From surviving to living after a stroke

In this article, a case study is used to describe the recovery process following a right-hemisphere stroke from a haptotherapeutic perspective. This article also introduces three phases of recovery from a haptotherapeutic perspective: from surviving to recovering to living, inspired by the phases of recovery from psychological trauma as described by Judith Herman (Herman, 2017). The choice was made to use the theory and models of Frans Veldman (Veldman, 2007) as the underlying principle. Because this article also tries to give non-haptonomically trained healthcare professionals an insight into the ideas and working method of the haptotherapist, the latter are explained.

These phases may serve as the basis for developing a clinical practice guideline for haptotherapy in secondary healthcare after a cerebrovascular accident. Based on this clinical practice guideline the haptotherapist and client can formulate a meaningful treatment plan together, centred around the client’s preferences. This clinical practice guideline can also serve as a theoretical document for further research on haptotherapy and CVA.

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