Psychosomatics in Analytic Psychology: Clinical methods and therapeutic effectiveness

by Antonio Grassi, Sandra Berivi, Vincenzo Caretti

Keywords: psychosomatics – polyvagal – multiple code – analytical setting – consolation

Abstract: The authors analyze the most recent and current neurocognitive studies on psychosomatics that are most accredited in the scientific community, in order to identify the findings that could allow for a readjustment of the clinical method of analytical psychology, for the analytical psychotherapy of the psychosomatic disorder. They identify the most important neurocognitive contributions in the polyvagal theory of S.W.Porges and in the mulitple code theory by W.Bucci.

Regarding the central therapeutic factor, strong similarities have been detected in the following: the concept of love of the ‘foreground’ Symbolic Object (Bucci), the concept of ‘the Compassionate Mind’ (Gilbert 2010), which inspires the entire Polyvagal Theory (Porges 2017) and the notion of the ‘Archetype of the Great Mother’ (Jung 1927-1931). To this end, these studies propose Consolation as an indispensable “instrument” for the therapeutic action of the aforementioned central factor, demonstrating its effectiveness in terms of change through a clinical case report.