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Psychodynamic Foundations of Bioenergetic Analysis

Experiencing, Understanding and Healing the Body and the Mind
Psychodynamic Understanding in Bioenergetic Analysis
Volume 2 Part 1: Psychodynamic Theory for Bioenergetic Practice Chapter 1.2

Psychodynamic Understanding in Bioenergetic Analysis

Jens Tasche

In order to develop a psychoanalytic perspective on the bioenergetic therapy process, concepts such as defense, drive and self are examined. It is criticized that the cultural changes of recent decades and the resulting significant changes in parenting behavior have not been considered in the bioenergetic body of theory, although the focus of bioenergetic practice has consequently shifted from affect mobilization to affect regulation. Thus, today’s developmental disorders are hardly characterized by affective over-regulation and muscular armoring; instead, a lack of optimal frustration on the part of the parents leads to an under-regulation of affects – and thus to great difficulties in tolerating displeasure. The essay argues for the introduction of the psychoanalytic Trauma-Conflict-Structure Cluster into Bioenergetic Analysis, while retaining the bioenergetic understanding of a functional unity of body and mind.

Link to the original publication at Routledge

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  • Bioenergetic Analysis (BA) assumes a functional unity of body and mind. From the beginning, psychological development is accompanied by an organismic defense, i.e., a defense that acts both somatically and mentally. Developmental deficiencies activate the organismic defense and lead to a character armor.
  • Psychoanalysis (PA) also assumes the existence of organismic defense processes, but has not included the muscularly organized defense patterns in their explanatory models.
  • BA and PA agree that defenses serve as a relief from affects and impulses and stabilize the functioning of the self.
  • In the understanding of PA, a mature defense supports the stream of drive impulses to be transformed into a functional self-experience, while immature defense mechanisms are closely associated with mental disorders.
  • BA assumes that the dissolution of the organismic defenses leads to the unfolding, in a natural form, of a drive that is capable of regulating affects and relationships.
  • PA assumes a psychological structure that develops parallel to the defense mechanisms and can also exhibit deficits that impair affect regulation abilities.
  • The ability to regulate affects and relationships is a key skill for avoiding pathological developments.
  • Due to the changed parenting behavior, disorders that occur in the course of child development today lead to a lesser degree to an over-regulation of affects and thus to a rigid character armor. Instead, we see an increased under-regulation of affects, which is caused by a lack of optimal frustration on the part of the parents.
  • Optimal frustration is a basic prerequisite for the transformation of positive relationship experiences into affect-regulating structures.
  • For the treatment of structural disorders, the character-analytic theoretical model of BA should be supplemented by the psychoanalytic Conflict-Trauma-Structure Cluster.
  • The concept of a structure developed by the OPD working group, which includes perception, control, defense, communication and attachment abilities, proves to be helpful in the treatment of clients who are affected by an under-regulation of affects.

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Jens Tasche
Jens Tasche

Jens Tasche, certified social worker (German Diploma), bioenergetic analyst (CBT), author of the book Körperpsychotherapie zwischen Bioenergetik und Psychoanalyse [Body-Psychotherapy...

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