Lifespan integration therapy: Patients’ discourse about outcomes and integration feeling

Abstract

Objectives

Lifespan Integration (LI) therapy is a relatively recent mind-body psychotherapy, primarily developed to help survivors in the treatment of trauma. The therapy resets integration, a high-level process promoting mental health, well-being, and flexible adaptation to the environment. This study aims to explore the perception of LI outcomes and “integration feeling” through LI patients’ perspectives.

Method

Twelve patients were recruited via LI-certified therapists and took part in an interview (50 % men; mean age 45.1 years; with therapies lasting 1–5 years). Each interview was conducted using a guide, and discourse was analyzed using a general inductive approach (interjudge fidelity = 0.750).

Results

The analysis revealed six salient themes: relation to oneself (including well-being, self-acceptance, self-consciousness, self-knowledge, self-care, self-image, and self-sufficiency), skills (emotional regulation, self-determination, and parenting skills), relation to others (involving relational openness, authenticity, independence, acceptance of others, and social connections readjustment), relation to reality (change in perspective and acceptance of reality), integration feeling (unification, appeasement, strength, reconnection and focusing), process (effectiveness perception, sensations, disorganization, non-linear evolution, commitment to therapy, trust with therapist, and difficulty of observing changes), and symptomatic improvement (depression, anxiety, substance use, and other symptoms).

Conclusion

This study highlights the processes that improve LI therapy efficacy according to patients. More generally, it sheds some light on the integration process and its consequences underlying the unity of identity and consciousness.