Integrative psychotherapy is based on the integration of modern psychoanalytic psychotherapy (object relations, personality psychology, intersubjective approach), transactional analysis, gestalt therapies, client-focused therapies and other, especially developmental, neurological psychologically based theories and neuroscience.Integrative psychotherapy involves integrating different psychotherapeutic approaches. Each of these approaches allows for a partial interpretation of behavior and is considered a valuable hypothesis of human activity.
Integrative psychotherapy encompasses above all a certain attitude towards psychotherapy practice that confirms the importance of a holistic approach to each individual. Therefore, the main focus is the integration of the emotional, spiritual, cognitive, behavioral and physiological aspects of personality.
The goal of integrative psychotherapy is to maximize the quality of life and functioning of a person in intrapsychic, interpersonal and socio-political space while respecting one’s own personal limitations and external limitations within the context of each individual.
Within this framework, it is necessary that integration is a process that therapists must also commit to.Therefore, the education process focuses on the personal integration of the student, the future therapist and dedication in the search for knowledge in the field of psychotherapy and related fields. EAIP defines as “Integrative” any methodology and integrative orientation in psychotherapy that illustrates or develops according to a conceptually coherent, principled, theoretical, scientific combination of two or more specific approaches and / or represents a model of integration in itself .
In this regard, there is a special ethical obligation of integrative psychotherapists to have a dialogue with colleagues of different orientations and to be informed about developments in the scientific and professional field.
The central principle of integrative psychotherapy is that no form of therapy is the best or even adequate in all situations. Integrative psychotherapy therefore promotes flexibility in the approach to problems, but also commits to maintaining the highest standards of psychotherapy practice, research, supervision and education.
So when integrative therapists rely on different strategies, techniques, research and theoretical concepts, it does not mean that it is guided by the principle of eclecticism, but rather the essential understanding of the holistic principle of integrative psychotherapy and responsible action.
Integrative psychotherapy, although it acknowledges the importance of knowledge and application of different approaches or combinations of approaches, gives the highest priority to the therapeutic relationship as the core of deep psychotherapy modalities.
In the therapeutic relationship, it specifically emphasises the attitude of maintaining respect, security, kindness, fairness and equality in relation to the personality of the client in a way that affirms his-her integrity, without excluding the personality and integrity of the therapist. Integrative psychotherapy confirms the importance of creating psychological safe space and emotional harmony between therapist and client.
Only in such a co-created intersubjective space, created jointly by a client and a therapist, can the healing and growth process begin.
Integrative psychotherapy is based on literature on integrative psychotherapy and related psychotherapy (Erskine 1997, 2015; Erskine and Moursand, 1988; Evans and Gilbert, 2005; Greeberg, 2015; Greenberg and Paivio, 2003; Safran and Muran, 2000; It’s Stolorow. Atwood and Brandschaft, 1994 and other authors). The philosophy of integrative psychotherapy is in line with the philosophy of the International Association for Integrative Psychotherapy (IIPA) and the European Association for Integrative Psychotherapy (EAIP).
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