When people think of psychotherapy, most imagine traditional “talking therapies” such as psychoanalysis, psychodynamic therapies, or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). These methods are widely used in Western mental health care to treat a range of emotional and psychological conditions. However, in recent years, there’s been a growing recognition of the importance of integrating the body into therapeutic work. Body-mind therapies are gaining attention for their effectiveness, particularly in trauma healing, where clients may not fully recall or understand the origins of their wounds. Trauma isn’t just stored in our minds; it leaves imprints in our bodies.
This understanding has been championed by Wilhelm Reich, a student of Sigmund Freud, who is considered the founder of modern body psychotherapy. Reich’s work gave rise to what are now known as Neo-Reichian approaches, which include Bioenergetic Analysis, Vegetotherapy, Biodynamic massage, and various forms of Breathwork. Central to Reich’s theory is the concept of Character Structures—the unique ways we adapt, both mentally and physically, to unmet emotional needs and childhood trauma during the critical first years of life. These adaptations, formed as survival mechanisms, shape our bodies, our energy flow, and the way we relate to ourselves and others well into adulthood.
Reich viewed these adaptations as “body armour,” chronic muscular tensions that lock us into patterns of holding, both physically and emotionally. He described the character as “the frozen history of the person.” In this sense, our character structures are not truly who we are but defensive patterns that were adopted early in life to help us cope with pain or unmet needs. They obscure our authentic self, limiting how we engage with the world.
What Are Character Structures?
When we speak about character, we’re talking about how we present ourselves to the world—our behaviours, defence mechanisms, and ways of interacting with others. It’s the habitual way we handle stress, express emotions, and connect with others. Each of us has recognizable patterns that shape how we speak, move, and behave—these patterns reflect the strategies we developed in childhood to avoid pain or discomfort and to seek safety and approval within our families.
The term structure refers to the fact that these patterns don’t just exist in our minds; they are embodied in our physical forms. The holding patterns in our muscles, posture, and breathing habits reflect the underlying emotional wounds and unmet needs buried long ago. This muscular tension and “armour” keeps us locked into specific behavioural responses. Reich believed that when these defence patterns are identified and released, it leads to greater emotional freedom, increased energy flow, and an authentic connection to oneself and others.
Trauma and the Formation of Character Structures
In this context, trauma refers to experiences that overwhelm a child’s capacity to cope, often resulting in nervous system dysregulation. Trauma can include obvious experiences such as abuse, neglect, or the loss of a caregiver, but it can also be subtler, such as growing up in an environment where a child’s emotional needs for connection, support, or independence were not consistently met. These early disruptions lead to specific defence patterns, which in turn form the basis of our character structure.
Since all children experience some degree of unmet need or disconnection from their caregivers, these defense patterns are universal. What determines which patterns we develop depends on the severity of the trauma and the stage of development during which it occurred.
Why Is It Important to Unlock Character Structures?
So, if character structures are a natural part of development, why is it so important to unlock them?
Reich’s theory suggests that our character armouring limits our personal freedom and emotional expression. It keeps us stuck in patterns that restrict our ability to make choices, feel fully alive, and connect with others authentically. Imagine if, in every conflict, your default response was to get angry and controlling. Or perhaps seduction is your only way of forming relationships. If, when overwhelmed, you dissociate or run away, then your life becomes constrained by these repetitive and unconscious behaviours. Over time, these patterns cause significant stress, relationship difficulties, and psychological suffering.
By unlocking the body’s armoring, we open up the possibility for more freedom—emotionally, mentally, and physically. We gain access to a wider range of responses and experience greater aliveness, spontaneity, and connection. This is why body-oriented therapies are so crucial in modern psychotherapy, particularly for trauma survivors.
The Path to Healing
Working with Character Structures is not about eliminating who we are but rather about understanding the ways in which our early life experiences have shaped us. By bringing awareness to these patterns and learning to release the chronic tension in our bodies, we can reconnect with our true essence and live with more authenticity, freedom, and emotional resilience.
Reich’s five primary character structures—Schizoid, Oral, Masochist, Psychopathic, and Rigid—provide a map for this journey. Each structure describes a different way we learned to survive and adapt to our environment as children, but they are not who we truly are. If you are a breathworker, healer, coach, yoga teacher or therapist, or just want to dive deeper into understanding your own developmental history and explore somatic approaches to healing, please see details of my upcoming Healing Developmental Trauma retreat and training in October 2025 in Poland HERE
If you are interested in learning more about developmental trauma and how it shapes our mind and body, check out my video training course Introduction to Reichian Character Structures & Developmental Trauma HERE.
