Targeting the Mind to Heal the Body: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Psychotherapists' Work With Medically Unexplained Symptoms

ABSTRACT Background Medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) can present complex challenges in psychotherapeutic practice, occupying an ambiguous space at the intersection of physical suffering and psychological distress. While MUS are predominantly managed within medical settings, there remains limited qualitative research exploring how psychotherapists understand and work with this client group. This study contributes to an emerging understanding of MUS as relational and embodied phenomena within psychotherapeutic practice. Aim The study aimed to explore psychotherapists' lived experiences of working with patients presenting with MUS. Method A qualitative design was used, involving semi‐structured interviews with 14 psychotherapists. Data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Findings The analysis generated themes relating to embodiment, mind–body integration, developmental adversity, trauma, and the centrality of the therapeutic relationship. Participants conceptualised MUS as meaningful bodily expressions shaped by relational, emotional and developmental contexts, rather than as symptoms reducible to either psychological or physiological processes alone. Practitioners frequently linked MUS to trauma, encompassing both acute adverse events and more subtle, cumulative experiences such as emotional invalidation and childhood neglect. Participants described a form of clinical knowing that developed over time, grounded less in specific techniques and more in an embodied, relational stance. This stance was characterised by emotional attunement, warmth and a fundamental belief in the reality of the client's pain. Conclusion and Implications The findings suggest that psychotherapy may provide a valuable context for working with MUS and chronic pain, particularly when clients experience safety, validation and relational depth. The therapeutic alliance emerged as central to both engagement and perceived therapeutic change, highlighting the potential importance of relational and trauma‐informed approaches when working therapeutically with this population.