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14 SEPTEMBER 2009
NO 1487
Touch
The Ethical Use of Touch in Psychotherapy by Mic Hunter and Jim Struve* examines the subject of human touch and whether there is a useful place for touch in the realm of psychotherapy.
The first part provides a background of knowledge from which we can start to think, including a physiological discussion of touch and its fundamental place in development in humans and animals; touch as part of social life and interaction; the meaning of touch as mediated by gender, age, culture and religion; and the tradition of touch in psychotherapy.
The authors then go on to examine the implications and applications of touch in the psychotherapeutic setting. They consider the power dynamics involved; the effects touch can have when used in psychotherapy; when touch is appropriate and inappropriate; and guidelines for the use of touch to protect both the therapist and the client. There is a discussion of the use of touch when working with different clients – for example, couples, therapeutic groups, and those who have been through childhood trauma, which includes some useful case studies.
The final section explores erotic issues within the psychotherapy relationship. It includes a discussion of erotic transference, and suggests ways in which a practitioner can examine his or her own views and intentions around the use of touch within the psychotherapeutic relationship.
I found the book thought provoking in terms of its background information on touch: It is unusual and stimulating to have the topic presented from so many different angles (physiological – avoiding overly scientific terminology, – developmental, social, cultural, religious and psychotherapeutic). Though disappointing in that the "Western culture" element of the discussion focused almost entirely on North America, the cross-cultural debate was extremely interesting, presenting some interesting theories – linking the decrease in touch received by children in Western cultures as they grow into adolescents (by parents, teachers etc.) to stereotypical adolescent behaviours and aggression, for example.
Hunter and Struve provide a thorough debate on key issues, such as when in the therapeutic relationship the touch takes place; examining our intentions and what we are trying to achieve by using touch; the meaning of touch in different cultures, including between different genders and different ages; where on the body should be touched; and the importance of discussing the touch both before and after it has taken place. Much of this information seemed quite obvious, and yet important to bring into the practitioner's awareness, as the `consciously thought' rather than the `unthought assumed'. On the other hand, I did wonder at times whether – with so many guidelines and precautionary measures – it becomes almost impossible to use touch in the therapy room in the non-mechanical way the authors suggest. You could, it seemed, spend the whole of every therapy session simply considering when touch could be used, discussing the possibility, using touch, and then processing the experience. Maybe for some clients this would be useful.
Part of the interest for me in agreeing to review this book was the hope of finding a discussion around energy and healing in the therapeutic relationship, and the effects of emotions on the body, but The Ethical Use of Touch in Psychotherapy is more geared towards using (largely Western) scientific, empirical and anecdotal evidence to prove that touch can have a positive impact, than exploring why touch has this effect, and these subjects were not covered in any depth.
The most valuable aspect of this book is probably its bold, open approach to discussing a subject which many shy away from for fear either of abuse allegations from clients, or rebukes from colleagues. The subject of eroticism in the client/therapist relationship is addressed in a refreshingly straightforward manner. Whilst communicating firm boundaries on what types and contexts for touch are unacceptable and unethical in the psychotherapeutic setting, Hunter and Struve argue for its importance and usefulness when used appropriately. They suggest that it has been largely forfeited in psychotherapy because of the desire to maintain the highest possible ethical standards, but argue that the unethical use of a technique is an indictment not of the technique but of the clinician who abuses it.
Given that touch is such an important part of human interaction and relationships, it seems nonsensical to place an unexamined blanket ban on its use in the therapeutic relationship. This book provides useful, practical guidelines for the considered and timely use of touch in psychotherapy.
RUTH SEQUEIRA
Sequeira, R. (2003). Book review: The Ethical Use of
Touch in Psychotherapy by Mic Hunter and Jim Struve. Therapeutic
Communities, 24, 4. pp. 329-330.
*The Ethical Use of
Touch in Psychotherapy by Mic Hunter
and Jim Struve. Published by Sage (Thousand Oaks, London), 1997; pp.301
+ xviii. Price: p/b £17.99. IBSN 0-7619-0878-1
