Burnout multidimensionality in body-centered psychotherapy

Abstract

Burnout clearly reflects the two faces of today’s society: the performers, sacrifice, strength, high motivation, and perfectionism – in contrast to fatigue, exhaustion, lethargy, and chronic somatic symptoms like back pain. This article provides a theoretical overview of the most common terminology of burnout and its core components of emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced self-efficacy. Burnout should not only be seen as a causal result of workplace factors, but also from a multifactorial and multidimensional perspective. This is illustrated by the Anthropological Cube Model, the core concept of the body oriented psychotherapy IKP. This integrative psychotherapy method is based on the Gestalt approach. It is characterized by process and resource orientation, emotion and focusing on needs, as well as activation of experiences. Burnout is not only due to past experiences, but also to a lack of adaptability and integration in our high-performance-oriented era. In the sense of a humanistic therapy, the communication in the «here and now» is of the essence. Also important are the integration of physical symptoms, the emphasis on self-responsibility and the strengthening of autonomy and self-realization. Burnout should therefore be regarded as the clinical expression of a combination of the different dimensions shown in the Anthropological cube model IKP body, psyche, social, spirituality, room, and time.