Technique integration. Therapeutic touch and theory-based mental health nursing

Acceptance of therapeutic touch (TT) by the nursing community has become widespread. Nurses are advancing the pioneering work of Krieger (1973) through practice, research, education, and, most recently, through the development of theory-based nursing practice. The purpose of this article is to contribute to the development of theory-based nursing practice by introducing integration of TT with mental health nursing approaches. The Science of Unitary Human Beings (Rogers, 1986) is used to explain the relationship between TT and mental health nursing practice. The use of TT in practice is demonstrated through case examples from experiences with students and clients.