Emotional processing in the treatment of psychosomatic disorders

Research has supported a hypothesis that was clinically suggested decades ago: that those who have functional disorders exhibit significant deficits in emotional processing. Studies have systematically documented that patients who habitually repress their emotions simultaneously suppress their immune response, rendering them vulnerable to physical illness and early death. Conversely, those who are encouraged to experience and express their feelings demonstrate improvement in immune function, physical condition, and psychological well‐being. This article describes a psychotherapy designed to interrupt defensive processes and facilitate the direct experience of previously disavowed feelings in the treatment of patients who have physical ailments. Verbatim transcripts from the treatment of a woman who had a life‐threatening illness illustrate the therapeutic techniques designed to facilitate emotional processing and restore health. Data from 14 years of follow‐up interviews reveal a sustained remission in her disease. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol: In Session 62: 539–550, 2006.