**\#️⃣ Tags:** #People/DepthPsychology  --- Wilhelm Reich was an Austrian psychoanalyst, therapist, and probably one of the most polarising figures in the history of psychology. Reich was a student of [[Sigmund Freud]] who dove deep into the early psychoanalytic movement with a particular interest in how sexuality shapes human behaviour. Over time his work pushed boundaries—sometimes uncomfortably so—which earned him both admiration and controversy. Reich is probably best known for introducing the concept of character styles which he outlined in his book [[Character Analysis by Wilhelm Reich|Character Analysis]]. He proposed that our psychological defences show up physically in the body as tension, something he referred to as "muscular armor." This idea was groundbreaking at the time and laid the groundwork for what we now call body centered/somatic psychotherapy. As his career unfolded, Reich became increasingly focused on the ways suppressed emotions and unresolved trauma get locked up in the body. He believed that a free flow of sexual energy was essential for both mental health and a healthier society—a perspective that didn’t sit well with the more conservative psychoanalytic circles of his time. Things took an even sharper turn when he started researching what he called "orgone energy" which is the universal life force he believed governed all living things. This work was met with heavy skepticism and eventually got him into trouble, leading to his imprisonment and the U.S. government seizing and destroying much of his work. Even with all the controversy, Reich’s ideas have left an everlasting mark on the field. His focus on the mind-body connection and his contributions to somatic therapies have shaped modern psychotherapy in ways that continue to influence even today. ### Books - [[The Function of the Orgasm by Wilhelm Reich]] - [[Character Analysis by Wilhelm Reich]]