Analytical body psychotherapy: State of the art and clinical practice

Abstract

There are three main streams in bodypsycho-therapy: a neoreichian, a body-movement and a psychoanalytical oriented line. The author tries to describe how the last, Analytical Bodypsychotherapy, has in the meantime developed in direction of a particular psychotherapeutic method, which clearly can be separated from the two other mean lines of bodypsychotherapy. This new approach has elaborated specific essentials, works with an enlarged definition of countertransference and points out theories and clinical possibilities of bodywork. There are important arguments coming from baby research which support this kind of work. On basis of a clinical example one of these possibilities of bodywork, the scene bodywork, will be shown. Finally there is a short discussion of open questions.

Keywords:
Analytical Bodypsychotherapy, body dialogue, body work, body remembrance, Object relations theory, scene body work.