of mental disorders. The once widely used insulin shock therapy and neurosurgery are now rarely used or restricted use. [1]
Physical therapy is a treatment that targets both the body and the mind. It is a treatment that touches the mind through the body. Therefore, physical therapy is the deepest and most effective psychological therapy. The body and the mind are a whole intertwined together. The body is the foundation of the mind. The mind is the most complete expression of the body. Moreover, due to the existence of very complex feedback mechanisms, the mind can even change the shape and behavior of our bodies. Body and mind are inseparable in any treatment, but unfortunately, in modern Chinese and Western medical and psychiatric treatments, physical and mental treatments are often separated. [1]
From this perspective, we can say that bioenergy therapy is closer to the East, especially Chinese traditions (such as Tai Chi) rather than Western medical practices and concepts. You can see this similarity in the name bioenergy therapy, because the word bios refers to the energy of life. Bioenergy therapy is similar to Indian yoga. However, due to the background of psychoanalysis, bioenergy therapy is different from any other therapies in East and West. This is not only to help ordinary people maintain health, but also to successfully treat neurosis, mental illness and physical and mental illness. The psychoanalytic background of bioenergy therapy enables the consultant to have a core understanding of the subconscious behavior of the mind, and enables the consultant to master a special set of techniques for dealing with consultation relations. In this way, the treatment will develop in the most natural way and the healthiest The way ends. This is important because, in normal practice, treatment is premature, and it ends unexpectedly and abruptly before the visitor reaches a truly complete state of health. Such treatment is superficial. [1]
Through these findings, Freud gave an important revelation: the physical and mental relationship is very complex, such as the symptoms of hysteria mainly manifested in the body, but the cause is undoubtedly psychological. In this way, the treatment of mental and physical diseases is determined: even some paralysis and blindness are caused by the patient's psychological reasons, which means that such diseases can be cured by purely psychological treatment. [1] Freud soon realized that the direct cause of the disease was not the real cause (such as being frightened), and the real cause was formed subconsciously during the childhood of the visitor. Klein, the psychiatrist, has the deepest exploration of childhood experience, and she studies the first stages of life. She discovered the infant's paranoid-schizoid mental state and bipolar state, and found that the infant's mental state at this stage determines the individual's future mental health and whether they will suffer from mental illness or neurosis. However, Klein's perspective has undergone an important change. She realized that physical reasons can also affect mental state and behavior. She proved that the environment's response to behaviors such as infant bites, defecation and urination can also affect our personality. And life. [1] However, William Lacey finally concluded clearly the decisive role played by the body in establishing the individual personality. He creatively elaborated the relationship between body structure and personality, and found that childhood experiences affected not only personality but also body shape. For the first time, it was discovered that not only the function of the body, but even the structure and shape of the body are affected by early experiences. He can explain why someone is taller or shorter, fatter or thinner, and his chest or legs have a certain shape. He can also explain why someone is nearsighted and more adaptable to cold or hot climates, or There is a danger of breathing, skin, stomach, heart and other diseases. (Of course, all explanations are based on genetics.) It can be concluded that the shape of the body and the personality are formed together, that is, if the personality does not change (such as not recovering from a psychological problem) ), The shape of the body will not change. Based on this finding, Lacey had the courage to make a change in the technique of psychoanalysis: Freud, who had performed psychoanalysis entirely through speech, performed this very rigorously. But Lacey introduced physical exercises in the psychoanalytic treatment, starting with breathing and relaxation exercises that are suitable for everyone, allowing visitors to strengthen their connection with their body and subconscious and release energy in the body (also known as Qi in China). ), Extended to specific exercises for specific personality groups. At the same time, Lacey also developed a very accurate system for describing different personalities, and assigned different physical exercises to different personal groups. Rosie's American student Rowan inherited and developed Lacey's theoretical system. Rowan extended Lacey's description of different types of personality to make it applicable to all humans, and developed a series of very complex and extensive exercises for each population or each mental illness.

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