REMOTIVATION THERAPY

Remotivation therapy is a form of intervention focused on the capabilities and potential

of individuals. It is a small group therapeutic modality in nature, designed to help clients
by promoting self-esteem, awareness and socialization. Remotivation differs from other therapies
because it focuses on the patient’s abilities rather than on their disabilities. It is a five-step
procedure that addresses the client's unwounded brain. Since the subject is objective, the clients
do not focus on the emotional aspects of it. This kind of therapy is usually done before the day of
socialization to promote group harmony and identification as well as to develop ability to
communicate and share ideas. This helps the client to develop feelings of acceptance and to
make them feel that they are part of the group. It is indicated for clients with chronic mental
illness and long-term hospitalized patients.
Dorothy Hoskins Smith pioneered remotivation therapy in the 1940s, using rhythm and
poetry to engage mute patients at a Veterans Administration (VA) hospital. It gained popularity
until the 1970s, when the deinstitutionalization movement caused a downward trend from the
mid-1970s to the 1990s. Recently, there has been a significant surge in engagement in
remotivation therapy, and its scope has been expanded beyond patients with mental illnesses to
include anyone who may benefit from psychosocial therapy.
The set-up of Remotivation Therapy is the patients must sit in a half circle or a circular
shape so that they can see each other. The therapy happens for about 45 minutes to an hour
weekly. The topics to be discussed can be about history, nature, hobbies, science, sports, etc. as
long as it is not about love, war, politics, or anything that may trigger violence or emotions.
The five steps of Remotivation Therapy are as follows:
STEP I Climate of Acceptance:  This step runs for only five minutes. The therapist greets each
member of the group and introduces herself. She encourages each client to introduce themselves
briefly and assess their orientation. The facilitator says something positive to each person.
STEP II The Bridge to the Real World:  In this step, the facilitator asks questions to lead the
group to the topic for the day. The facilitator shows a picture or a drawing and reads a poem
about the object in the image. This runs for 15 minutes.
STEP III Sharing the world We Live In: This is where a discussion on the topic is held in the
everyday world. The facilitator will ask stimulating questions about the image and let the clients
share their idea about the topic. It also occurs for 15 minutes.
STEP IV An Appreciation of the Work of the World: This step runs for 15 minutes also. In
this step, a discussion is held on the work aspect of the topic. The facilitator must assure to relate
the client with the topic.
STEP V Climate of Appreciation:  The allotted time for this step is 5 minutes. It is the part
where the client will be encouraged to share the summary of the discussion. The facilitator
individually thanks the clients for attending his/her session and the next meeting is announced.

According to the study entitled “The effectiveness of remotivation therapy wih socially
withdrawn geriatric nursing home patients” conducted by Calhoun, the remotivation therapy
showed an increase in the adequacy of interpersonal relationships of the participants compared
with patients who did not receive the same therapy. It also revealed that there is a significant
improvement among the experimental group in the areas of awareness, interest and active
participation in the environment. Adequacy of interpersonal relationships, as measured by the
Palo Alto Scale, improved to a level that was very close to being statistically significant

REFERENCES:
https://www.recreativeresources.com/RemotivationTherapy.htm
https://academic.oup.com/ptj/article/86/3/463/2805242
https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/The-effectiveness-of-remotivation-therapy-wih-home-
Calhoun/8d325bf4875f138f6c80a3f6b64f68f308ece2cf