Reichian Therapy

REICHIAN THERAPY and BODYWORK

Autonomic Nervous System:
Our bodies are regulated by the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS). The Parasympathetic Nervous
System (PNS) controls our everyday activities. It is what allows us to operate in “normal” everyday
mode. The Sympathetic Nervous System(SNS) controls our bodies when we are under stress and in
danger. It is our “fight or flight” system. It is our defense mechanism. These two systems work
together. Usually the PNS is active and in full control and then SNS is “on call”, waiting for the “code
3” to activate. So while one is dominate, the other is passive and these switch as needed. The ideal
operating system would be for the PNS to dominate and the SNS be active only when needed. At
these stress times, if the situation is acute, and quickly dealt with, the body responds as needed and
returns to homeostasis. When this occurs, the muscles respond/react as needed, take care of the
“emergency” and then return to normal operating mode.
Primary Process v Secondary Process:
Primary process is the process by which the body processes stimuli while still pre/non-verbal. This
means the experience is registered by the body “outside” of the cognitive apparatus. It is mainly a
somatic experience. As long as a child hasn’t learned to speak yet, there is no cognitive memory.
Acquiring language means he is acquiring symbols and that means he now can start to have
cognitive memory. And this is when Secondary Process begins.
When the stressor is chronic or so overwhelming and when our muscles respond to the emergency,
they acquire a “pattern” appropriate to the stressor, i.e., the muscles retain additional contraction as
well as some content of the stressor. It is at this point that the trauma impacts us at the cognitive,
emotional and muscular level. It is at this point that one says “muscles have memory”. They do, but it
is not cognitive memory. It is the same level of memory that a pre/non-verbal child would have
memory, it is associated with the primary process. Secondary process occurs when the child starts
to speak, acquire language and then he can start to have cognitive memory. This is why therapy
regarding pre/non verbal abuse/traumas is only partially effective in talk therapy.
This is why is it so hard to deal with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSS). When trauma is so
severe, it not only registers as cognitive memory, but also as somatic/muscle memory. Memory at a
more primitive level cannot be accessed via cognitive dialogue. Muscle memory is primitive and
pre/non verbal. It is the level at which experiences impact the body before the child can speak or
when the trauma is so great that it overwhelms the persons ability to adequately process it.
This is where body work comes in. This technique can directly access the trauma at this more
primitive/pre/non/verbal level. The person may not even be aware of trauma or content at this level
resulting in didactic therapy getting in touch with only some of the trauma i.e., that which is available
to the persons awareness. The styles used by the therapist in conjunction with body work will vary
with the therapist. The muscles will respond to the body work in several ways. There can be only an
energetic release with mild to strong full body shaking. The person can also have strong emotional
reactions. And this combo can be “trapped” in the muscles.