This study explores the experience of patients who have been treated with orgonomic (Reichian) therapy. The purpose of this study is to shed light on the experience of undergoing this therapy from the perspective of patients who benefited from it. A brief history of Reich and his theory and practice of orgonomic therapy is chronicled along with clinical and autobiographical accounts of treatment cases. Seven current or former patients who have been treated with and benefited from orgonomic therapy were interviewed using a qualitative, heuristic method yielding rich experience-near descriptions of the subjective experience, conscious and unconscious meanings, and functions/experience of orgonomic therapy. Interview data were inductively coded producing individual depictions for each research participant, a composite depiction, and six core themes of the experience: (a) entry into orgonomic therapy, (b) orgonomic therapist attributes, (c) orgonomic biopsychotherapy, (d) experience of the therapeutic process, (e) therapeutic results, (f) thoughts and feelings about orgonomic therapy. The results are consistent with Reich’s theory and practice of orgonomic therapy and provide a broader, deeper, and richer understanding of the patient experience directly from the aggregate voices of those who have experienced and benefited from it first-hand. The results also indicate that patients who are treated with and benefit from orgonomic therapy feel innately and intuitively drawn to it. Clinical implications are offered along with recommendations for future study.
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