Depending on the degree to which the organism-environment relation can be modified and the amount of energy bound in the somatic disorder, rheumatic patients are more or less suitable for brief psychotherapy. The treatment should be based on dynamic principles with an attempt to strengthen the ego as well as to resolve the anxiety relative to the patient's ambiguous sexual rôle. The persuasive authoritarian type of therapy usually increases invalidism. It is essential to give these patients a sense of security and the opportunity for an active outlet in a personal relationship with the doctor.