Zastosowania psychoterapii Mority

Abstract

The method of psychotherapy developed by Shomo Morita in Japan in the twenties of the 20th century was practiced to treat the patients who presented the symptoms defined as shinkeishitsu. The major problems they experienced were neurotic disorders associated with fear. The disorders were manifested by a particular set of symptoms such as ovcrsensitivity, perfectionism, dogmatism, excessive egocentrism, clinging and lifestyle choices dependent upon mood changes. The orthodox Morita psychotherapy was provided during the course of hospitalization and tended to direct the patients’ attention towards the outer world and to mobilize their inherent strenghts and individual behavioral capabilities. There was a renewed interest in Morita psychotherapy in the sixties due to the fact that it was conduclive to outpatient treatment. In the seventies morę diverse theoretical and procedural interpretations appeared. These enabled differentation between typical and atypical cases among the patients with shinkeishitsu syndrome. At present, the application of Morita psychotherapy keeps increasing. It is used in treatment of not only psychosomatic disorders but cancer and terminal illnesses as well. Morita psychotherapy method integrated with emotional support and self-realization approach has also been tested. The growing interest in this method of psychotherapy has revealed, however, a number of problems in its clinical applicability to the individual patient in contexts different from Morita’s standard treatment model. The study presents both of these elements of Morita psychotherapy which can be considered a useful therapeutic response for speciaiists from beyond the Eastem cultural milieu, and the elements which may interfere with its adaptation to another culture. In the second case, the particularly interesting features of Morita’s therapy are instructiveness and reliability in adapting the standard psychotherapy, corresponding to cultural background of interpersonal relations found in Japan.