Social uterus is a developmental concept in

family therapy Family therapy (also referred to as family counseling, family systems therapy, marriage and family therapy, couple and family therapy) is a branch of psychology and clinical social work that works with families and couples in intimate relation ...

for

psychosomatic A somatic symptom disorder, formerly known as a somatoform disorder,(2013) dsm5.org. Retrieved April 8, 2014. is any mental disorder that manifests as physical symptoms that suggest illness or injury, but cannot be explained fully by a general ...

disorders. Social uterus as an integrative model of family development was invented by Vladislav Chvála and Ludmila Trapková in 1990's. The metaphor of a social uterus was formed by comparing the biological function of the

uterus The uterus (from Latin ''uterus'', plural ''uteri'') or womb () is the organ in the reproductive system of most female mammals, including humans that accommodates the embryonic and fetal development of one or more embryos until birth. The ...

and the maturation of the foetus inside it from conception to childbirth with the changes in the family from the birth of the child up to its separation around the age of 18. The metaphor translates facts well known from the biology of

reproduction Reproduction (or procreation or breeding) is the biological process by which new individual organisms – "offspring" – are produced from their "parent" or parents. Reproduction is a fundamental feature of all known life; each individual or ...

to the social level. In the "social uterus", the development and maturing of the indispensable "social organs and functions" of man can be observed. At a higher, social level of organization of live matter, the physical birth of the child may be viewed as the moment of the child's social conception. This approach sums up the achievements of

developmental psychology Developmental psychology is the scientific study of how and why humans grow, change, and adapt across the course of their lives. Originally concerned with infants and children, the field has expanded to include adolescence, adult developme ...

and the

into a practical and understandable model, which is useful in clinical practice. The model offers an understanding of

symptoms within a family. The concept has been gradually developed by the authors through extensive clinical work with individuals and families. It has shown to have clinical validity, particularly in family therapy for psychosomatic disorders and various chronic somatic diseases.

References

{{reflist , 30em Family therapy Clinical psychology Systems psychology Somatic psychology

See also

References