Melting Armour: Some Notes On Self-Help Reichian Therapy | by William West

These notes are mainly intended for people attending self help Reichian therapy groups but they will also be of interest to people with other growth therapy and particularly self help experience.

By William West

"Only the liberation of the natural capacity for love in human beings can master their sadistic destructiveness." - Wilhelm Reich.

"People's troubles stem mainly from a lack of loving contact." - William West.

Note: Published on chestofbooks.com in digital format with an explicit permission from William West. The copyright remains with William West.

Acknowledgements

These ideas come from my own experience of therapy both as a therapist and as a client and from countless people I have done therapy with or discussed it with, too many to list in detail here. However, my basic approach is heavily influenced by that of Peter Jones who took the traditional Reichian client-therapist relationship and brought it into the self-help group. Also I've learnt a lot from John Southgate, particularly his theoretical insight, also from Mark and Ruth Abraham, Martin Zukor, Brian Wade, Lyn Arnold, all of whom were very positive and supportive when I first began being a therapist—also people from the defunct Cope group, a pioneering alternatives to psychiatry group, in which I first learned of growth therapy and practical Reichian work, the Manchester Reich Group which showed you don't have to live in London to get into Reich, and finally my colleagues and friends in Energy Stream (the Post Reichian Therapy Association). This new edition is typed by Chris Humberstone and illustrated by Kirsty O'Connor. I dedicate it to my clients, my two sons Clem and Simeon and to Sally Olsberg.

There is a lot of rubbish written about the life of Reich (he's that sort of person), but for a positive insight into Reich and his ideas read David Boadella's "Wilhelm Reich, the Evolution of his work" Vision Press 1973 and Myron Sharaf's "Fury on Earth" Andre Deutsch 1983.

Once again I have ignored the temptation to completely rewrite this pamphlet. Beyond correcting a few inaccuracies, odd points of grammar, (some very odd!) it remains as a vintage document standing in its own right. People curious about later developments in my work including healing can satisfy themselves(!) I hope in other pamphlets.(Details later.)

Further copies of this pamphlet are available @ £1.95 + 25p POST from William West, 1 Hawksworth Grove, Kirkstall, Leeds 5.

First Edition: 1980

Second Edition: 1984

Third Edition: 1988

© William West 1980, 1984, 1988 © Artwork Kirsty O'Connor 1988