Letter to the Editor: On the Critical Nature of Psychosomatics in Clinical Practice Letter to the Editor, Commentary Letter to the Editor: On the Critical Nature of Psychosomatics in Clinical Practice Emanuele Maria Merlo 1 , Liam A. M. Myles 2 , Gabriella Martino 3 [1] Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy. [2] Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom. [3] Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy. Clinical Psychology in Europe, 2025, Vol. 7(3), Article e16309, https://doi.org/10.32872/cpe.16309 Published (VoR): 2025-08-29 Corresponding Author: Emanuele Maria Merlo, Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98124, Messina, Italy. Phone: 0039-3288024346. E-mail: emerlo@unime.it Highlights • Scientific dialogue on current trends referred to psychosomatics results necessary. • Fostering dialogue and dissemination represents scientific advancement. • Clinical psychology deepening psychosomatics provides multifactorial results. Dear Editors, Acknowledging this journal's substantial commitment to advancing diverse applica­ tions in clinical psychology, this contribution aspires to cultivate a scientific dialogue within the psychosomatic domain. Building upon this journal’s publication concerning the work of Kleinstäuber et al. (2024), which highlighted the paucity of systematic contributions on comprehensive ap­ proaches and biopsychosocial models to inform the identification of aetiological factors, fostering dialogue and dissemination remains of paramount importance. The current trends in clinical psychology seem to recognize the need for a multidisci­ plinary approach and increased communication (Kleinstäuber et al., 2023). These areas of interest have been addressed by the journal, thereby inspiring opportunities for initiating an innovative and international scientific discourse. The works of Fischer and Ehlert (2019), Frostholm and Rask (2019), as well as Weigel et al. (2022), have demonstrated considerable sensitivity to topics such as diagnosis, intervention, aetiological factors, and multidisciplinary approaches. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, CC BY 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction, provided the original work is properly cited. https://crossmark.crossref.org/dialog/?doi=10.32872/cpe.16309&domain=pdf&date_stamp=2025-08-29 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6041-9186 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7050-8112 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9488-2021 https://www.psychopen.eu/ https://cpe.psychopen.eu/ https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Differentiation between organic and endogenous causes, as well as psychological and ecological factors, is frequently observed. While these distinctions may still hold necessi­ ty, epistemological considerations remind us of their unitary status. Despite this, there remains a prevalent and persistent inclination to divide domains, thereby overlooking inherently inseparable unitary realities. Systems of thought continue to exist in which the notion of a dominant metaphysics over physics remains a common inclination. A compelling illustration of this trend is evident in the psychosomatic field, par­ ticularly regarding genuine psychosomatic and chronic conditions. The concept of psy­ chological factors exerting influence on biological systems is traditionally regarded as accurate within the classical framework of psychosomatic theory. Nonetheless, this conceptual accuracy may still align with a system of thought that historically regarded psychological factors as extrinsic to the physical dynamics of a suffering body, perceiving them as mere epiphenomena. Epistemologically sustainable reconfigurations are warranted, as exemplified by contemporary neuroscientific integra­ tive approaches. This contribution seeks to underscore the fundamental importance of fostering a debate on these prevailing trends. It aims to establish a platform for dialogue through which processes may be refined to enhance the precision and relevance of daily scientific practice. In conclusion, insights and exchange between clinical contexts belonging to different realities produces scientific advancement that emerges necessary. Funding: The authors have no funding to report. Acknowledgments: The authors have no additional (i.e., non-financial) support to report. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. References Fischer, S., & Ehlert, U. (2019). Psychoneuroendocrinology and clinical psychology. Clinical Psychology in Europe, 1(2), Article e33030. https://doi.org/10.32872/cpe.v1i2.33030 Frostholm, L., & Rask, C. U. (2019). Third wave treatments for functional somatic syndromes and health anxiety across the age span: A narrative review. Clinical Psychology in Europe, 1(1), Article e32217. https://doi.org/10.32872/cpe.v1i1.32217 Kleinstäuber, M., Diefenbach, M. A., & Rief, W. (2024). “It is not just in your mind” – Improving physician-patient communication in individuals with persistent somatic symptoms. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 185, Article 111580. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2023.111580 Kleinstäuber, M., Schröder, A., Daehler, S., Pallesen, K. J., Rask, C. U., Sanyer, M., Van den Bergh, O., Weinreich Petersen, M., & Rosmalen, J. G. (2023). Aetiological understanding of fibromyalgia, Psychosomatics in Clinical Practice 2 Clinical Psychology in Europe 2025, Vol. 7(3), Article e16309 https://doi.org/10.32872/cpe.16309 https://doi.org/10.32872/cpe.v1i2.33030 https://doi.org/10.32872/cpe.v1i1.32217 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2023.111580 https://www.psychopen.eu/ irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome and classificatory analogues: A systematic umbrella review. Clinical Psychology in Europe, 5(3), Article e11179. https://doi.org/10.32872/cpe.11179 Weigel, A., Dantoft, T. M., Jørgensen, T., Carstensen, T., Löwe, B., Weinman, J., & Frostholm, L. (2022). Symptom perceptions in functional disorders, major health conditions, and healthy controls: A general population study. Clinical Psychology in Europe, 4(4), Article e7739. https://doi.org/10.32872/cpe.7739 Clinical Psychology in Europe (CPE) is the official journal of the European Association of Clinical Psychology and Psychological Treatment (EACLIPT). PsychOpen GOLD is a publishing service by Leibniz Institute for Psychology (ZPID), Germany. Merlo, Myles, & Martino 3 Clinical Psychology in Europe 2025, Vol. 7(3), Article e16309 https://doi.org/10.32872/cpe.16309 https://doi.org/10.32872/cpe.11179 https://doi.org/10.32872/cpe.7739 https://www.psychopen.eu/