Primal integration
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Primal Integration (PI) is a form of personal growth work first formulated by the Canadian Bill Swartley in the mid 1970s. Unlike many other psychotherapies, it puts the emphasis on individuals directing exploration of their own psyche assisted by facilitators who serve the individual and are responsible for their safety. It is considered to be part of humanistic psychology.
During the late 1970s Swartely traveled in Europe and was instrumental in setting up centres for Primal Integration in Italy and Britain. Centres also exist in Canada and the USA.
Its theoretical basis emphasizes early trauma in shaping an individual's consciousness. It claims that trauma that takes place before, during and soon after birth have strong influences on how someone interprets and copes with future life. These early preverbal trauma, as well as later difficult childhood experiences, can only be fully recognized by re-living the experience at an emotional level. This emotional expression of deep memory is called a "primal". Its expression begins the process of integration of the experience into the personality of the individual and the re-adjustment of his or her world view. [1]
Primal Integration was developed in parallel to the Primal therapy of Arthur Janov and shares some similarities with it, as well as the name "Primal". There is a difference in the theoretical approach which comes down to the use of a medical model in Janov's work and a holistic model in PI. The early practitioners of Primal Integration founded the International Primal Association (IPA), which had a court struggle with Janov in 1974 when he claimed the word "Primal" as his own and tried to prevent them using it in their name. The court found against Janov but at great financial cost to the IPA.
Since those early years, the IPA and Primal Integration practitioners have facilitated thousands of individuals on their healing path and have brought their theory and philosophy to countries throughout the world. The IPA's journals, website, conventions, retreats and newsletters have been promoting Primal for 35 years.
See also
References
- What is Primal Integration Richard Mowbray and Juliana Brown, London
- What is Primal Integration? Overview, theory and history by Sam Turton, Ontario, Canada
- The Trauma of Birth - John Rowan, Originally published in Primal Renaissance: The Journal of Primal Psychology, Vol. 2, No. 1, Spring 1996, pp. 36-44.
- John Rowan Interviews Bill Swartley (1977) Originally appeared in the British journal, Self and Society, The Primal Issue, June 1977.
- Healing Childhood Hurts With Deep Feeling/Primal-Oriented Therapy Esta Powell, Columbus, Ohio
- Description at the UK Association of Humanistic Psychology site Includes long book list.
- The Primal Psychotherapy Page Articles about Primal Integration and Primal Therapy
External links
- The International Primal Association
- The IPA Referral List
- Primal Support Group On line sharing and support group for people interested in Primal healing
