[Psychotherapy of relaxation or does relaxation have its place in psychotherapy?]

After giving a brief historical outline of relaxation methods, from Freud to Ajuriaguerra, the author attempts to define relaxation. Then he describes the principal methods of relaxation according to three approaches: the neurophysiological which includes Jacob-son's progressive relaxation; the hypnotic in which can be classed Schultz's autogenous training; and the psychodynamic with the psycho-tonic reeducation of Ajuriaguerra and Cohen. This completed, he focusses on the different therapeutic indicators somatic, psychiatric and prophylatic. In conclusion the author underlines the common points of these methods such as detente, the regressive phase, the use of suggestion; mentions that all of the methods lead to a similar state, whatever name may be given to it, and that these methods can be placed on a progressive continuum.