Klinik Arlesheim

About

Klinik Arlesheim is a general hospital and the founding institution of anthroposophic medicine, established in 1921 by physician Ita Wegman in collaboration with Rudolf Steiner in Arlesheim, Switzerland, near Basel. The clinic's Department of Psychiatry and Inpatient Psychosomatics operates a general psychiatric ward and a psychosomatic ward, treating adults with conditions including depressive episodes, psychosomatic complaints, states of mental and physical exhaustion, and chronic pain syndromes. The clinical approach integrates conventional evidence-based psychiatry with the anthroposophic therapeutic tradition, employing modalities such as biographical work — a depth-oriented exploration of the patient's life narrative through the developmental lens of anthroposophic psychology — eurythmy therapy, art therapy, music therapy, speech therapy, and rhythmic massage. The milieu therapeutic approach is central to inpatient care, with nursing staff holding advanced diplomas complemented by anthroposophic training. The psychiatry department is led by Dr. med. Markus Schlemmer, a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy, with additional senior physicians Veronika Merckens and Veronika Werner contributing expertise in psychiatry and internal medicine-based psychotherapy respectively. As a recognized general hospital within the Swiss healthcare system, the clinic's services are covered by mandatory Swiss health insurance, distinguishing it from many integrative facilities that operate outside conventional reimbursement structures.

Depth Orientation

Klinik Arlesheim is the original center of anthroposophic medicine, founded in 1921 by Ita Wegman as the first institutional expression of Rudolf Steiner's medical philosophy. The psychiatry and psychosomatic departments employ biographical work (Biographiearbeit) — a depth-oriented modality that examines the patient's life narrative through the developmental framework of anthroposophic psychology — alongside eurythmy therapy, a movement-based practice that engages the patient's relationship to rhythm, space, and self-expression as a medium of psychological transformation.

Treatment Modalities

Program Details

Best for

• Depression and depressive episodes
• Psychosomatic conditions
• Burnout and exhaustion states
• Chronic pain with psychological components
• Patients seeking anthroposophic psychiatric care

Notable Clinicians

• Markus Schlemmer, Dr. med. — Chief Physician, Psychiatry and Psychotherapy (FMH)
• Veronika Merckens — Leading Physician, Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
• Veronika Werner — Leading Physician, Psychosomatics; Internal Medicine and Psychotherapy

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