Clinical Psychology Studies

The effectiveness of exposure therapy based on emotional body awareness on reducing the severity of physical symptoms-pain in post-traumatic stress disorder

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

faramarz sohrabi 1
yaaghob esmaili Torkanbori 2
Khadijeh Abolmaali Alhosseini 3
Anita Baghdasarians 4

1 Psychology, Education and Psychology, Allameh tabatai university, Tehran, Iran

2 Ph.d candidate in General Psychology, CT.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

3 Department of psychology, Tehran Nourth Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

4 Azad University Faculty

10.22054/jcps.2026.93276.3344
Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of emotion embodiment-based exposure therapy with a limit-cycle approach on somatic symptoms and bodily pain in individuals with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This therapeutic approach is based on the assumption that somatic symptoms and bodily pain are not merely biological phenomena, but rather the result of complex interactions among emotion, body, and the nervous system that persist through oscillatory and self-sustaining patterns.

The study employed a quasi-experimental design with pre-test, post-test, a control group, and a three-month follow-up phase. The statistical population consisted of individuals diagnosed with PTSD who were referred to Sedaye Zendegi Clinic in Tehran in 2025. Among eligible participants, 40 individuals were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Ultimately, 18 participants in the experimental group and 20 participants in the control group completed the study. Data were collected using the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), which assesses pain severity and pain interference in daily functioning (somatic symptoms and bodily pain).

The results of repeated-measures analysis of variance indicated that emotion embodiment-based exposure therapy significantly reduced pain severity, pain interference, and the total bodily pain score in the experimental group. Furthermore, the interaction effect of group and time was significant across all components, and Bonferroni post hoc tests indicated that score reductions remained stable during the post-test and follow-up stages compared to the pre-test.

Keywords

: Exposure Therapy
Limited cycle
Emotion
Signs and Bodily Pain
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Clinical Psychology Studies

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 10 October 2026

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