The System of the Dimensions of the Organism (SDO): A common vocabulary for body psychotherapy1

1. The SDO model has been developed by Michael Heller. Gill Westland has helped him to formulate his thoughts in English and to clarify his proposal.

Abstract

This article outlines the System of the Dimensions of the Organism (SDO). The system is an intra-psychic model developed by the main author from discussions with colleagues from a wide range of body psychotherapy approaches, relaxation methods, body-mind approaches and methods from the Far East (India, China and Japan). It proposes a common vocabulary to map basic forms of intervention, which are differentiated in most schools of body psychotherapy. I distinguish explicitly the following terms: organism, body, behaviour, psyche, metabolism and global physiological regulators. The aim of the model is to propose a basic terminology and classification, which could be used to exchange knowledge between different schools of thought in the ‘mind-body’ territory.

Keywords:

• intrapsychic model
• classification of terms
• common vocabulary
• mind-body therapies

Notes

Notes

1. The SDO model has been developed by Michael Heller. Gill Westland has helped him to formulate his thoughts in English and to clarify his proposal.

2. See Heller (2008) for a detailed discussion of this issue.

3. This chapter can be read in November 2009 on the following site: http://www.jibc.ca/cccs/dansiegel/article%20-%20interpersonal%20biology.pdf