Shoma Morita founded Morita therapy in 1919 to treat shinkeishitsu, a Japanese culture-specific anxiety disorder characterized by hypochondria and social phobia. Since then, its use has expanded to anxiety, depression, bereavement, shyness, and some inconclusive trials for schizophrenia. In addition to cognitive-behavioral therapy, it is one of the primary therapies used in China.
Morita therapy encourages its patients to accept their feelings as natural, without trying to change them. According to the Morita framework, feelings cannot be controlled. Patients learn to focus their attention away from their emotions and simply act without trying to change how they feel. The focus is on a “reality-oriented attitude”, which is less self-centered and more in touch with the external world. According to the ToDo Institute:
Cure is not defined by the alleviation of discomfort or the attainment of some ideal feeling state (which is impossible) but by taking constructive action in one’s life which helps one to live a full and meaningful existence and not be ruled by one’s emotional state.
Morita is called a “psychology of action”, because it trusts that the actions people take will improve their moods and feelings, while introspection will not. It greatly resembles modern-day behavioral therapy in this regard - startling for a therapy pioneered when B.F. Skinner was barely fifteen.
Dear Lisa,
Thank you for this post. In my NLP practice one of my goals is always to assist the client to get to a place where they are “at cause” for their emotion rather than “effect.” A “cure” does not mean perfection but that the client can take effective action to be in charge of their own change.
I appreciate knowing about Morita Therapy
Keep up the good work,
Mark
I’m glad I could be of help, Mark.
Lisa