School history

Jay Stattman developed Unitive Psychotherapy in the early 1970s.  Since 1974 about 175 Unitive psychotherapists have been trained by Jay Stattman or by his successors.

 

Basic theory and concepts

The word Unitive indicates a “moving towards non-duality”. For the practice and theory of Unitive Psychotherapy this results, as a first step, in working at a dynamic balance between the two polarities of a whole, which can be e.g. body versus mind, safety versus contact, being outside in the world versus being in contact with one’s core, etc.

Jay Stattman lived in Amsterdam for some time and died there in 1988. He used his creativity, his experience and his knowledge to integrate main (verbal and body-oriented) therapeutic and philosophical ways of thinking and to develop new –Unitive methods.

 

One of the important aspects of Unitive Psychotherapy is that the therapist in all aspects of his/her being serves as the main tool to support change in the client. A stance of basic friendliness and acceptance of the client helps the client “to become friends with the resistance”. In this way the client can become aware of the issues behind the defence.

Unitive Psychotherapy uses body awareness, physical exercises, giving resistance on a bodily level, taking over the resistance, verbal techniques, expressive techniques (like making drawings of how the body feels), dream work, guided imaginations and touch to bring into consciousness what has not been lived until that moment.

How can we be unique and united at the same time? How can we be truly in contact with ourselves and with the other? These are important questions for the client and the therapist.

 

The fact that many Unitive Psychotherapists trained in other modalities indicates that Unitive Psychotherapy is a very open, inclusive system. The contact between the therapist and the client is the leading principle.

 

Training description

There are no current trainings. The last group of students graduated in the mid-nineties. Possibilities of starting a new course in 2005 are being examined at the time this booklet is going to press.

 

State of recognition

The Unitives were accredited as a Body-Psychotherapy Training Institute by EABP FORUM in September 1999.

The Unitive method was scientifically validated by the European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP) in July 2001.

Unitive psychotherapists in the Netherlands are united in the Association for Unitive Psychotherapy (VUP).

 

EABP Members

Elise Dalman, Lidy Evertsen, Wolter Feenstra, Marianne Ingen Housz, Eva Maria Jansen, Hans Mooij, Jeanet van de Riet, Bregytta Rooney, Mary Siegel, Robbert Verschuur, Joop Valstar.

 

Literature -  publication - research

Basic articles can be found in Unitive Bodypsychotherapy Collected Papers vol. 1 and 2 AFRA Verlag 1989

Jacob Stattman c.s.
For more literature contact the Association for Unitive Psychotherapy.