We have been on the path of personal growth since the beginning of our relationship in 1972. Our academic training reflects this interest: Brian's bachelor's work at Eastern Connecticut State University was in Sociology and Applied Social Relations, his Masters in Social Work from the University of Connecticut; Holly's bachelor's work at Goddard College was in Women's Studies, her Masters in Counseling Psychology also from the University of Connecticut. However, we both found the wealth of our training and experience to come from outside the academic environment. After explorations into the conventional talk therapies of the era, Holly was inspired to dive into Primal Therapy in 1973. Brian followed suit shortly thereafter.

Primal Therapy was one of the earliest psychotherapeutic approaches that focused upon feeling feelings. A refreshing change from talk therapies, Primal Therapy, originated by Arthur Janov, used a combination of stimulation deprivation (no contact with others, little sleep, no distractions such as television or reading) with an intensive course of therapy encompassing daily sessions of several hours over the course of 3-4 weeks. The premise was that deprived of our usual coping mechanisms, suppressed emotional issues from childhood would surface and become available for resolution.

Entering into the leading edge psychotherapeutic world through Primal Therapy, we found ourselves immersed in the numerous new approaches birthed during the years of the'60s and '70s. Bioenergetics introduced us to the concept of bodywork.

Bioenergetics, developed by Alexander Lowen from the work of Wilhelm Reich, used a system of body analysis to ascertain where the body was holding onto suppressed emotional issues. The notion of "body armor" as a protective strategy describes how an individual's musculature, weight build-up in certain areas, posture, etc. can give clues to psychological dynamics. Bioenergetics also included a series of exercises designed to free up areas of the body that typically hold trauma. Deep emotional expression was commonly stimulated by the exercises.