People in Our History

Wilhelm Reich

Wilhelm Reich was a young associate of Sigmund Freud in Vienna, Austria in the 1920's. Wilhelm was a brilliant student in the psychoanalytic movement and became a leader of technical seminars. He later began exploring body memories as well as using cognitive processes. He observed the body to see how it expressed what a person talked about. Seeing tight muscles in his patients, Reich might reach out and touch the tight muscles. The clients would often experience an emotional discharge such as crying, or they might remember an early scene of abuse. He discovered that trauma and abuse causes both cognitive and physical armor and that releasing armor can facilitate recovering of our inner core to free our fundamental life energy. Using this process for many years, Reich became a pioneer in integrating cognitive therapy and body memory. He also became a reformer, believing that what we learn from our clients that is destructive to humanity should be applied to social structures to create a healthy society. His work was radical for the 1920’s and caused a split between Reich and the psychoanalytic community. Eventually he migrated to the United States and continued his work at his research center in Maine until his death in 1957. Many of the body therapies in the United States and Europe have roots back to Wilhelm Reich’s work. 

 

Eva Reich

Dr. Eva Reich moved to the United States in 1938 and eventually became one of her father’s closest assistants. She paid particular attention to her father's gentle touch with children and infants and the resulting expansion of their energy. She observed his research that demonstrated light stroking on the surface of the skin resulted in energetic expansion and heavy touch resulted in energetic contraction except for anger. Based on these observations, Eva first developed her butterfly touch and later designed a pattern using that gentle touch that she called Butterfly Touch Massage. The name came from her work with butterflies observing that when holding a butterfly’s wings between the fingers the touch should be so gentle that when releasing them that the butterfly’s scales would not remain on the fingers. Then, while working with premature babies in Har­lem Hospital in New York in the early 1950's, she used butterfly touch and Butterfly Touch Massage, a light delicate touch to help them survive. In her later practice she continued to use a gentle touch and approach to melt armor rather than trying to break it down. She found that this level of touch worked with both adults and children with amazing results. While conducting workshops around the world, she incorporated many tools that were compatible with her approach into Gentle Bio-Energetics, many times changing them to use gentle touch and stimulation.. Eva has dedicated her life to both preventing and healing trauma, out of which armor develops. She was an advocate of improving birthing practices, healthy child rearing and community support of its members. Eva has freely given of herself to help humanity around the world. She often worked with low-income people to improve the quality of their lives. Groups around the world have honored her for her contributions to the world community. As a part of that work, Eva taught her philosophy, theory and techniques in workshops and seminars in 30 countries around the world from the mid 1970’s until her retirement in 1992.

Richard Overly

Richard Overly met Eva Reich at one of her workshops in 1985. Impressed with the changes that happened in the lives of those treated with Gentle Bio-Energetics techniques, he attended all the workshops Eva presented in his area through 1990. Richard used the tools in his private practice, assisted Eva in her workshops, and started teaching his own workshops with her endorsement. In 1991 Richard moved to Asheville, North Carolina to continue working in private practice and teaching Gentle Bio-Energetics. Here he began to author training materials and to share his vision of making Gentle Bio-Energetics available to many more people worldwide. In 1997 interested individuals helped establish a not for profit organization, the Gentle Bio-Energetics Foundation with that vision as its mission. The name was changed to Gentle Bio-Energetics Institute to more accurately reflect our commitment to education, in 2002.

Alise Sisk

Alise  (Liza) was instrumental in the beginning of the non profit organization of the Gentle Bio-Energetics Institute. Through her generous donations of knowledge and expertise, time and  money the Institute became a reality. Liza was the one who did all the leg work to create the legal identity of the non-profit formal organization. At one time she bought a model airplane for the Institute to symbolize our goal of spreading Eva’s work in many places. As a result of her dreams and efforts the spreading of the work has become a reality.

Ivar Ozolins

In late 2006, Ivar wrote the Institute inquiring if we were in contact with Eva Reich and if she was still doing workshops.  He had studied Reichian work and had met Eva in California. Ivar was building a healing center in Latvia, and wanted to include her in his programs. Since Eva was no longer traveling, he visited our center early in 2007 and studied with Richard.  Richard was invited to come to Latvia to present an 8 day training program that summer, organized by Ivar and Ilze Jankovska. This program marked the beginning of our international outreach. We have returned annually for the 8 day training in Latvia through 2015 as well as offering other programs throughout the year. Unfortunately, Ivar became ill the next year and could not continue the training organization. Ivar made the necessary contacts to have the Butterfly Touch Massage DVD translated and produced in Latvian.  Many thanks to him as his efforts resulted in our work beginning to spread to Europe.

Sylvia Koh

Sylvia Koh found our website online in 2008 and came to the US to experience the training.  She invited Richard to Singapore to teach in March, 2009 and for several years thereafter. As a result of her efforts, a foothold was established in Singapore and Malaysia .  We have held a number of trainings in Singapore and Malaysia as a result.  Sylvia is certified to teach Butterfly Touch Massage and continues to do so in Singapore and Malaysia.  She was an expert practitioner and was responsible for the Chinese translation of the Butterfly Touch Massage book and DVD.  Because of her extremely busy schedule others have now taken over the organizational work.