Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Body Psychotherapy in Outpatient Settings (EEBP): A Multi-Centre Study in Germany & Switzerland

The following are results from a multi-site process and outcome study of body psychotherapies. The design is naturalistic and evaluates the effectiveness of body psychotherapy treatments in outpatient settings. Three German and 5 Swiss member institutes from the European Association for Body Psychotherapy (EABP: 38 members) participated. The Swiss institutes were also members of the Schweizer Charta für Psychotherapie. Well established questionnaires (e.g. BAI, BDI, SCL90-R, IIP-D) were administered at three points of measurement (at intake, after 6 months and at the end of therapy (after two years Koemeda-Lutz, Kaschke, Revenstorf, Scherrmann, Weiss, & Soeder _____________________________________________________________________________________ Hakomi Forum – Issue 19-20-21, Summer 2008 114 at maximum). Follow-up data were collected at 1 year after termination of therapy (n = 42). Patients who sought body psychotherapeutic treatment (n = 342 participated in the study) did not differ from other outpatient psychotherapeutic patients regarding sociodemographic data, level of impairment and psychopathology. After six months of therapy (n = 253) patients showed significant improvement with small to moderate effect sizes. At the end of therapy or after two years of treatment at maximum (n = 160) a large effect was attained on all scales. These are lasting results according to follow-up data (n = 42). This naturalistic prospective field study provides evidence for the effectiveness of the evaluated body psychotherapy methods and to classify as phase IV(“routine application”) and level I-evidence.