Grossarth-Maticek Creative Innovation Therapy: What Is It?
There are a series of psychological therapies that have sought to improve the physical condition of patients with diseases such as cancer or coronary heart disease, by preventing relapses or slowing the progression of the disease.
This is the case of Grossarth-Maticek’s Creative Innovation Therapy a therapy that aims to reduce deaths from cancer, coronary heart disease or stroke, and increase the life expectancy of these people.
Grossarth-Maticek’s Creative Innovation Therapy (1984) was modified in 1991 by Eysenck; It is also called autonomy training. It is a behavioral therapy that aims to reduce deaths from cancer (mainly), coronary heart disease or stroke as well as increasing the life expectancy of these people.
That is, it is a therapy aimed at people with type 1 (cancer) and type 2 (coronary heart disease and stroke) stress reaction (these types were defined by Eysenck and Grossarth-Maticek).
Thus, this therapy is used especially in cancer, and aims modify the immune response of the cancer patient by psychological means
Techniques
The therapy proposes the development of new behavioral patterns by the patient, such as self-observation and experimenting with the consequences of their actions. These new patterns will replace the attitudes that Eysenck and Grossarth-Maticek associate with the appearance and progression of cancer. The final goal will be that people seek long-term positive results in their behaviors
Grossarth-Maticek’s Creative Innovation Therapy is designed with the goal of “hysterizing” the patient, who is trained to openly express his or her needs. Such needs were previously inhibited. On the other hand, you are also trained to actively engage in more satisfying social interactions
Furthermore, Grossarth-Maticek Creative Innovation Therapy assumes that unwanted behavior patterns are guided by cognitive-emotional patterns (formed by values and beliefs) that can be modified.
therapeutic process
The therapeutic process of Grossarth-Maticek’s Creative Innovation Therapy is carried out as follows, following a series of steps or guidelines:
1. Previous analysis
Through a prior and careful analysis, we proceed to identify conflicting patient needs (attraction-avoidance conflicts or double binds). In the next therapeutic stage, alternative behaviors and cognitive patterns of interpretation will be defined with the patient.
That is, it is not so much about “dismantling” the patient’s structure of emotional needs, but rather about provide solutions by changing current cognitive programs with new ones
2. Relaxation and suggestion
Through relaxation and suggestion, new or alternative cognitive interpretations are emphasized.
3. Behavioral changes
Finally, the third and final step or guideline includes build with the patient a program of concrete behavioral changes and well defined.
Results
The results that have been obtained in various studies (carried out by Simonton and by the Grossarth-Maticek group) through Grossarth-Maticek’s Creative Innovation Therapy, show increases in survival rates of terminally ill cancer patients with respect to control groups or official statistics.
Thus, the results to prevent such diseases and increase life expectancy have been positive; Furthermore, according to the authors, it not only reduces the incidence and increases life expectancy, but it would also reduce the length of stay in the hospital and would act synergistically with the effects of chemotherapy
In relation to the level of evidence for the therapy, this is medium.
However, the interpretation of these results should be taken with caution, due to the methodological limitations of the studies.
Furthermore, although Grossarth-Maticek Creative Innovation Therapy provides greater patient survival, It is not clear which elements of the therapeutic package are really relevant, nor through what psychological variables they exert their effect. On the other hand, we also found that their results have not been replicated.
