Who does Primal Therapy?
People begin Primal Therapy for all sorts of reasons - from vague unease, unhappiness or unfulfilled relationships through to depression, addiction and trauma related issues. Sometimes a critical event in life triggers off reactions and behaviours, which leaves them unhappy.
For other people the pain may be overwhelming. They may feel they are alone, isolated and that no one will ever understand them or be able to help them. And yet others read Janov’s book (The Primal Scream) and know this is what they want to do; it is the only thing that really makes sense.
Are therapists qualified?
Yes, all therapists at Primal Therapy Australia are trained to standards set by the Jamillon Centre. These standards include: 2 years of training after undertaking a sufficient amount of their own therapy (all have done at least 8 years); teaching forums on the theory and practice of Primal Therapy and other psychological modalities; participation in a year long, small, interactive group; supervised facilitating of groups; supervised individual sessions over a year and supervised running of an Intensive. Therapists are also required to have another registered health care degree and to continue their own therapy.
We encourage honesty in the process by all concerned and in the relationship and interactions that take place. We provide a safe and nurturing environment in which feelings may be explored.
How do I get therapy?
The first step is to contact a therapist from the "Contact us" page. The therapist will then answer any questions you may have and discuss a first meeting and the assessment process before formal therapy begins. This allows you to meet the therapist and discuss whether Primal Therapy is appropriate for you.
How much does it cost?
Costs depend on the intensity of the individualised therapy program. As a rough guide, individual sessions are from AUS. $90. Intensives, which vary from 1-3 weeks, are around AUS. $2000 per week. This includes accommodation and therapy, but not food.
Are there different types of Primal Therapy and do you differ from Janov?
The short answer to this is that there are differences in the way each therapist practises, but the fundamentals remain the same. None of the therapists at Primal Therapy Australia can comment on the way Arthur Janov does his therapy from personal experience (as none of us has trained or had therapy with him). Reference to the Primal Psychotherapy Page will give a variety of answers as to how processes differ from those of Janov.
In her book "Facing The Wolf", Theresa Sheppard Alexander stated she had therapy with Janov, later becoming a therapist and a trainer of therapists. She left Janov over some disagreements, one of the most important being the use of transference, which, contrary to him, she found vital. Her description of a session sounded very much like individual sessions work at Primal Therapy Australia, although the therapists here tend to incorporate some of the practices used in trauma work. Nevertheless, our core belief is that for healing to take place, each person needs to do their own individual therapy, led by their own body and in a safe environment. The book by Paul Vereshack also clearly outlines some of the approaches at Primal Therapy Australia.
How long does therapy take?
This is very much an individual affair and depends partly on how far a person wishes to go. Some people want to deal with specific issues; others want to use it as a vehicle for the journey of self-discovery. From experience, the earlier the trauma the longer the duration tends to be.
Certainly for many, the first 6-12 months is intense, but most need at least a couple of years.
Some will be in therapy 4-8 years. Studies in the field of early, chronic traumas have shown that part of the brain involved with emotions is smaller than normal and it can take eight years of therapy for it to approach normal size.
Will I need to have a primal intensive of 3 weeks?
While the three week intensive is often the most effective use of time, for some people it is not advisable and may even be contraindicated. Some people do best with a very short, intensive period to get them going, but if it is prolonged they may shut down their feelings. Others undertake individual therapy while they explore the therapy.
During Intensives each person works with two therapists, a male and female, if possible. Reactions to therapists can be an important way to reach emotions that are difficult to express. Expressing your feelings towards a therapist can be very liberating and healing.
Part of the therapist’s role is to try and assess what is in your best interests. This decision will be made using our experience in consultation with you.
I am on antidepressants. Would that affect my therapy? Do other drugs have an effect?
In our experience, antidepressants may dampen the process. Sometimes this can be useful, especially when painful feelings are overwhelming and cannot be integrated. In that situation, Primal Therapy can release the pain gradually, allowing you to integrate the feelings while continuing to function. Later your medication can be gradually reduced.
Other drugs can also have an effect on your therapy. For instance, cigarettes are a very effective way of aiding dissociation of mind from body, and nicotine seems to persist in the brainstem and be evident for up to three weeks. Thus the body is busy "remembering" but the mind does not comprehend what the body is doing. At Primal Therapy Australia we do not offer Intensives to someone who is smoking. We also do not work with drug addicts until they have been off drugs for several months.
Other recreational drugs such as psychedelics can be of concern. Used with Primal Therapy clients can run the risk of being unable to stay grounded. (It is salutary to note that Stan Grof’s research into the early foetal origins of disorders was done on people devastated by LSD.)
Some have warned me that primal is a catharsis. I understand that is a release of emotional energy but that, whilst there is some immediate relief, there is no long-term change. What do you say to this?
This comes to the core of the difficulty with the understanding of Primal Therapy. The inference in the term catharsis is that it is a release of energy, usually with some relief of symptoms, but it is temporary. To the extent that Primal Therapy often involves a release of emotional energy, it is like catharsis, but it is more than that. Primal Therapy is not just screaming (the Primal Scream was an unfortunate term and concept). It is a natural process orchestrated by the body and, as Janov has written, often involves various levels of feeling. It also usually involves a profound understanding of the effects of the re-experienced earlier event to one’s current functioning. Without this the therapy needs to be questioned.
I have been told that re-experiencing is retraumatising and makes things worse in the end?
As in other healing modalities, there is a paradox in Primal Therapy. While it would seem logical to stay away from earlier events and memories that hurt, and leave things in the past where they belong, this is often only temporarily effective. Life experiences can still throw people back into distress when they have unresolved internal conflicts. It can take a lot of psychic energy and focus to control or hide feelings. Worse, when people hide their feelings, the feelings sometimes sneak out in other ways. For instance, anger can sneak out as sarcasm, which can be abusive to self and others.
Primal Therapy is about connecting back to the initial hurt in order that the feelings are placed where they originated. Most people feel some distress when they go through this process; This is normal. Some may regard this is retraumatising. However, when the experience is worked through fully, there will be relief and changes in their response to these triggering events.
Are there different types of Primal Therapy and do you differ from Janov?
Will I need to have a primal intensive of 3 weeks?
I am on antidepressants. Would that affect my therapy? Do other drugs have an effect?
I have been told that re-experiencing is retraumatising and makes things worse in the end?