Psycho-Organic Analysis

With elements of the Freudian and Jungian Analysis, the theories of Reich as far as they refer to the body …formed method of psychotherapy. Paul C. Boyesen has integrated these since 1970 into a complete theory with the derivation of a therapeutic technique.” (Prof. Dr. Uwe Henrik Peters; Dictionary of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Medical Psychology; 5th ed. 1999, 1st ed. 1974; Wörterbuch der Psychiatrie, Psychotherapie und medizinischen Psychologie; 5. Aufl.; München, Wien: Urban und Schwarzenberg, 1999; 1. Aufl. 1974)

As a specific method in psychotherapy Psycho Organic Analysis (POA) has been developed since the early 1970s as a synthesis of psychoanalysis and bodypsychotherapy. The originator Paul C. Boyesen based this approach to psychotherapy on the work of S. Freud, C.G. Jung and W. Reich as far as Reich understood the significance of the body for psychotherapy. From his practice being part of the reichian and neoreichian bodypsychotherapies in the early 1970s Paul C. Boyesen started to integrate experiences with and concepts of psychoanalysis into his work e.g. transference, counter-transference, symbolic, imaginary, real, impulses, primary and secondary. POA formulates a specific ethic of intervention, specific theories and methods of intervention e.g. Situation, Expression and Feeling; Primaryimpuls; The unconscious Familycontracts; The Psycho Organic Cycle; Active Relaxation; Breathing and Emotions; Residual and Consequential Energy; Choice of Experience; The Body of the Word; Sense and Sensation. Adding specific new aspects and enlarging the understanding of common basic concepts of psychotherapy POA integrates the unconscious, projection and transference in a client centered depth therapy process taking into account the bodily felt sensations and experience. Today, due to this development, colleagues have added their theoretical conclusions derived from their clinical practice to the field of POA. In consequence the basic principles of POA find their application in many countries and in various fields like psychotherapy as well as counselling, coaching, changemanagement, managementtraining, coupletherapy, prevention and rehabilitation.

Basic Concepts of POA

This presentation is going to mention very briefly some basic concepts of POA.

The Ethic of Intervention
Psycho Organic Analysts listen to the sense that the client wants to realise in life and meet these choices with absolute respect.

The Unconscious

Working with the articulations of the unconscious belongs to the basic aspects of the analysis e.g. in dreams, imaginations, movements, actions and the spoken words.

The Residual and the Consequential Energy

The clinical practice of POA shows the ability of the unconscious to create these two kinds of energies ( movement, activity ).

The Psycho Organic Cycle
It was not by chance that Paul C. Boyesen developed the concept Psycho Organic Cycle in the 1970s as a generalisation and differentiation of the Reichian formula: tension – charge – discharge – relaxation.

The Body of the Word

Words and thoughts are embodied in specific ways. They are psycho-organic representations of certain levels of energy (movement, activity). On different levels of the psyche (conscious, preconscious, unconscious) words and thoughts are forms or preforms of embodiment.

Sense and Sensation

Actions, Interactions and life experiences can be seen in the light of sense and sensation. Sense is understood to be related to the choice of a certain experience, a certain direction in life. Sensation is the felt quality of the chosen experience (feelings). Psycho Organic Analysts give attention to the articulations of the unconscious, to the sense the client wants to give to his or her life, to the integrations he or she seeks to achieve and thus wants to realize in his or her personal and social actualisation. It is fundamental to meet these choices with absolute respect.

Training Institutes and Professional Association

Within the framework of the Boyesen Institute and the Boyesen Foundation, Paul Boyesen has established trainingprogrammes in several countries since 1975. During the 1980s he initiated the foundation of traininginstitutes for Psycho Organic Analysis and national professional associations as separate social entities in reciprocal relation.

The European Association for Psycho Organic Analysis (EAPOA)

National association had been founded in 1984 in France and 1985 in Germany. Since its foundation in 1986 the European Association for Psycho Organic Analysis (EAPOA) has been working on different levels for social representation and identity of professional psychotherapy. Today EAPOA is a network of individual members, national associations and training institutes in various European countries like Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Latvia, Spain, Germany and France

The Training Institutes EFAPO and IIPOA

Main training institutes in Europe are EFAPO, EIPOA, and IIPOA. In addition they are running, partly in cooperation, training programmes in Brazil, Canada, Lebanon and Russia.

European Association for Psycho Organic Analysis (EAPOA) www.eapoa.com
École Francais d’Analyse Psycho Organique (EFAPO) www.efapo.fr
International Institute for Psycho Organic Analysis (IIPOA) www.iipoa.org