Knowledge alone is not enough
Training imparts knowledge: recognizing the signs of stress, communicating more effectively, and cooperating. But there’s a gap between understanding a recommendation and putting it into practice under pressure—a gap that every HR manager knows all too well.
The skills teams need most—such as staying calm in the face of the unexpected, coordinating quickly, or relying on one another—can’t be learned simply by hearing them described. They are developed through hands-on experience.
That’s where SporThéraPsy comes in. Created and developed in Geneva since 2020 by Yann Bouzidi and Adrien Chaillot, under the motto “Through the body, for the mind,” the method combines three elements: physical activity, psychoeducation, and collective experimentation. Each addresses a specific need, and the first two are based on solid scientific evidence.
What Science Says
1. Physical activity affects mental health
In 2023, a team from the University of South Australia published one of the most comprehensive reviews ever conducted on the subject in the British Journal of Sports Medicine: 97 systematic reviews, 1,039 controlled trials, and 128,119 participants.
Its conclusion is unequivocal: physical activity reduces symptoms of depression, anxiety, and psychological distress compared to standard care. The authors recommend making it “a central component” of treatment. All types of activity are effective, and the effect increases with intensity:
Another useful finding for businesses: short interventions yielded better results than very long programs.
2. Understanding what we are going through reduces distress
Psychoeducation involves explaining, in simple terms, how stress, emotions, and our reactions work. A meta-analysis published in BMC Medicine (Donker et al., 2009) shows that even brief interventions of this type reduce depressive symptoms and psychological distress. The effect is modest but real, and achieved at very low cost. The authors also emphasize that the quality of psychoeducation matters.
SporThéraPsy draws on concepts from cognitive-behavioral therapies, which shed light on the links between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
3. The group experience connects to work
This is the strength of the method: it doesn’t simply juxtapose sports and theory—it links them. A group exercise that requires quick coordination confronts participants with what they experience at work: vague instructions, the unexpected, and the need for trust. The discussion that follows allows participants to articulate what happened and apply it to their professional lives.
Physical activity affects mood, psychoeducation provides keys to understanding, and the shared experience anchors the learning within the group.
Five Years of Collaboration: What I've Seen on the Ground
Haniya Eduin, co-founder of IHST, has been collaborating with SporThéraPsy for five years.
“Over the past five years, I’ve seen the benefits of this approach confirmed, group after group.”
Teams that used to barely speak to one another are now coordinating their efforts, laughing together, and encouraging one another. Employees who would never have spoken up in a meeting are now contributing to discussions. And above all, participants leave with a shared vocabulary: they know how to describe what they’ve experienced, and they then apply that knowledge at work.
These benefits are real. Today, we’re working together to quantify them by tracking measurable indicators within the teams we support.
What convinces me is the combination. Movement breaks down barriers, psychoeducation provides meaning, and the group experience reinforces what has been learned. It’s prevention that’s lived out, and that’s why it sticks.”
Why does the IHST recommend SporThéraPsy?
This article stems from a shared observation: the effects observed in the field are clear enough that the IHST now recommends SporThéraPsy to the organizations it supports. Three key benefits underpin this recommendation.
1. Strengthened team dynamics. By experiencing situations together that require coordination and trust, employees discover new ways to cooperate. Relationships evolve, and this evolution carries over into the workplace.
2. Meaningful psychoeducation. Concepts such as stress, emotions, and motivation are not merely theoretical: they are linked to real-life experiences, which makes them easier to understand and internalize.
3. A lasting benefit for teams. The shared experiences continue to enrich the team’s interactions and practices long after the program ends.
For the IHST, SporThéraPsy usefully complements risk analysis and efforts to improve work organization: it focuses on the very areas where the group’s relationships and resources are built.
A Rigorous Framework
• Accessible to everyone. The method is open to everyone, regardless of age or physical condition. The activities are tailored to each individual: this is not about athletic performance.
• Voluntary. Participation is voluntary and respects each person’s limits.
• Confidential. What is said during discussions stays within the group.
• Complementary. A workshop does not replace occupational risk assessments or workplace organization measures. It reinforces them.
What if your teams gave it a try?
The best way to understand SporThéraPsy is to experience it for yourself.
Organize a workshop for my teams
Sources and References
• Singh B., Olds T., Curtis R., et al. (2023). Effectiveness of physical activity interventions for improving depression, anxiety, and distress: an overview of systematic reviews. British Journal of Sports Medicine, doi:10.1136/bjsports-2022-106195.
• Donker T., Griffiths K.M., Cuijpers P., Christensen H. (2009). Psychoeducation for depression, anxiety, and psychological distress: a meta-analysis. BMC Medicine, 7:79.
• Health Promotion Switzerland (2022). Job-Stress-Index 2022, Fact Sheet 72.