Is there Healing Power in Rage?

The relative contribution of cognition, affect and movement to psychotherapeutic processes

Authors

  • Margit Koemeda-Lutz

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30820/0743-4804-2006-16-103

Keywords:

Body psychotherapy, emotion, motor behavior, neuroplasticity, unconscious behavior control

Abstract

The question of what people need in order to change is still open to debate. The paper reviews evidence for when cognitive clarification and insight needs to be accompanied by emotional arousal, containment and / or expression and how motor activity facilitates experiential and / or behavioral change. A ficticious case is presented in order to illustrate different approaches for a first session. The paper reviews some neurobiological findings on the interactive modulation of unconscious and conscious levels of experiencing and behavior. A pilot study is reported in which the induction of hyperventilation and two bioenergetic exercises were examined with respect to their relative potency to facilitate psychosomatic change.

Author Biography

Margit Koemeda-Lutz

Margit Koemeda-Lutz is a licensed psychotherapist in private practice, trainer for the Swiss Society for Bioenergetic Analysis and Therapy (SGBAT) and faculty member of the IIBA. She has been teaching in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. Founding member of the interdisciplinary annual psychotherapy conferences »Breitensteiner Psychotherapiewochen 1981–2000«; member of the executive committee SGBAT 1994–2001; active in two evaluation studies on the effectiveness of outpatient psychotherapy in Switzerland and Germany, one of which won the usabp research award in 2005; editor of Bioenergetic Analysis and on the editorial board of »Psychotherapie Forum«.
103-127 36159

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How to Cite

Koemeda-Lutz, M. (2022). Is there Healing Power in Rage? The relative contribution of cognition, affect and movement to psychotherapeutic processes. Bioenergetic Analysis, 16(1), 103–127. https://doi.org/10.30820/0743-4804-2006-16-103

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Articles