Psychotherapeutic Approach of Dohsa-hou in Japan

Self-Active Relaxation Therapy (SART) and Self-Regulation: A Comprehensive Review and Comparison of the Japanese Body Movement Approach

“…An original psychotherapy from Japan known as Dohsa-hou , or the “body movement method,” emerged from research in rehabilitation and extends the repertoire of these approaches as it focuses on universal bodily responses as nonverbal indicators of internal states (Dadkhah, 1998 ; Kubota, 2000 ; Fujino, 2012 ; Konno, 2016 ). Dohsa-hou was developed in 1966 by Gosaku Naruse from his work with youth dealing with cerebral palsy.…”

“…Dohsa-hou was developed in 1966 by Gosaku Naruse from his work with youth dealing with cerebral palsy. Naruse ( 1973 ) observed that patients with cerebral palsy characteristically exhibit excess muscle tension in their body movements that incurs the loss of an intact sense of body ownership and exacerbates a cycle of frustration (Konno, 2016 ). This is purportedly due to a perceptually asynchronous relationship between their intended and resultant body movements, or a disconnect in motor prediction and motor resonance (Harada, 2016 ).…”

“…Naruse formulated these observations into a theory known as Dohsa-hou, in which a coherence between the psychological and physiological process of movement is achieved when the client intends to move a body part, strives toward that goal, and realizes the movement they intended (Naruse, 1988 , 1997 ). This discovery of a psychological component to the experience of body rigidity from cerebral palsy was a cornerstone for studies in the field and spurred new applications of “motor action training” tasks to various developmental and psychological conditions, to include schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, and others (Naruse, 1997 ; Kubota, 2000 ; Imura et al, 2016 ; Konno, 2016 ). It has been used to bolster self-control processes for athletes in Iran (Dadkhah, 1998 ), taught in workshops to facilitate post-traumatic coping for adults in Cambodia (Imura, 2016 ), pilot tested at a daycare center for children in Bulgaria (Chervenkova, 2015 ), and demonstrated in accredited camps held in South Korea, India, Malaysia, and Thailand (Harada, 2016 ; Harada and Teruta, 2016 ).…”

“…Ohno et al ( 2004 ) and Ohno ( 2005 ) narrowed the repertory of Dohsa-hou to a more parsimonious set that can be easily learned by the client while still maintaining the ability to generate a relaxed response. This bodymind approach was dubbed “Self-Active Relaxation Therapy” (SART), namely for its focus on trainee-generated active relaxation over the more passive reception of trainer-initiated movement tasks directed by the therapist in Dohsa-hou (Ohno et al, 2004 ; Konno, 2016 ). SART emphasizes the ability for the user to iteratively recognize points of tension in the body and perform relaxation-inducing movement tasks “self-actively” in this manner on an as-needed basis, as a matter of practical stress management, self-development, and psychoeducation (Ohno, 2006 , 2015 ; Ki and Ohno, 2008 ; Konno, 2016 ).…”

“…This bodymind approach was dubbed “Self-Active Relaxation Therapy” (SART), namely for its focus on trainee-generated active relaxation over the more passive reception of trainer-initiated movement tasks directed by the therapist in Dohsa-hou (Ohno et al, 2004 ; Konno, 2016 ). SART emphasizes the ability for the user to iteratively recognize points of tension in the body and perform relaxation-inducing movement tasks “self-actively” in this manner on an as-needed basis, as a matter of practical stress management, self-development, and psychoeducation (Ohno, 2006 , 2015 ; Ki and Ohno, 2008 ; Konno, 2016 ). SART has been explored for its utility in clinical cases, stress management programs, applications that encourage empowerment in schools and community centers, and employed with residents experiencing the recovery of disaster-affected areas in northern Japan.…”