The history and development of Body Psychotherapy: European collaboration

The Effectiveness of Body-Oriented Psychotherapy: A Review of the Literature

“…All of the reviewed studies employed valid and reliable assessments such as the Beck Anxiety Inventory (Levy Berg et al, 2009), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression Röhricht, et al, 2013), Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (Gordon, Staples, Blyta, Bytyqi, & Wilson, 2008), the PTSD checklist (Leitch et al, 2009), Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale for Schizophrenia (Röhricht et al, 2009;2011) and Symptom Checklist (Leitch et al, 2009;Levy Berg et al, 2009) as called for in APA standards, to measure symptom levels before and after treatment to determine any decrease with treatment (Church, 2013). Several of the studies outlined above have large effect-sizes, which indicates the effectiveness of body-oriented psychotherapy as treatment for certain psychosomatic and/or physiological disorders.…”

“…"Body-oriented psychotherapy interventions" is an umbrella term for all psychotherapies "that explicitly use body techniques to strengthen the developing dialogue between patient and psycho-therapist about what is being experienced and perceived … In most schools of body psychotherapy, the body is considered a means of communication and exploration" (Heller, 2012, p. 1) Body-oriented or somatic psychotherapy is a very diverse field (Röhricht, 2009;Young, 2011). The common theme is the connection between body and mind and the underlying premise that our relationship to ourselves, others and the world is not only rooted in our mind and thoughts but also in our bodies.…”

“…Body-oriented group psychotherapy is an effective treatment for schizophrenia (Röhricht, et al, 2009;2011) and depression (Röhricht, et al, 2013).…”