A century of Morita therapy: What has and has not changed

Abstract

We review the history of Morita therapy (MT), which has existed for over 100 years, and examine what has changed over that period and what has not. Classic MT, which was dependent on a highly strict therapeutic approach, gradually lost its pre‐eminence, but at the same time, the fundamental theory of MT was refined. This theory came to be applied to current outpatient MT and adapted to inpatient MT. As MT was refined, a standard training system for therapists was established, adaptations to modern conditions were made and expanded, and comparisons to and dialogs with other psychotherapeutic concepts such as mindfulness became possible. To better evaluate MT, further work should be conducted on its effectiveness of from a clinical epidemiological perspective.

Morita Therapy as a Treatment Approach for Adolescent Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Five-Year Case Report Incorporating Inpatient and Diary Therapy

“…Morita therapy, developed by Shoma Morita in 1919, is a Japanese psychotherapy technique that is now used worldwide for nervousness and anxiety disorders [1][2][3][4]. Morita therapy considers fear or anxiety to be a single concept with two facets [1,4].…”

“…Morita therapy, developed by Shoma Morita in 1919, is a Japanese psychotherapy technique that is now used worldwide for nervousness and anxiety disorders [1][2][3][4]. Morita therapy considers fear or anxiety to be a single concept with two facets [1,4]. One aspect represents the fear we broadly recognize as being frightened, whereas the other aspect indicates the positive side of fear, that is, the desire to live.…”

A Qualitative Study on the Recovery Process and Its Associated Factors in Morita Therapy for Inpatients with Mood Disorders

“…Morita Therapy (MT) is an original psychotherapy developed by Japanese psychiatrist Shoma Morita in 1919 [ 1 ], which has been re-evaluated and has attracted much attention internationally to date [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ].…”

Efficacy of combined naikan and morita therapies on psychological distress and posttraumatic growth in Chinese patients with advanced cancer

“…Morita therapists help patients move away from preoccupation and struggle, which have been implied in interfering with the natural recovery process. [23] Previous publications [24,25] have elaborated the uniqueness and commonalities of NT and MT, proposed the theoretical basis underlying the combination of these two therapies, and further applied them in the clinical observation. The results showed that NT first evoked the patients' positive emotions, and MT then improved behavioral initiative.…”

“…The main purpose of MT is to help patients accept the view that unpleasant symptoms are the normal part of human emotions rather than negative things to be eliminated. Morita therapists help patients move away from preoccupation and struggle, which have been implied in interfering with the natural recovery process [23] . Previous publications [24,25] have elaborated the uniqueness and commonalities of NT and MT, proposed the theoretical basis underlying the combination of these two therapies, and further applied them in the clinical observation.…”