Positive Psychosomatics

Abstract

Nossrat Peseschkian suggested focusing psychotherapy on the function of the psychosomatic symptoms as capacities to discharge the tension of the inner and/or external conflicts and thus to restoring health. Based on this vision, he suggested the detailed description of the somatization process visualized as a psychosomatic arc that was refined and developed following the revolutionary discoveries of recent decades. Innovative models of the psychodynamic operationalization in positive psychotherapy (primary capacities and actual secondary capabilities, balance model and four dimensions of modeling, actual, basic, and internal conflicts) help to understand the formation of conflictual tension. The discovery and systematic description of the key conflict give a new psychodynamic understanding of the transformation of the inner psychological stress into psychosomatic symptoms. This knowledge opens up a new perspective of psychosomatic treatment by developing the primary capacities, allowing the asymptomatic discharge of the inner conflict. The five-stage strategy of psychodynamic positive psychotherapy offers the systematic framework to effectively approach the main difficulties of psychosomatic patients, such as the strong neurotic fixation on physical symptoms, distrust of the doctors and psychotherapists, and the deficit of the primary (structural) capacities limiting the ability of mentalization.