Hi Jason,
Yes, I am, in fact, a certified Bioenergetic analyst
(retired). I took the training about 20 years ago,
after I had been in practice for already about 20
years. Some of my patients, whom I had treated with
a mainly Client Centered approach were beginning to
come back and say they felt they needed something
more, not that they hadn't gained from CCT, but
maybe there was more to be done. My own initial
therapy had been Client Centered (Rogerian) and I
was having similar thoughts. So, I was ripe for
expanding my therapeutic horizon just when BE made
an excursion into the Chicago area. We had a four
year training program and a Chicago Society. I liked
the therapy, but never got into it exclusively,
because a lot of people here in the Midwest couldn't
be persuaded to do: ether Body work, or work in
underwear or swimsuit, or both. Body work depends
pretty much on being able to see a person's body,
its formation, and development. Alexander Lowen, the
founder of Bioenergetics (out of his own work with
Wilhelm Reich) was an absolute whiz at looking at a
person's body and making accurate guesses about the
restraints and traumas the patient had gone through
during his/her development.
I felt that I, personally, got a lot out of reading
both REich and Lowen, as well as in the training
program. Over the years I had a few patients who
looked me up explicitly for BE therapy. We made
progress, but I can't remember if any of the cases
ever lasted to what I considered a full
reorganization. As that trend dried up I continued
to use BE exercises and insights with my regular
patients, along with my own mixture of CCT and PCT
derived approach, including MOL therapy, but never
exclusively MOL, as Tim does. My previous habits
were too deeply entrenched, I guess, and, after all,
I was seeing a lot of good reorganization in the
long-term patients I had been working with.
I guess I don't have to tell you that PCT is not a
theory of therapy. (MOL isn't either, as far as I'm
concerned.) But I have always felt that I could
account for what I was observing in therapy in PCT
terms, and that was often very useful.
So, if you are interested in BE, and have an
opportunity to get some training in it, go for it, I
would say. But, I do believe there are quacks to be
wary of. I'm not even in touch any more with the
International Society for BE analysis, but I'd bet
they are still in business, and somebody certified
by them can at least be expected to have had a
pretty well grounded training.
BTW have you ever looked into the American Academy
of Psychotherapists? It is a group with a good
history going back to Rogers, John Warkentin, Carl
Whitaker, Alex Lowen and other great names. It is
the only organization of therapists that I know of
that accepts deeply trained therapists of all
orientations and gives us the opportunity to see how
each other pracices. There are still some BE
therapists in it, as wel as other Neo Reichians.
Hope this helps. Hope you are well and doing great.
I have usually enjoyed your ventures onto CSGnet,
whether or not I've made any comments.
Best,
Dick R
···
----- Original Message -----
From: Jason Gosnell <JGosnell@BRIDGEWAY.ORG>
Date: Tuesday, October 17, 2006 2:38 pm
Subject: Bioenergetics
[From Jason Gosnell (10.17.06; 14:40 CDT)]
Dick...Are you there? I am seeking information. Do
you have any
opinionor recommendations about this form of
therapy? And/or how
does it relate
to PCT? I think you mentioned it in your book. I
am interested in
hearing more. I am working on one of Lowen's books
currently.
Kind Regards, Jason