Background of the project: This study deals with patients in Norwegian psychomotor physiotherapy treatment. The patients have been in treatment for a long time and had a lot of physical discomfort before starting treatment. Before starting treatment, patients had little knowledge and understanding of how different life stresses could cause bodily symptoms. During treatment, they were able to see and understand the relationship between psychological distress and physical, unpleasant symptoms. Purpose and problem: The purpose of the study is first and foremost to add new knowledge in mental health work, and in the psychomotor field. The problem is the following: What implications can acknowledgement in psychomotor physiotherapy have for patients' mental health? Method: design, selection, and analysis: Four psychomotor patients were interviewed in a semi-structured interview. The material was analysed using a hermeneutic-phenomenological approach, following systematic text condensation. Results: The study shows that the psychomotor patients experienced that the treatments gave an increased understanding and recognition of how different life stresses had manifested in physical symptoms. They also understood better how emotions, breath, and body work together. It was crucial that they could be in treatment over time, to not only understand it cognitively, but also that the body should be able to change inappropriate patterns.

Master's thesis in Psychosocial health (ME504)