scholarly journals Holistic Medicine IV: Principles of Existential Holistic Group Therapy and the Holistic Process of Healing in a Group Setting

2003 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 1388-1400 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soren Ventegodt ◽  
Niels Jorgen Andersen ◽  
Joav Merrick
Keyword(s):  
Group Therapy ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
Information Matrix ◽  
Human Condition ◽  
The Body ◽  
Individual Therapy ◽  
Group Setting ◽  
Holistic Process ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Holistic Therapy

In existential holistic group therapy, the whole person heals in accordance with the holistic process theory and the life mission theory. Existential group psychotherapy addresses the emotional aspect of the human mind related to death, freedom, isolation, and meaninglessness, while existential holistic group therapy addresses the state of the person�s wholeness. This includes the body, the person�s philosophy of life, and often also love, purpose of life, and the spiritual dimension, to the same extent as it addresses the emotional psyche and sexuality, and it is thus much broader than traditional psychotherapy.Where existential psychotherapy is rather depressing concerning the fundamental human condition, existential holistic therapy conceives life to be basically good. The fundamentals in existential holistic therapy are that everybody has the potential for healing themselves to become loving, joyful, sexually attractive, strong, and gifted, which is a message that most patients welcome. While the patient is suffering and fighting to get through life, the most important job for the holistic therapist is to keep a positive perspective of life. In accordance with these fundamentals, many participants in holistic group therapy will have positive emotional experiences, often of an unknown intensity, and these experiences appear to transform their lives within only a few days or weeks of therapy.An important idea of the course is Bohm�s concept of �holo-movement� in the group, resulting from intense coherence between the group members. When the group comes together, the individual will be linked to the totality and the great movement forward towards love, consciousness, and happiness will happen collectively � if it happens at all. This gives the individual the feeling that everything that happens is right, important, and valuable for all the participants at the same time. Native Americans and other premodern people refer to this experience as �the spiritual design�. This design is actually an underlying regulation that appears when people, through their feelings and engagement for each other, tie the group together and engage their complex emotional intelligence. Practically, this means that all participants are sunk in the same information matrix, so that everybody learns from each other. Everything that happens in the perception of each trainee has immediate and developing relevance for him.Spontaneous healing happens far more effectively in a group setting, where all the participants stand together and support each other, than it does in the clinic, where the therapist is alone with the patient. A 5-day course in personal development can be compatible to a half year of holistic individual therapy.

scholarly journals The perspective of people with axial spondyloarthritis regarding physiotherapy: room for the implementation of a more active approach

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne-Kathrin Rausch Osthoff ◽  
Florus van der Giesen ◽  
André Meichtry ◽  
Beatrice Walker ◽  
Floris A van Gaalen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Group Therapy ◽  
Axial Spondyloarthritis ◽  
Individual Therapy ◽  
Active Therapy ◽  
Group Setting ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Active Approach ◽  
Water Based ◽  
Cardiovascular Training

Abstract Objectives Physiotherapy is recommended in the management of people with axial Spondyloarthritis (axSpA), with new insights into its preferred content and dosage evolving. This study aimed to describe the use and preferences regarding individual and group physiotherapy among people with axSpA. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among people with axSpA living in the Netherlands (NL) and Switzerland (CH). Results 713 people with axSpA participated (56.7% male, median age 55 years, median ASAS-Hi-score 4.2). Response rates were 45% (n = 206) in NL and 29% in CH (n = 507). 83.3% of participants were or had been using physiotherapy. Individual therapy only was or had been used by 36.7%, a combination of individual plus land- and water-based group therapy was or had been used by 29.1% and group therapy only by 5.3%. Only less than half participants attending individual therapy reported active therapy (like aerobic, muscle strength, flexibility exercises). Although the majority (75.9%) was not aware of the increased cardiovascular risk, participants showed an interest in cardiovascular training, either individually or in a supervised setting. If supervised, a majority, in CH (75.0%) more than in NL (55.7%), prefers supervision by a specialized physiotherapist. Conclusion The majority of people with axSpA uses or used physiotherapy, more often in an individual than in a group setting. The content of individual therapy should be more active; in both therapy settings aerobic exercises should be promoted. Especially, enabling people with axSpA to perform exercises independently would meet their needs and might enhance their daily physical activity.

BIO-LAW AS A NEW GENERATION OF LAW

2021 ◽  
pp. 98-118
Author(s):  
Irina A. Umnova-Koniukhova ◽  
◽  
Irina A. Aleshkova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Human Nature ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Human Condition ◽  
The Body ◽  
Future Generations ◽  
Legal Norms ◽  
The Individual ◽  
New Generation ◽  
The Impact

The development of national and international biotechnology law in the context of new constitutional priorities, threats and challenges to life, public health and safety, is one of the current and yet under-researched topics in the scientific legal literature. Unfortunately, pro-gress in the life sciences is proceeding faster than the legal thinking that should accompany them. Breakthroughs in biology and medicine dictate the corresponding development of law, which today unfortunately lags chronically behind, resulting in gaps and contradictions between existing legal norms. As contemporary researchers have noted, and as is also evident in judicial practice, the issues of regulating the objects of bio-law - the body, life, procreation, self-identification, and ecology - mirror the contradictions of our society. The need to legally regulate the application of biotechnology has led to the formation of bioclaw as a new, integrated set of laws and, in the long term, as a branch of law of a new generation. As a response to the rapid introduction of advances in biotechnology into human life, we believe that bio-law must take into account the benefits and challenges associated with the impact of new technologies on the human body that may fundamentally alter the human condition as a physical individual. In this case, ethical issues, i. e. the requirements of bioethics, lead to a reflection on the content of bioethics in contemporary democracies and legal states. In particular, the introduction of technologies associated with gene editing, cloning, surrogacy, transplantation medicine, sex reassignment surgeries and other interventions into human nature, the consequences of which are not fully understood and threaten the physical and mental health of individuals, can cause irreparable harm to the spiritual, social, moral and ethical foundations of individuals, families, society, states and humanity as a whole. In our opinion, in the next few decades, bio-law will emerge as a global, integrated branch of law that simultaneously incorporates the norms of international law and national law. The main purpose of bio-law as a new branch of law is to counteract the global threat to humanity which consists in the emergence of a trend toward mass, large-scale changes to human nature and its unique natural qualities through the use of biotechnological advances. Therefore, the object of regulation and, accordingly, protection by this branch of law is not only the individual, his or her physical and spiritual health, but humanity as a whole, current and future generations. The uniqueness of bio-law as a new branch of law also lies in the fact that the individual, humanity, present and future generations are both the objects and subjects of law. The integrated nature of bioprinciples is manifested in the close connection of public and private interests with the obvious predominance of the public significance of their legal norms.

The suffering of Christ, humanity and the lepers in Gregory Nazianzen

2015 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 381-397
Author(s):  
Susan Wessel
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Distress ◽  
Human Condition ◽  
The Body ◽  
Body Of Christ ◽  
Human Suffering ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
The Poor ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
Literary Techniques

AbstractGregory Nazianzen spoke of a suffering Christ ‘who became weak for us’ in the context of an oration,On Love of the Poor, which dealt at length with the extreme suffering the lepers had endured. The outcasts of the ancient world, lepers figured prominently in Jesus’ ministry as recorded in the Gospels. By juxtaposing their human suffering with divine weakness, Gregory implied that Christ had suffered with the lepers. The comparison not only gave meaning to the human experience of suffering, it also explored the extent of Christ's suffering in the divine economy. There was no affliction too grotesque for Christ to have assumed.Throughout his life, Gregory developed a notion of collective suffering which is relevant to understanding the magnitude of the suffering of Christ. It made the limitless suffering of humanity seem manageable and contained. It normalised the overwhelming sense of misery by expanding individual suffering into the suffering of the group, the suffering of the group into the suffering of neighbours and finally the suffering of neighbours into the collective suffering of the body of Christ. Christ then experienced the fullness of the human condition as the head of this body.The lepers served a purpose in this vision of collective suffering. By making the lepers a synecdoche for all human suffering, Gregory allowed Christ to assume their misery without his listeners having to imagine Christ suffering every aspect of their physical and emotional distress. This transference of collective suffering to the body of Christ worked in the following way: the individual suffering of the leper flowed into the collective suffering of the group, which connected with, and was incorporated into, the collective suffering of the Christian body. The result was a relationship of mutual imitation between Christ and humanity. It implied that human beings suffered with Christ, and that Christ suffered with human beings.By integrating literary techniques and contexts into theological analysis, this article examines the various ways in which Gregory construed the suffering of Christ.

scholarly journals Patients� Experiences of Web- and Mobile-Assisted Group Therapy for Depression and Implications of the Group Setting: Qualitative Follow-Up Study (Preprint)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raphael Schuster ◽  
Sophia Sigl ◽  
Thomas Berger ◽  
Anton-Rupert Laireiter
Keyword(s):  
Group Therapy ◽  
Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Individual Therapy ◽  
Semistructured Interview ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Group Setting ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
Self Disclosure ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Therapist Communication

BACKGROUND Blended group therapy combines group sessions with Web- and mobile-based treatment modules. Consequently, blended group therapy widens the choice within blended interventions at reasonable costs. This is the first qualitative study on blended group therapy. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to investigate the patient-centered feasibility of blended group therapy for major depression, with special emphasis on the fit and dynamic interplay between face-to-face and internet-based elements. METHODS A total of 22 patients who had a variety of experiences through participating in one of the two blended group therapy interventions were interviewed following a semistructured interview guide. In-depth interviews were analyzed by three trained psychologists, using thematic analysis and a rule-guided internet-based program (QCAmap). The transcript of the interviews (113,555 words) was reduced to 1081 coded units, with subsequent extraction of 16 themes. RESULTS Web- and mobile-based elements were described as a treatment facilitator and motivator, increasing the salience and consolidation of cognitive behavioral therapy materials, resulting in in- and inter-session alignment to the treatment. Additionally, patients valued the option of intimate Web-based self-disclosure (by lateral patient-therapist communication), and therapists were provided with tools for between-session monitoring and reinforcement of exercising. In this context, group phenomena seemed to back up therapists’ efforts to increase treatment engagement. The dissonance because of noncompliance with Web-based tasks and the constriction of in-session group interaction were considered as possible negative effects. Finally, issues of tailoring and structure seemed to fulfill different preconditions compared with individual therapy. CONCLUSIONS Blended group therapy constitutes a structured and proactive approach to work with depression, and the integration of both modalities initiates a beneficial interplay. Results support the patient-centered value of blended group therapy and provide the first insight into blended group therapy’s role in fostering therapeutic treatment factors. However, potential negative effects should be considered carefully.

scholarly journals Patients’ experiences of blended Group Therapy for Depression – Part 1: Fit and Implications for the Group Setting

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raphael Schuster
Keyword(s):  
Group Therapy ◽  
Therapy Group ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Individual Therapy ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Group Setting ◽  
Self Disclosure ◽  
Internet Interventions ◽  
Interview Guide ◽  
Therapist Communication

Background: Blended group therapy (bGT) combines group sessions with internet- or app-based treatment modules. Consequently, bGT has the potential to be a reasonable alternative to internet interventions or blended individual therapy. To date, no studies have explored patients’ experiences with this novel approach.Objective: This study investigates the user-centred feasibility of bGT, with special emphasis on the fit and dynamic interplay between psychological groups and internet- or app-based components.Methods: A total of 22 patients, with a variety of different experiences from two prior clinical bGT trials, was interviewed following a semi-structured interview guide. In-depth interviews were analysed by three psychologists, using thematic analysis and a rule-guided online program (QCAmap). The transcript (113 555 words) was condensed to 1081 coded units, with subsequent extraction of 16 themes.Results: From patients’ perspective, the blended format yields advantages, such as in- and intersession alignment to the treatment course. Patients value the option of intimate online self-disclosure and lateral patient-to-therapist communication. Therapists are provided with tools for between-session monitoring and reinforcement of exercising. Further, group phenomena seem to back up therapists’ efforts to increase treatment engagement. As a specificity, issues of tailoring and structure seem to meet different preconditions, when compared to blended individual therapy. Lastly, blending might also result in negative effects, such as dissonance due to non-compliance or a possible constriction of in-session group interaction.Conclusion: Results underpin previous findings on the feasibility of blended group therapy. In the synopsis, structured and proactive forms of group therapy seem most suitable for blending and the integration of both modalities initiates a beneficial interplay. However, potential negative effects should be considered carefully from the conceptualization of new rationales to the training of therapists.Key words: Blended Therapy; Group Therapy; Blended Group Therapy; Internet Interventions; Depression; Therapeutic Factors

Yoga

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priya A. Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Personal Development ◽  
The Body ◽  
Religious Traditions ◽  
Multiple Modernities ◽  
Transnational Mobility ◽  
Modern Yoga ◽  
Breathing Techniques ◽  
Heterogeneous Matrix ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Individual

The term ‘yoga’ refers to a heterogeneous matrix of philosophies and practices that originated in India and developed into a school of thought sometime between 150 and 500 C. E. Reinterpreted and redacted in multiple religious traditions over the course of its two-thousand-year history, yoga’s dynamic and discontinuous textual and performance traditions are far from monolithic. Modern yoga – a predominantly corporeal practice of postures and breathing techniques – developed in India in the 1920s and is not considered to be a direct successor of yoga’s classical or medieval traditions. Rather, modern yoga’s physical reinventions are emblematic of the accretions and innovations that attended India’s colonial and postcolonial relationship to transnational modernities. A reconfiguration of existing indigenous traditions vis-à-vis transnational influences, modern yoga is the embodiment of hybrid discourses including, but not limited to, the international physical culture movement; the growth of scientific and medicalized discourses of the body; Secularism; the doctrine of progress; Esotericism both in the East and the West; and transnational mobility and migrations of diaspora. In this way, modern yoga’s encounter with multiple modernities reshaped its theoretical and corporeal dispositions, forging a performance practice based on the individual accumulation of physical techniques for psychosomatic health, fitness, and personal development.

scholarly journals Narrative Therapy and Hope in Breast Cancer Patients

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement 2) ◽  
pp. 116s-116s
Author(s):  
A. Sajadian
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Group Therapy ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Narrative Therapy ◽  
Individual Therapy ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Individual

Background: Narrative therapy is one of the most important ways of improving the quality of life and mental health by increasing women's hope in breast cancer. These patients often think that they have many problems, especially with hopelessness, body image, sexuality, and helplessness. It is effective for improving mental and physical health as an effective way of changing behavior. Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of narrative therapy on increasing level of hope in breast cancer patients that was present at the Breast Cancer Research Center of Iran in 2017. Methods: We conducted a clinical pretest and posttest study, with two experimental groups. All of the participants had already received their primary treatments. They response, Hert Hope Index (HHI). Twenty-six patients had individual therapy, 24 patients in 5 groups were treated with group therapy. We had 8 sessions weekly which lasted 100-120 minutes. Narrative therapy was done for two groups. Both groups were reassessed to monitor the changes in hope (posttest) and reported. Results: According to the demographic characteristics of the participants, the mean age in the individual and group therapy was 47 (± 9) and 51 (± 8) respectively. Data analysis showed that according to their marital status ( P = 0.56), occupation ( P = 0.71), education ( P = 0.96), was not statistically significant difference. The hope scores in the individual therapy before and after the treatment were 32 (± 6) and 21.04 (± 5), respectively. And group therapy 29 (± 6) and 27 (± 4) respectively. These results showed that increasing of hope during the study in group therapy ( P < 0.0001), the difference between the two groups (α = 95%, P < 0.001). On the other hand, these results showed, there wasn't significant difference between the hope levels before and after intervention in the individual group ( P < 0.025). Conclusion: This study showed that, the effects of narrative treatment with group therapy on the increasing hope level in breast cancer patients. It suggests that narration can be a psychological recovery of cancer survivors in group therapy and promotion their quality of life.

scholarly journals Patients’ Experiences of Web- and Mobile-Assisted Group Therapy for Depression and Implications of the Group Setting: Qualitative Follow-Up Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. e49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raphael Schuster ◽  
Sophia Sigl ◽  
Thomas Berger ◽  
Anton-Rupert Laireiter
Keyword(s):  
Group Therapy ◽  
Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Individual Therapy ◽  
Semistructured Interview ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Group Setting ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
Self Disclosure ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Therapist Communication

Background Blended group therapy combines group sessions with Web- and mobile-based treatment modules. Consequently, blended group therapy widens the choice within blended interventions at reasonable costs. This is the first qualitative study on blended group therapy. Objective The objective of this study was to investigate the patient-centered feasibility of blended group therapy for major depression, with special emphasis on the fit and dynamic interplay between face-to-face and internet-based elements. Methods A total of 22 patients who had a variety of experiences through participating in one of the two blended group therapy interventions were interviewed following a semistructured interview guide. In-depth interviews were analyzed by three trained psychologists, using thematic analysis and a rule-guided internet-based program (QCAmap). The transcript of the interviews (113,555 words) was reduced to 1081 coded units, with subsequent extraction of 16 themes. Results Web- and mobile-based elements were described as a treatment facilitator and motivator, increasing the salience and consolidation of cognitive behavioral therapy materials, resulting in in- and inter-session alignment to the treatment. Additionally, patients valued the option of intimate Web-based self-disclosure (by lateral patient-therapist communication), and therapists were provided with tools for between-session monitoring and reinforcement of exercising. In this context, group phenomena seemed to back up therapists’ efforts to increase treatment engagement. The dissonance because of noncompliance with Web-based tasks and the constriction of in-session group interaction were considered as possible negative effects. Finally, issues of tailoring and structure seemed to fulfill different preconditions compared with individual therapy. Conclusions Blended group therapy constitutes a structured and proactive approach to work with depression, and the integration of both modalities initiates a beneficial interplay. Results support the patient-centered value of blended group therapy and provide the first insight into blended group therapy’s role in fostering therapeutic treatment factors. However, potential negative effects should be considered carefully.

Influence of stable iodine on the uptake of the thyroid – model vs. experiment

2001 ◽  
Vol 40 (01) ◽  
pp. 31-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. Wellner ◽  
E. Voth ◽  
H. Schicha ◽  
K. Weber
Keyword(s):  
Time Course ◽  
Compartment Model ◽  
The Body ◽  
Iodine Uptake ◽  
Model Calculations ◽  
Physiological Conditions ◽  
Iodine Supply ◽  
Predicted Values ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Stable Iodine

Summary Aim: The influence of physiological and pharmacological amounts of iodine on the uptake of radioiodine in the thyroid was examined in a 4-compartment model. This model allows equations to be derived describing the distribution of tracer iodine as a function of time. The aim of the study was to compare the predictions of the model with experimental data. Methods: Five euthyroid persons received stable iodine (200 μg, 10 mg). 1-123-uptake into the thyroid was measured with the Nal (Tl)-detector of a body counter under physiological conditions and after application of each dose of additional iodine. Actual measurements and predicted values were compared, taking into account the individual iodine supply as estimated from the thyroid uptake under physiological conditions and data from the literature. Results: Thyroid iodine uptake decreased from 80% under physiological conditions to 50% in individuals with very low iodine supply (15 μg/d) (n = 2). The uptake calculated from the model was 36%. Iodine uptake into the thyroid did not decrease in individuals with typical iodine supply, i.e. for Cologne 65-85 μg/d (n = 3). After application of 10 mg of stable iodine, uptake into the thyroid decreased in all individuals to about 5%, in accordance with the model calculations. Conclusion: Comparison of theoretical predictions with the measured values demonstrated that the model tested is well suited for describing the time course of iodine distribution and uptake within the body. It can now be used to study aspects of iodine metabolism relevant to the pharmacological administration of iodine which cannot be investigated experimentally in humans for ethical and technical reasons.

УКРАЇНОЗНАВЧИЙ ОСВІТНІЙ ЧИННИК В УМОВАХ СУЧАСНОЇ УКРАЇНСЬКОЇ МАСОВОЇ КУЛЬТУРИ

2019 ◽  
pp. 22-29
Author(s):  
Н. В. Фрадкіна
Keyword(s):  
Mass Culture ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Character Trait ◽  
Main Task ◽  
Leading Role ◽  
The Individual

The purpose and tasks of the work are to analyze the contemporary Ukrainian mass culture in terms of its value and humanistic components, as well as the importance of cultural studies and Ukrainian studies in educational disciplines for the formation of a holistic worldview of modern youth.Analysis of research and publications. Scientists repeatedly turned to the problems of the role of spirituality in the formation of society and its culture. This problem is highlighted in the publications by O. Losev, V. Lytvyn, D. Likhachev, S. Avierintsev, M. Zakovych, I. Stepanenko and E. Kostyshyn.Experts see the main negative impact of mass culture on the quality approach, which determines mass culture through the market, because mass culture, from our point of view, is everything that is sold and used in mass demand.One of the most interesting studies on this issue was the work by the representatives of Frankfurt School M. Horkheimer and T. Adorno «Dialectics of Enlightenment» (1947), devoted to a detailed analysis of mass culture. Propaganda at all socio-cultural levels in the form is similar in both totalitarian and democratic countries. It is connected, according to the authors, with the direction of European enlightenment. The tendency to unify people is a manifestation of the influence of mass culture, from cinema to pop. Mass culture is a phenomenon whose existence is associated with commerce (accumulation in any form – this is the main feature of education), in general, the fact that it exists in this form is related to the direction of the history of civilization.Modern mass culture, with its externally attractive and easily assimilated ideas and symbols, appealing to the trends of modern fashion, becomes a standard of prestigious consumption, does not require intense reflection, allows you to relax, distract, not teach, but entertains, preaches hedonism as the main spiritual value. And as a consequence, there are socio-cultural risks: an active rejection of other people, which leads to the formation of indifference; cruelty as a character trait; increase of violent and mercenary crime; increase in the number of alcohol and drug addicts; anti-patriotism; indifference to the values of the family and as a result of social orphanhood and prostitution.Conclusions, perspectives of research. Thus, we can conclude that modern Ukrainian education is predominantly formed by the values of mass culture. Namely, according to the «Dialectic» by Horkheimer and Adorno, «semi-enlightenment becomes an objective spirit» of our modern society.It is concluded that only high-quality education can create the opposite of the onset of mass culture and the destruction of spirituality in our society. It is proved that only by realizing the importance of cultivating disciplines in the educational process and the spiritual upbringing of the nation, through educational reforms, humanitarian knowledge will gradually return to student audiences.Formation of youth occurs under the influence of social environment, culture, education and self-education. The optimal combination of these factors determines both the process of socialization itself and how successful it will be. In this context, one can see the leading role of education and upbringing. It turns out that the main task of modern education is to spread its influence on the development of spiritual culture of the individual, which eventually becomes a solid foundation for the formation of the individual. Such a subject requires both philosophical and humanitarian approaches in further integrated interdisciplinary research, since the availability of such research will provide the theoretical foundation for truly modern educational and personal development.

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