The most important thing to remember about ceremony is that it is a way for humans to give back to the Creation some of the energy that they are always receiving. The Earth Mother constantly gives us two-leggeds a surface on which to place our two feet; Father Sun warms us, and Grandmother Moon brings dreams. The element of Earth gives us a place to grow food and the ability to make homes and tools. The water keeps tis alive. The fire warms our homes and cooks our food. The air gives us the sacred breath of life. Through ceremony, we leam how to give back.

Crying for a Vision: The Native American Sweat Lodge Ceremony as Therapeutic Intervention

Many traditional healers and Elders agree that strengthening cultural identity, incorporating traditional healing practices, and encouraging community integration can enhance and improve mental health and reduce substance use disorders (SUD) in Indigenous populations. Despite the fact that traditional healing practices have always been valued by Indigenous Peoples, there is very little research on efficacy. Recent research by one of the authors in this group (T. Marsh) has shown that the blending of Indigenous traditional healing practices and a Western treatment model, Seeking Safety, resulted in a reduction in intergenerational trauma (IGT) symptoms and substance use disorders (SUD). This article focuses on the qualitative evidence concerning the impact of the traditional healing practices, specifically the sweat lodge ceremony. Participants reported an increase in spiritual and emotional well-being that they said was directly attributable to the ceremony. This study demonstrates that it would be beneficial to incorporate Indigenous traditional healing practices, including the sweat lodge ceremony, into Seeking Safety to enhance the health and well-being of Indigenous Peoples with IGT and SUD.

https://ojs.lib.uwo.ca/index.php/iipj/article/download/7544/6188

The Sweat Lodge Ceremony: A Healing Intervention for Intergenerational Trauma and Substance Use

/pdf/african-american-males-and-issues-of-fatherhood-an-25rumpcycc.pdf

African American Males and Issues of Fatherhood: An Examination of the Sweat Lodge as a Psychosocial and Spiritual Intervention

The purpose of this article is to examine the potential application of sweat rituals to group counseling, adventure therapy, and other forms of group work by describing a theoretical model for how sweat rituals work and presenting the results of a randomized comparative outcome study on the efficacy of sweat therapy. The theoretical model proposes five factors that reciprocally interact to produce the positive effects of sweat rituals: cultural priming, exercise, self-regulation, metaphorical and contextual elements, and interpersonal factors. To investigate efficacy, 85 university students were randomly assigned to either a sweat condition (group counseling in a sauna), or a non-sweat condition (group counseling in a standard office setting) for six weekly sessions. Measures included the Critical Incidents Questionnaire, Therapeutic Factor Inventory, Exercise Induced Feeling Inventory, and the Subjective Exercise Experiences Scale. Results indicated that participants in the sweat condition perceived a greater availability of therapeutic factors, especially for group cohesion and interpersonal learning, and had better attendance, less attrition, and reported sessions to be more useful. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Sweat Therapy Theory, Practice, and Efficacy:

The conclusions from initial research on group schema therapy (GST) are that it is a promising treatment for borderline personality disorder (BPD). The overarching aim of this research was to identify whether the unique aspects (or specific factors) of GST effect positive change for patients with BPD. It was hypothesised that both treatment fidelity and group cohesion are important factors in influencing and predicting outcomes in GST for BPD. 

With the aim in mind, Study One sought refine and evaluate a fidelity measure for GST, the Group Schema Therapy Rating Scale - Revised (GSTRS-R). Following a pilot study on an initial version of the scale, items were revised and guidelines were modified in order to improve the reliability of the scale. Participants included four therapists and 16 patients across two Australian GST groups. Students highly experienced with the scale rated 10 video recorded GST therapy sessions using the GSTRS-R in addition to a group cohesion measure, the Harvard Community Health Plan Group Cohesiveness Scale – II (GCS-II). The resulting GSTRS-R was found to have excellent internal consistency, substantial inter-rater reliability, and adequate discriminate validity, evidenced by a weak positive correlation with the GCS-II. 

Study Two utilised the GSTRS-R to examine the relative contributions of specific treatment factors related to schema therapy and non-specific factors (group cohesion) on the treatment outcome of GST for BPD. Participants included 30 therapists and 122 patients across 15 GST groups within three countries. Specific treatment factors were assessed using GSTRS-R and group cohesion via the GCSII. There was a significant, moderate positive correlation between treatment fidelity (therapist competence) and group cohesion within the GST groups. Better therapist competence was associated with higher participant retention, with one therapy delivery format having significantly better treatment retention than the other. Neither therapist competence nor group cohesion were found to account for a significant amount of variance in change scores (reduction in BPD symptoms). Thus there appears to be unique aspects of schema therapy that improves retention above common therapy factors such as group cohesion. The limitations and clinical implications of both studies are discussed.

Group schema therapy for borderline personality disorder: The effects of therapy specific factors versus non-specific factors on outcome

In this study, we examined the effects of sweat therapy on group dynamics and affect. Sweat therapy is the combination of intense heat exposure with psychotherapy or counseling (Colmant & Merta, 1999; 2000). Twenty-four undergraduates were separated by sex and randomly assigned to eight sessions of either a sweat or non-sweat group counseling condition. Measures included the Critical Incidents Questionnaire, the Harvard Community Health Plan Group Cohesiveness Scale, and the Positive and Negative Affect Scale. The sweat therapy participants reported more therapeutic factors having an impact on their group counseling experience, rated sessions as more beneficial, and interacted with stronger group cohesion than non-sweat therapy participants. There were no significant group differences in affect on immediate post-session measures. Implications for future research are discussed.

Investigating the Effects of Sweat Therapy on Group Dynamics and Affect

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Investigating the Effects of Sweat Therapy on Group Dynamics and Affect