Use of physical touch in the "talking cure": A journey to the outskirts of psychotherapy.

The present literature review examines how physical touch has been used by therapists with their clients in traditional verbal psychotherapy. Attitudes and practices of therapists are presented in a historical context, starting with physicians' treatment of female hysteria in the 19th century, and concluding with current issues of debate. The use of touch in therapy has been highly controversial ever since Freud stated his principle of abstinence. This paper intends to give an overview of the various positions of influential therapists on the use of touch and their rationale for touching or not touching their clients, including the contextual factors that have shaped the use of touch over time. Furthermore, research findings pertinent to the use of touch in psychotherapy are included. The review concludes with practical recommendations concerning the use of touch in the contemporary therapeutic setting. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).