Morita Therapy: Improve Your Emotional State with 4 Simple Stages

The treatment model was developed by Shoma Morita, who is a psychiatrist. According to Morita there lies the idea that emotions are natural processes that cannot be changed. Trying to suppress or change emotions causes them to deepen more. It is increasingly detached from life, and everything goes to a dead end when the responsibilities are not fulfilled. Morita is a way to reverse this picture.

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What Are the Techniques Used In Morita Therapy?

Morita Therapy, often referred to as Morita Psychotherapy, is a psychological treatment originating from Japan that employs generally non-directive techniques, where the therapist observes and comments on whatever emerges in each session. 

What is the Goal of Morita Therapy?

The goal of this type of therapy is not to seek immediate symptom relief but rather to enable the person being treated to confront reality without escaping into symptoms or fantasies (Samuels & Samuels).

You may want to check these books on Morita Therapy

Dr. Morita states that it is behaviors and not emotions that determine the character. The first step in Morita therapy is to become aware of our emotions and to understand whether the conditions that cause these emotions can be changed. It is necessary to change the changeable conditions and accept those that cannot be changed. This is only possible with a high focus and awareness. Morita therapy calls the person out of his vicious world in the fastest way and takes responsibility in the world. 

The Basic Principles of Morita Therapy

Accept your feelings. If we have positive thoughts, we shouldn’t try to control them or get rid of them. Otherwise, they become more intense. We must create our feelings, they come to us and we have to accept them. The trick is to welcome them.

Do what you have to do. We should not focus on eliminating symptoms, because treatment takes place on its own. Instead, we should focus on the moment. In particular, we should avoid analyzing the situation in terms of logic. The therapist’s mission is to improve the patient’s character. So he can face any situation. The things we do form the basis of our character.

Discover the purpose of your life. We cannot control our emotions, but we can take responsibility for our actions. So we must have a clear perception of our purpose and always keep Morita’s mantra in mind: “What do I need to do now? What action should I take? ”

morita therapy: improve your emotional state with 4 simple stages 1
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The Four Stages of Morita Therapy

The original treatment of Morita takes fifteen to twenty-one days and consists of the following stages:

  1. Isolation and rest (five to seven days). In the first week of treatment, the patient rests in a room without any external stimuli. Television, books, family, friends, or talking is prohibited. The only thing the patient has is his thoughts. He spends most of the day inpatient and is regularly visited by the therapist, who avoids interacting with him as much as possible. The therapist recommends that only his emotions continue to observe fluctuations.
  2. Light ergotherapy (five to seven days). At this stage, the patient does routine work in silence. One of them is to keep a diary about his thoughts and feelings. The patient goes out after the week of closure, doing nature walking and breathing exercises. At this stage, the patient is still prohibited from talking to someone other than his therapist.
  3. Ergotherapy (five to seven days). At this stage, the patient needs to do work that requires physical movement. Doctor Morita likes to take his patients to the mountains to cut wood. In addition to physical activities, the patient is included in other activities such as writing, painting, or making ceramics.
  4. Return to social life and the “real” world. The patient leaves the hospital and is reinstated. But meditation practices and ergotherapy related to the occupations developed during the treatment are continued. The goal is to re-enter society as a new person, without being controlled by a sense of purpose and social or emotional pressures.

Last Updated on December 11, 2022 by Lucas Berg

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