Addressing physical activity in psychotherapy: Theoretical orientation and mind-body dualism

Despite the substantial research illustrating the positive effects of physical activity on mental health, there are few studies examining the role of exercise in psychotherapy. This study examined factors associated with psychotherapists addressing physical activity with their clients. To examine this relationship, psychotherapists (N=118) completed questionnaires assessing theoretical orientation and mind-body dualism attitudes. Participants rated the likelihood they would address exercise with a client described in a case vignette and results indicated high rates of addressing physical activity with this client. The hypothesis that cognitive/behavioural and psychodymanic/psychoanalytic approaches would correlate with addressing exercise was not supported. Unpredicted relationships between exercise discussion and the humanistic/existential and constructivist/narrative/solution-focused orientations were found. The hypothesis that mind-body dualism attitudes would negatively correlate with the likelihood of addressing exercise was also not supported; however, this may be due to weak measurement of the mind-body dualism construct.