American College of Orgonomy -Meet the ACO Physicians

A central function of the ACO is to train future generations of medical orgonomists who will share the great responsibility of preserving and furthering orgonomic science.

Unlike most educational programs, training with the ACO does not end after a pre-determined number of years or upon completion of a fixed course of study. Instead, senior orgonomists continue to exchange ideas and share their clinical experience with each other, as well as with newer colleagues.

Edward Chaska, M.D. has been practicing medical orgonomy since 1990. Dr. Chaska first heard of Reich at a college party. He was discussing the importance of love with a small group of people and somebody remarked, "You should read Reich." It took a couple of years but Dr. Chaska followed the advice.

"When I first picked up Character Analysis, I was hooked," he says. "I read everything I could get my hands on, reading all night and, after finishing a book, I went back to the first page and started reading again."

Curiously, Dr. Chaska says, he had no idea anyone was continuing Reich's work. Then, someone told him about the American College of Orgonomy.

"And here I am," he says. Dr. Chaska is director of promotions for the Journal of Orgonomy.

Philip A. Heller, M.D. is a medical orgonomist who has been practicing orgone therapy since 1990.

Dr. Heller, who has a private practice in West Long Branch, N.J. and works as well in a general psychiatric practice in Princeton, NJ., says Reich's work was introduced to him as part of a philosophy course in college. "As a result, a number of years later when I needed help, I reached out to orgonomy," he says.

Dr. Heller, who is coordinator of the ACO training program, received his medical degree with full honors from Temple University School of Medicine.

Raymond J. Mero, D.O. is a medical orgonomist who has been working in orgonomy since 1990. He serves as an instructor for the ACO's referral service seminar.

Dr. Mero says he was given Reich's book The Function of the Orgasm by a friend and was instantly struck by how Reich had connect ed the biologic and psychic components to emotional health.

"From there," he says, "I went on to read most of his work, becoming more and more convinced that he was on to something unique and powerful."

Dr. Mero has a private practice as a psychiatrist and medical orgonomist in the central New Jersey area.

Dale G. Rosen, D.O. says that when he was a freshman college in New York, he was going to be an opera singer. A young woman in his dorm who was studying to be an actress, gave him a copy of Orson Bean's Me and the Orgone. She said, "You should read this. I hear it helps actors and singers be better performers?'

Dr. Rosen says he had many friends in school and found it very exciting, but that something always seemed to be missing. Then, when he read Orson's book, it made instant sense to him.

"From there, I began reading everything by Reich I could get my hands on. Six months later I started therapy," he says.

Dr. Rosen, who is coordinator of the ACO annual conference, has a private medical orgone therapy practice in child, adolescent and adult psychiatry in Somerville, New Jersey.

Thomas S. Wind, D.O., is a medical orgonomist who has been working in the field of orgonomy since 1990.

"While studying indigenous and alternative healing in the Northwest, I met a 'Reichian' therapist who directed me to an individual who had been treated by a medical orgonomist," he says. "He introduced me to the writings and theories of Wilhelm Reich, as well as to the existence of the ACO."

Dr. Wind was so moved by the depth and breadth of Reich's material, and its potential for healing, that he resolved, at 38 years of age, to go to medical school and become a medical orgonomist. During his medical training he was a chief resident and chief fellow.

Dr. Wind, who is coordinator of the ACO Press, has a private practice in medical orgone therapy and psychiatry in the Philadelphia area. He also works as a coordinator of child and adolescent psychiatry for a mental health organization with offices in the greater Philadelphia area.

The practice and study of orgonomy has always had connections abroad because of Reich's influence in Europe before he came to the United States. The ACO is proud to have in its training program distinguished physicians who received their medical degrees abroad. Those who practice outside the U.S. regularly travel to the states to meet and train with their American colleagues at the ACO.

Alberto Foglia, M.D. is a medical orgonomist who received his medical degree from the University of Bern in Switzerland. Foglia has a private practice in psychiatry and medical orgonomy in Lugano. Switzerland, and also works there in a private psychiatric hospital.

Dr. Foglia recalls that he read his first book by Wilhelm Reich-The Mass Psychology of Fascism-at age 22. He next read Character Analysis, and in a few months had read all of Reich's books he could find.

"I have still today a clear picture of my 'falling in love' with this new and fascinating way of seeing reality," Dr. Foglia says.

Dr. Foglia recalls that during a biology class at his university a film was shown of an amoeba eating a paramecium. This picture, he says, repeatedly came to mind as he was reading Reich's books.

"Movement, emotion and sexuality were all united by a profound common denominator-energy," he says. "No longer were there the dead quantities of heat, radiation or gravitation, but a qualitative sense that I could observe in the movement of the simple amoeba and also in my emotions."

Dr. Foglia says the sensual feeling he had watching the film of the amoeba finally became understandable.

To this day, as he studies orgonomy, he experiences "the same feeling of unification of my emotions comprehension with real pleasure."

"I knew that love and work were pleasurable," he says. I had to encounter orgonomy to realize that knowledge is also fun."

Theodota Hassapi, M.D. is a medical orgonomist practicing in Thessaloniki, Greece. "When I was a medical student in the 1970's, Reich's books were very popular among university students in Greece," Dr. Hassapi recounts.

"There was a lot of discussion about his findings and various experiments of his were repeated," she says.

Studying Reich's books led Dr. Hassapi to a deeper understanding of medicine and society. "All this resulted in my decision to seek training in medical orgone therapy."

Dr. Hassapi has been lecturing on prenatal care, prevention of armoring in children, orgone therapy and character formation. She is editor of the Greek Journal of Orgonomy and a founding member of the Hellenic Association of Orgonomy.

Salvatore lacobello, M.D. earned his medical degree from the University of Cantania in Italy, his birthplace. He served a residency in endocrinology at the University of Cantania, a residency in general psychiatry at the State University of New York and a fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at Saint Vincent's Hospital in Manhattan. He has written and lectured on the misery of childhood and the turmoil of adolescence.

Dr. Iacobello was introduced to Wilhelm Reich's work at age 17.

"I read The Function of the Orgasm. It was a deep and enlightening experience for me," he recalls. "I decided, then, that what I wanted to pursue in my career was the study of orgonomy."

Dr. Iacobello, who is public correspondence liaison for the ACO, is a medical orgonomist who has been associated with the ACO since 1992. He maintains a Connecticut private practice in psychiatry and medical orgonomy.