[The psychosomatic approach in clinical practice]

The author summarizes demands essential for successful implementation of the psychosomatic, i.e. biopsychosocial approach in everyday clinical practice. With regard to the complete shortage of comprehensively conceived psychosomatic centres, the author considers it useful to replace extra-mural psychiatric and psychological services to a maximum extent by consultant ("liaison") psychiatrists and psychologists. Team cooperation of specialists, mostly with a biomedical orientation, with specialists from the psychosocial sphere is an asset for patients as well as for medical thinking. This collaboration gives specialists of both represented models some new demands, in particular the need to find a common language, to define competences and for both an extension of the view on the problems. It opens the possibility of more effective cooperation with the patient's family and moreover the psychiatrist and psychologist can try to reduce stressing influences and attempt their prevention which is also to the benefit of health professionals.