Integration Of Physical And Emotional Touch In Culturally-Sensitive Integrative Psychotherapies

Emrullah Kilic / PhD
Psychotherapy Institute, Istanbul, Turkey emrullahkilic16@gmail.com

This presentation addresses the practice of Aikido from the perspective of Integrative Psychotherapy with a view to touch-based works, the effects of individual and group works, and cultural dynamics. The method is literature review and case studies, supported by video recordings of Aikido practices. The interrelations between touching, individual and group works, and Aikido practice are examined along three dimensions.

1. The dimension of Integrative Approach includes Field Theory, Attachment Theory, Neurobiological Theory, Self Psychology, Object Relations Theory, Abandonment Depression Theory, Motivational Theory, Psychosocial De- velopment Theory, and Drive Theory.
2. Cultural Dynamics include the psychological and sociological effects of the transition from communal to individ- ualistic social structure in the example of Turkey.
3. Comparing and contrasting the literature findings.

Human brain development requires a relational context that includes another brain and another self (Cozolino 2014). Touch is one of the fundamental building blocks of this relational context. Due to such factors as the Covid-19 pan- demic and the rapid escalation of an individualistic social structure in Turkey, there has been a significant decline in touch-based daily activities such as hand-shaking, hugging, back-patting, hand-kissing, and visiting relatives for Eid celebrations. An overall decline of touch implies growing isolation of people, leading to large-scale attachment issues, relational problems, and personality disorders (Smith et al., 2001). This study reviews the scientific journey of touch in psychotherapies, and addresses the practice of Aikido as a complementary and alternative way of touch from a bio-psycho-social perspective. The combination of individual and group works begins with a monadic rela- tional experience as the individual explores their own body and mood, then shifts to a healthy dyadic relationship that includes the reassuring presence of the practitioner, and finally extends a triangular relational experience with other participants. Individual work takes place in a dyadic space (practitioner and participant/I and he), while group work takes place in a triangular space (I, he, and the other). The practice of Aikido, through individual work that ac- commodates a two-person relationship, allows enactment of cycles, dyads, various ways of relating, and maladaptive patterns between the practitioner and the participant. The practitioner’s insight and ability to interpret these pat- terns and relationships provides the opportunity for new experience and understanding for the participant. With the support of the practitioner in group work, the individual steps out to a social setting, explores his emotions, asserts himself, and gets together with his peers in an experiential way (Kohut, 1998). This presentation discusses Aikido practice from an integrative perspective and contributes support to the existing literature. This discussion of touch, individual and group work, and Integrative Psychotherapies with cultural references from the point of Aikido practice offers new insights for future studies in the literature.