Physiotherapy Mental Health
Body Soul in medical rehabilitation
The holistic understanding of medical rehabilitation promotes the integration of the body- soul continuum. All aspects of ourselves; physical, psychological, emotional, existential are different dimensions of the same thing: our own being. Pain in the soul is as important to understand as pain in the body.
Everything that we experience throughout our lives, good or bad, is literary stored in the muscles and become manifest in the body as our ‘body memory’. Movements can be seen as metaphors for what we think, feel and how we relate to others. The emotions we experience have a regulatory role in the body and physical and chemical changes occur in the body when emotions are experienced.
The holistic approach listens to what the whole person has to say in order to find balance of body – mind – emotion – existential being in everyday life.
People who seek therapy :
- stress related onsets
- chronic pain/ fibromyalgia
- depression/ anxiety
- trauma-processing
- relationship problems
Methods:
- body-mind- affect awareness training
- exposure techniques in fantasy
- movement rituals
- mindfulness
Goals for holistic perspective:
- activate /integrate body/mind/affect awareness
- improve body image and self concept
- encourage positive experiences with the body, joy, play
- decrease the pain experience in the body
Cost:
Physiotherapy – Mental Health: according to county regulations for ‘highcost/ free-pass’ medical rehabilitation treatment