There has been a long-standing dictum among many therapists who are classically trained in Wilhelm Reich’s method of treatment that only physicians should practice this therapy. Reich was a medical doctor and felt medical training was a prerequisite, which is why he called his treatment approach “medical orgone therapy.” For most of my career, as a physician and medical orgone therapist, I agreed. However, my thinking has changed.
In the “old days” psychiatrists did mostly verbal therapy. Until the advent of psychotropic drugs in the early 1960s (Valium was marketed in 1963 and Prozac in 1987) medications were reserved for severe psychiatric illness, such as schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder. Psychiatrists treated anxiety and depression with some form of psychotherapy, and they were reimbursed for it. Today, medications are viewed as the “only way to go” for the full range of emotional problems. Today’s psychiatrists are trained almost exclusively in psychopharmacology and they have hardly any training in verbal approaches. And, most significantly, the way that insurance companies reimburse psychiatrists does not allow for multiple extended visits. If some discussion of one’s emotions and situation is deemed appropriate, patients are referred to a clinical social worker other mental health care provider. The bottom line is today’s psychiatrists don’t learn a verbal approach and don’t want to, because there is no money in it.
As a result, it is unreasonable to continue to hold that only medical or osteopathic doctors should be trained to practice orgone therapy. In the best of all possible worlds, this would be the case but in the real world this is an ideal that is unrealistic. The sad truth is that the therapy, as Reich practiced it, is rapidly on its way to extinction. And it will become extinct, unless there is room for other disciplines to train and treat in field. In my view, Ph.d. psychologists are the natural choice when considering who should be trained. They are psychologically oriented and have had many years of training in the methods of psychotherapy. They are actively seeking innovative sub-specialties. I feel many would possess the potential to excel and would be eager to begin training in this field.
Because there is direct body-work involved in the therapy, psychologists who train would have to have knowledge of anatomy. And, of course, they must always refer any physical complaints that might arise during the course of therapy to the patient’s primary care physician.
So I pose the following questions for consideration and debate: Is it best to hold to the strict standard, knowing that the therapy as Reich practiced it will most likely disappear? Could a qualified Ph.d. psychologist be a competent orgone therapist? If not, why not? How best to attract psychologists? Should practitioners in other disciplines be trained as orgone therapists and, if so, which disciplines? I am eager to hear and discuss all views on this topic. Join the discussion and post your comments!