Intensive Program - Research in Psychomotor Therapy

PMT is a relatively small area of study and is still a young university discipline. Today PMT is taught at a small number of universities in France, The Netherlands, Portugal, Germany, Denmark and Switzerland. The study in PMT takes place mostly on a BA-level, only a university in Germany (Marburg) and in Portugal (Lisbon) offer a study on a MA-level. There is no education in PMT in any English speaking country. Because there is no common language, PMT has developed in each country differently without taking into account the developments that have been taken place in the other countries. As a result, international collaboration has hardly taken place at all. A first step to remedy this situation was the establishment of two organisations:
- The International Organisation of Psychomotricity and Relaxation (psychomotricite.com)
- The European Forum of Psychomotricity EFP (psychomot.org)
These organizations organize seminars and conferences on a regular basis. Furthermore The EFP organizes a Student Academy for European psychomotricity students each year.
It would be useful for us to view the IP in the above context, since the IP is directed at the young, with the functional goal of making international collaboration, now and in the future, a much needed reality.
The six cooperating universities of this IP have organized another IP previously. That earlier IP lasted from 2009-2011, took place in three different places, (Denmark, The Netherlands, Switzerland), and was highly successful. It offered a unique opportunity for students and teachers to compare different approaches in PMT. In the course of this last IP, students visited practising therapists, and this was particularly meaningful since they could observe different therapeutic approaches at work, and this led to a deeper reflection of the student’s own understanding. A final positive result was the personal exchange and friendships that developed while overcoming language barriers.
The new, proposed IP will continue and extend this fruitful collaboration. While the first IP focused mainly on the praxis of PMT, the new IP will emphasize research and methodology. In the past, research has been less dealt with in field of PMT. However, research has gained in importance asquestions of evidence in the therapeutic area have been raised. PMT feels increased pressure to prove that its methods work.
The new importance of research is reflected in the curricula of the universities. However, the universities involved have implemented research in different ways. Therefore, the proposed IP presents a wonderful opportunity to learn from each other and strengthen the research effort not only in our individual countries, but on a broader European level as well.
This IP will give students and teachers a stronger competence, awareness, and knowledge of the different research approaches and findings in an international context.
The aim of this IP is to provide broader knowledge of the research in the areas of Relaxation, Group Dynamics, and Child Development in Psychomotor Therapy.
• The students will be made aware of the importance of research those respective areas.
• The students will learn to interpret and critically analyse the English articles and reviews that are relevant to the areas.
• The students will learn to do internet research.
• The students will learn about the actual research, in the three areas, in the different countries. Therefore, the students from the participating countries, as a preparation for the IP, will investigate one or two research projects from their home country and write an English summary to be presented in the IP.
• The IP will foster professional exchanges, and will lead to a research collaboration network.
One highly innovative outcome is the possibility of developing a semester offered in English with the participating partners.
But on a broader scale, the knowledge gained through the IP will flow both ways. It will be incorporated in the development of curricula on a national level. While at the same time, knowledge and competences generated in the different countries can be placed in a European forum. This will greatly facilitate graduating students’ possibilities in finding jobs in other European countries.
Connection to existing teaching programs
The experiences of the students and teachers during the IP will be integrated into each of the national teaching programs. And the materials generated by the IP will enhance quality of these already successful programs. On a bachelor level, research in the area of Psychomotor therapy is not a subject taught in all participating universities. Based on the experiences of this IP, those universities will be encouraged to make room for research in their curriculum. The IP offers a platform where ideas and methods about important research questions can be discussed and further developed. And in the end, this will lead to a stronger recognition of the profession at large.