Morita Psychotherapy: The Views from the West

Iwai, Hiroshi; Reynolds, David K.

doi:10.1176/ajp.126.7.1031

Cited by 16 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Morita therapy was originally developed by a Japanese psychiatrist, Shoma Morita, in 1919, primarily for the treatment of anthropophobia, a common social phobia recognized in Japan (Iwai & Reynolds, 1970;A. Kondo, 1953;K.…”

Section: Morita Therapymentioning

confidence: 99%

Culture and Psychotherapy: Review and Practical Guidelines

Tseng

1999

Transcult Psychiatry

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In this overview, the subject of culture and psychotherapy is considered broadly from five perspectives: (i) culture-embedded indigenous healing practices, (ii) culture-influenced ‘unique’ psychotherapies, (iii) cultural elements in ‘mainstream’ therapies, (iv) the practice of psychotherapy in different societies, and (v) intercultural psychotherapy. Various modes of therapy are compared with respect to their basic orientations, techniques and mechanisms of therapy. Culture-relevant psychotherapy requires technical adjustment, theoretical modifications and philosophical reconsideration. Practical suggestions are made regarding areas that need attention in order to conduct culturally appropriate psychotherapy.

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Section: Morita Therapymentioning

confidence: 99%

Culture and Psychotherapy: Review and Practical Guidelines

Tseng

1999

Transcult Psychiatry

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“…In the 1970s some investigators became concerned with the ways in which the Japanese deal with mental health problems in Japan and reported their own studies, experiences, and practices with such indigenous therapies as Zen, Seiza, Shadan, and, particularly, Morita and Naikan (Ishida, 1969;Iwai & Reynolds, 1970;Reynolds, 1980;Tanaka-Matsumi, 1979). These approaches-all of which are founded in days and even weeks of almost totally silent, meditative self-examination-seem to have met with considerable success in Japan, providing "practical advice and techniques for helping patients deal with typical human problems in living" (Reynolds, 1980).…”

Section: Perceiving the Japanese Across Culturesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Toward Counseling the Japanese in America: A Cross‐Cultural Primer

Henkin

1985

Jour of Counseling & Develop

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“…Interestingly, he now holds that there is no necessary relationship between Naikan and Jodo, other than a historical one. This is reminiscent of the position of the founder of another Japanese form of psychotherapy, Morita, who denied the obvious relationship between his therapy and Zen (Iwai and Reynolds, 1970;Reynolds, 1969). The intent seems to be to establish the method on a rational-scientific basis in its public image rather than on a faith-religious basis.…”

Section: A Brief F Historymentioning

confidence: 98%

Naikan Therapy—an Experiential View

Reynolds

1977

Int J Soc Psychiatry

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Naikan therapy is a form of directed meditation practised in Japan with reported positive effect on some neuroses, psychosomatic disorders and delinquency problems. It aims at reconstructing the client's view of his past in order to reshape his attitudes and behaviours in the present. Experiential research supplements the usual outsider participant observer perspective with personal experience in roles that exist within the setting—in this case the researcher became a patient and then a therapist as well as an outside observer. 1. Reshaping our past ERGER points out that we are continually reinterpreting our past in terms of our current social status and ideological convictions. We must select (with or without awareness) what is important to remember and how to organise it into a &dquo;meaningful&dquo; personal history. 'We go through life refashioning our calendar of holy days, raising up and tearing down again the signposts that mark our progress through time towards ever newly defined fulfillments'. (Berger, 1963, p. 58). As Berger notes, our reinterpretations of the past are often haphazard, unless we become &dquo;converted&dquo; to some Weltanschauung that provides a systematic framework for reviewing our past. Naikan offers its clients a meaningful system within which they may order their lives, present and past. As we shall see, even the Western participantobserver may become drawn into adopting the Naikan perspective of reality, at least temporarily. The PracticeThe technique of Naikan is simple and readily described. The client sits quietly, reflecting on a sequence of assigned persons and periods in his past life.The setting is uncluttered. The client is isolated behind a folding screen or, in some facilities, simply faces the wall of the room. Sitting in any position is permitted. The clients sits from about 5.30 a.m. until 9.00 p.m., every day for one week, meditating except for periodic interviews (mensetsu), meals, a daily bath and elimination functions. All activities are carried out in isolation, while meditating.The introspection is guided. The topics are chosen individually for each client by his Naikan guide or sensel. Most clients, however, are directed to begin by investing an hour or two considering their mother during their own preschool years, then grammar school years, junior high-school period and so on, up to the present, in approximately three-year steps. The client is given one or two hours to contemplate each of these steps. This first person-topic, the client's mother, will probably be reassigned at least once more before the end of the Naikan experience. In addition to the client's mother, his father, siblings, teachers, spouse, employers and virtually any other person of significant are likely subjects for Naikan meditation. In addition, such topics as lying, gambling and drinking may be assigned to clients with problems in those particular areas.

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Morita Psychotherapy: The Views from the West

Cited by 16 publications

References 22 publications

Culture and Psychotherapy: Review and Practical Guidelines

Culture and Psychotherapy: Review and Practical Guidelines

Toward Counseling the Japanese in America: A Cross‐Cultural Primer

Naikan Therapy—an Experiential View

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