Application of Morita Therapy

-on the Experiences of Inpatient Morita Therapy-

Abstract

In this article, basic concepts of Morita therapy are outlined, and through the investigation of a case of inpatient Morita therapy introduced after the dermatological inpatient treatment, an application of Morita therapy to treatment of atopic dermatitis is illustrated. In inpatient Morita therapy, a patient leads a healthy life characterized by light work while dermatological treatment is continued. After therapist sufficiently listened to patient's complaints about dermatological symptoms, therapist treated his anxiety as something natural and encouraged him to step into actions while coping with anxiety. Attention on daily life itself has an effect of shifting a focus from his obsession with physical status and of regaining a natural state of physical and psychological being, which leads to the interaction with self as “arugamama.” The experience of Morita therapy as such is considered to have the potential to sustain remission of atopic dermatitis.Skin Research, Suppl. 18: 26-30, 2012