A single case report of Body Oriented Psychological Therapy for a patient with Chronic Conversion Disorder

Abstract

This case study describes an innovative experiential Body Oriented Psychological Therapy (BOPT) for a patient with mixed dissociative conversion disorder (ICD-10, F44.7) and co-morbid depression resulting in severe somatoform complaints and emotional distress. The therapy process is informed by the main theoretical hypotheses of BOPT and utilises non-verbal expressive behaviour, body awareness and movement interventions to facilitate a change process through linking the expression of a wider range of emotions to implicit memories on a somatic level. Hereby the patient is enabled to access and bring into consciousness determinants of psychological states including repressed anger and conflicting feelings and ideas. The playfulness in BOPT fosters creative capabilities and embodied symbolic enactments of responses to trauma help to explore alternative coping mechanisms. Over the course of fifty sessions of BOPT important positive changes in the patient’s presentation were noted. By the end of therapy the patient was much more able to cope with his disability and he felt empowered to move forward in his life. The positive outcome suggests that this BOPT approach offers a useful alternative intervention when working with patients with conversion disorders.