What are “mind-body techniques” and how are they beneficial in therapy?
Mind-body therapy consists of techniques which focus on the interrelationship between the mind, the body, the brain, and our behaviour. There are a few techniques which fall under this category of treatment, and they all utilise the mind to make adjustments to the physical functions of the body for the purposes to improve health. The basis of mind-body therapy is founded on a belief that health is impacted or promoted through factors involving emotions, mental activity, social involvement, spiritual aspects, and behaviour.
Mind-Body techniques include:
- Hypnosis
- Visual Imagery
- Meditation
- Cognitive-behavioural therapies,
- Relaxation
- Art therapy
- Music therapy
- Dance therapy
- Group support
- Exercise therapy – such as Yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong
- Biofeedback
- Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT Tapping)
- Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing therapy (EMDR)
- Many more…
Using mind-body techniques in treating conditions like anxiety, stress (including PTSD & CPTSD), and depression, have been researched and are used in many psychology and psychotherapy treatments. Mind-body techniques have been shown to effectively reduce the effects of negative emotions on both mood and the physiological functioning of the body. One example is reducing stress-related hormones which cause inflammation, and increasing Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) levels (which reduces inflammation) in the body. For this reason, using Mind-Body techniques for patients with autoimmune diseases is also an area of interest.
There has also been research into using some of these techniques, such as Yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and Meditation in cancer care as these can improve mood, sleep quality, and the patient’s mental relationship with their body. These factors have been associated with improved quality of life, which can contribute to feelings of better wellbeing. For more information on these studies, please see the link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128038314000063
DISCLAIMER
These articles are not to replace a licensed therapist’s advice, or to influence any choices in where one gets therapy, who with and at which time of an experience. The posts are simply designed to help people find out what they might like to look further into regarding the psychotherapy industry. The reader is responsible for their own decisions, actions and behaviour, and further exploration on topics is recommended before making any decisions related to the details in the posts. These articles are designed to be at a superficial level of discussion. In compiling the articles, we have attempted to keep triggering material to a minimum, yet we cannot guarantee that readers will be comfortable when reading posts at all times. If you are experiencing any type of discomfort while reading any of the posts, please consider if you need some support.