Psychomotor Therapy and Psychiatry: What’s in a Name?

Abstract

In Belgium and the Netherlands, psychomotor therapy as a kind of physical activity and body-oriented therapy has been well integrated into mental health care since 1965. In contrast to its acceptance in most European countries, the term "psychomotor therapy" has not found its way into the Anglo-Saxon literature. Psychomotor therapy is defined as a method of treatment that uses body awareness and physical activities as cornerstones of its approach. In Flemish psychiatric hospitals, psychomotor therapy is imbedded in different treatment programmes for different diagnosis related patient settings. The purpose of this article is to summarize the history, the practical implementations, and the research concerning psychomotor therapy. Its relationship to other similar approaches is described. With this article, we hope to cross borders and build bridges between different international interventions with the same background.