January 10, 2013

Introductory Seminar of Psychiatric Orgone Therapy and Character Analysis


The Greek Society of Psychiatric Orgone Τherapy and Character Αnalysis is pleased to announce a new course on the theory and general principles of Wilhelm Reich’s method of treating emotional disorders. It will be the first of its kind in Europe, where Reich’s discoveries are widely studied and continue to be put to practical use.

 The program will consist of monthly seminars beginning on January 27th in Thessaloniki and on February 3rd in Athens, and they will continue through June 2015.

The three members of the Society’s training committee are psychiatric orgone therapists. In Thessaloniki the seminars will be conducted by psychiatrist Nassos Teopoulos, M.D., and in Athens by child psychiatrist George Argyreas, M.D. Both trained with the American College of Orgonomy where they were clinical associates for more than ten years. 

Psychiatrist Richard Schwartzman, D.O., will participate by way of regularly scheduled webinars. He trained with Morton Herskowitz, D.O and Elsworth F. Baker, M.D. who were students of Reich. He was director of The Advanced Technical Training Seminar at the American College of Orgonomy for more than twenty years and is now an honorary member of the Institute for Orgonomic Science in Philadelphia, PA.

The completion of this program is a prerequisite for physicians and psychologists who wish to be accepted for future clinical training in the practice of psychiatric orgone therapy and character analysis. For further information and an application individuals interested in applying for this initial course of study can contact the Society at: seminar@orgonetherapy.gr. 


MONTHLY SCHEDULE FOR THE
“INTRODUCTORY SEMINAR OF PSYCHIATRIC ORGONE THERAPY
AND CHARACTER ANALYSIS”
1ο Session:       Introduction. General principles of orgonomy and orgonetherapy.
2ο Session:      Erogenous zones, libidinal stages and psychic structure, and the concept of character in psychiatric orgonetherapy.
3ο Session:      Webinar with Richard Schwartzman: Discussion on erogenous zones, libidinal stages, psychic structure and character.
4ο Session:      The concept of armoring. Origin and segmental structure of somatic and psychic armoring. (Part A)
5ο Session:      The concept of armoring. Origin and segmental structure of somatic and psychic armoring. (Part B)
6ο Session:      Webinar with Richard Schwartzman: Discussion on armoring.
7ο Session:      The concept of contact. Problems of contact, genitality.
8ο Session:      Adolescence: treatment of problems and therapeutic interventions.
9ο Session:      Genital character types: Genesis, character traits and symptoms, biophysical structure and general therapeutic principles. (Part A)
10ο Session:    Genital character types: Genesis, character traits and symptoms, biophysical structure and general therapeutic principles. (Part B)
11ο Session:    Webinar with Richard Schwartzman: Discussion on genital character types.
12ο Session:    Phallic character types: Genesis, character traits and symptoms, biophysical structure and general therapeutic principles.  (Part A)
13ο Session:    Phallic character types: Genesis, character traits and symptoms, biophysical structure and general therapeutic principles.  (Part B)
14ο Session:    Webinar with Richard Schwartzman: Discussion on phallic character types.
15ο Session:    Anal character types: Genesis, character traits and symptoms, biophysical structure and general therapeutic principles.  (Part A)
16ο Session:    Anal character types: Genesis, character traits and symptoms, biophysical structure and general therapeutic principles.  (Part B)
17ο Session:    Webinar with Richard Schwartzman: Discussion on anal character types.
18ο Session:    Oral character types and Ocular character types: Genesis, character traits and symptoms, biophysical structure and general therapeutic principles.  (Part A)
19ο Session:    Oral character types and Ocular character types: Genesis, character traits and symptoms, biophysical structure and general therapeutic principles.  (Part B)
20ο Session:    Webinar with Richard Schwartzman: Discussion on oral and ocular character types.
21ο Session:    Socio-Political character types: Genesis, character traits and symptoms, biophysical structure and general therapeutic principles.
22ο Session:    Webinar with Richard Schwartzman: Discussion on socio-political character types.
23ο Session:    The orgonomic concept of biopathy.
24ο Session:    Initial examination of a patient, history and its importance, general therapeutic principles of psychiatric orgonetherapy.
25ο Session:    Webinar with Richard Schwartzman: Discussion on the importance of history and the general therapeutic principles.
26ο Session:    Armoring prevention, management and therapeutic intervention on newborns, babies and infants.
27ο Session:    Webinar with Richard Schwartzman: Discussion on armoring prevention and the treatment of early armoring in newborns, babies and infants.

Examinations are mandatory for those interested in continuing into the Clinical Seminar and optional for all others.
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Psychiatric Orgone Therapy

One of Wilhelm Reich’s most important and lasting contributions is a unique treatment for emotional disorders called psychiatric orgone therapy. Reich began as a psychoanalyst and was a member of Freud’s inner circle, but moved away from Freud’s method of free association when he developed a more effective verbal approach he called character analysis. Later he came to recognize the existence of a specific biologic energy in living organisms that he called “orgone,” which was coined from the word “organism.” With this discovery Reich was able to combine his verbal method with a technique that could normalize a person’s energy. The result was an entirely new approach to treating emotional disorders that he named orgone therapy.

Reich’s work with patients convinced him the disturbance in an individual’s energy state is caused by contractions in the body, especially in the musculature. He called these contractions “armor,” and established that they begin to develop in infancy as a way to block out emotionally painful events.

Past traumatic experiences are locked in the body--and they remain throughout life. How this happens is not fully understood, but there is no question that anxiety, anger and sadness, as well as the other upsetting feelings and emotions from childhood are not forgotten. Armor not only holds the disturbing past, causing it to remain alive but out of consciousness awareness, but it also affects how one feels and functions. Because living a natural healthy life depends upon whether a person’s energy flows freely or is blocked, the aim of psychiatric orgone therapy is to free up energy by breaking down armor. As these areas of holding dissolve, patients release their long buried feelings and emotions in the safety of the therapist’s office. They most usually surface spontaneously with the specific method Reich innovated, without the need of urging or any intervention on the part of the treating psychiatrist. However, occasionally, pressure needs to be applied to spastic muscles, or other techniques used to normalize the body. Because this treatment combines a verbal approach with a physical technique, it addresses both the mind and the body to bring about profound changes in how one thinks, feels and functions.

Today almost all people seeking treatment from a psychiatrist are given medications to reduce their symptoms. However, with psychiatric orgone therapy it is usual that patients, over time, find themselves able to wean themselves off medication and function without pharmacologic treatment. Reich’s therapy is unique in that it not only relieves distressing symptoms, but also does much more. It enables individuals to expand and feel pleasure, and better enjoy the many satisfactions life has to offer.

There are people who claim to practice some form of “Reichian” or “orgone” therapy, even though they have had no formal training in medicine or psychology. Often the techniques used by these self-proclaimed therapists have little or nothing to do with the very specific methods Reich developed and taught. The value of such therapies is questionable and may even harm those who get involved in them.

Qualified psychiatric orgone therapists have extensive training. They are physicians who have gone on to specialize in psychiatry and then in the very unique subspecialty of orgone therapy. They practice in much the same way as Reich did more than a half century ago. Ph.D. Psychologists who have had proper training can practice a form of orgone therapy safely and effectively. However, it is crucial they have supervision by a qualified psychiatric orgone therapist.