What is the Internal Cohesion Psychotherapy

Internal Cohesion Psychotherapy (ICP)

WHAT IS THE INTERNAL COHESION PSYCHOTHERAPY? Internal Cohesion Psychotherapy (ICP) is a new eclectic approach that integrates best practices from different perspectives but remains unique in psychopathology and treatment conceptualization. Systems and Time ICP focuses on four detrimental systems of human functioning through different time perspectives. Systems are composed of important relations, such as (1) intrapersonal, (2) interpersonal, (3) professional, and (4) spiritual. ICP uses a time perspective approach to walk the client around the important events in the past, the current experiences, thoughts, and feelings as well as future plans that are related to each system. Thus, according to this perspective, the relationship between the individual and the system is dependent on the construct of time.

THE FUNDAMENTAL GOAL OF ICP The main goal of the ICP therapist is to help the client reach internal cohesion, by developing a healthier communication of the client with each of the systems along three-time perspectives. In specific terms, internal cohesion is met when the client can (1) treat and address challenges, problems, difficulties, and conflicts from the past and makes peace with the past experiences in relation to all four systems; (2) ensure personal fulfillment in the present time by building a better relationship of a person with oneself, others, professional and spiritual system and (3) builds real expectations and plans for the future relations with each of the ICP system. Future Present Spiritual System Beliefs system Professional System Past School Work Interpersonal System Relationships with parents, partner, children, friends. Intrapersonal System Self-regulation Self-esteem Motivation

ICP INTERVENTION PROCESS 1.Getting to know the client. 2.Understanding the issue brought on the session. 3.Evaluating the issue. 4.Analyzing each factor through different time perspectives 5.Accepting the past and the current reality. 6.Challenging the irrational thinking, unrealistic expectations, and cognitive distortions. 7.Planning the actions in accordance with expectation and client’s potential. 8.Intervening using different intervention techniques. 9.Re-evaluating the therapeutic progress. 10.Releasing the client when the objectives are reached. Some of the techniques: Around 30 techniques that are shown to be effective in clinical cases are used to achieve the overall objective of this approach. “Moving across time”, “Searching for scenarios that work”, “Compensation”, “List, weigh, and address \", “Rational planning\", \"Multiple reflections\", \"The Client as Therapist\", \"Accept and Change\", \"Spend and Block\", \"Spiritual reflections\".

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Fitim Uka is a psychologist and psychotherapist from Kosovo. He holds a master’s degree from Ludwig Maximilian University (Munich) and a PhD in Psychology from the University of Freiburg in Germany. He did post- doc studies at the University of Illinois in Chicago, USA. Currently, Fitim Uka is a professor of psychology at the University of Prishtina in Kosovo, where he teaches several courses in the field of clinical psychology. Uka’s research has been widely published in peer-reviewed journals. Uka led the Psychosocial and Medical Research Centre in Kosovo, which aimed to provide a reliable source of research for evidence-based interventions, and he is currently the director of the multidisciplinary clinic “Empatia” in Prishtina, where he applies the Psychotherapy of Internal Cohesion.