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BIOENERGETIC ANALYSIS
by Gerald Peck
Bioenergetic analysis is a psychotherapy developed in America from the work of Wilhelm Reich which
can deal with a wide range of issues from sudden crises to problems which are deep seated and of long
standing.
It enables us to gain a deep understanding of ourselves, our behaviour and our relationships.
Bioenergetics has added a dimension to the "talking" psychotherapies by paying attention to our bodies and how we
express, or fail to express, ourselves with them.
From our birth onward our psychological and emotional
development is matched by the physical development of our bodies, and psychic problems are correspondingly
matched by the development of physical tensions. These can form into chronic patterns and limit the spontaneity
of expression of our feelings.
Bioenergetics works to release these tensions, remove blocks to our energy and allow us to express
ourselves fully. We work towards an integration of the four areas: bodily sensation; emotional expression;
intellectual understanding; and the symbolic and spiritual meaning of our lives.
Our aim is a sense of
greater integration, aliveness and capacity for pleasure and well-being.
Bioenergetic therapy technique varies widely, as does the therapy of each individual - some need a
gentle massage kind of work, others need stretching exercises to open up tight muscles and the
underlying feelings. Still others need powerful, expressive exercises to release held in emotions of fear,
rage, sadness, grief and loss. However, all clients need to integrate their feelings by talking about them,
and some will need to spend a long time talking before doing any bodywork at all.
The length of the therapy also varies widely. There may be a crisis situation, maybe around work, a
bereavement or the break-up of a relationship, and only a few sessions will be needed before the client
is "back on his (or her) own feet".
For other people it may be their own "character structure" which is the
problem, so that life is constantly difficult and problems keep re-occurring. Here the therapy will inevitably
take much longer, perhaps over several years, and many aspects of the client's personality will have to
be examined.
Although the therapy may take a long time, most people feel within a few sessions whether
the therapy is helping or not and decide whether or not to continue on that basis.
In other parts of Europe, where societies affiliated to the International Institute are longer established than
in the UK, Bioenergetics has become part of the mainstream of psychotherapy and, in some countries, Bioenergetic
therapists are registered under state schemes to ensure the proper training and ethical standards of
psychotherapists. Because of the very difficult and subtle problems which are often present, anyone
considering therapy with a Bioenergetic therapist who is not a member of the British Institute should
check very carefully that persons qualifications and training.
Information supplied by
The Brighton Natural Health Centre
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