Self-Working: A Novel and Integrative Approach in Psychotherapy

Reza Johari Fard

Abstract

Psychotherapy has undergone significant transformations in recent decades, shifting from symptom-focused interventions toward comprehensive and integrative models. This paper introduces and reviews the newly developed approach of Self-Working, which conceptualizes human experience across four interconnected levels: body, emotion, cognition, and attention. Grounded in findings from neuroscience, clinical psychology, and mindfulness research, Self-Working emphasizes three core dimensions: healing and reconstructing the past (“Being-On”), growth and future creation (“Becoming-That”), and living in the present (“Life-Theme”). Unlike conventional approaches, this model integrates self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-creation into a structural framework for personal transformation. The review examines its theoretical foundations, practical techniques (including body awareness, emotional release, cognitive restructuring, and attention training), and clinical implications. Findings suggest that Self-Working may provide a comprehensive paradigm for psychotherapy that bridges Eastern contemplative traditions with Western empirical sciences. Directions for empirical validation and interdisciplinary applications are also proposed.

Keywords: Self-Working, integrative psychotherapy, self-awareness, body-emotion-cognition-attention, lifestyle

 

Johari Fard, Reza. (2025). Self-Working. Tehran: Danjeh Pub

Johari Fard, Reza. (2025). Self-Working: A Novel Integrative Approach to Psychotherapy. IV. International BRITISH Congress on Interdisciplinary Scientific Research & Practices. London, UK