Functional Analysis

Functional Analysis is the meeting place between psyche and soma. The body and mind always work together – in both health and in illness.

Through focusing words, we guide the cognition to a deeper consciousness to enter into a clear experience of one’s self. We then use this self to self relationship as the basis upon which to build all our other relationships.

Somatically, we do the same. By gentle touch, we mobilise the bio-energetic properties of the connective tissue bringing the person deep within to meet himself, his essential endo self, and then, with this secure knowledge, he can move safely out to the world again.

In Functional Analysis, through both touch and words, we contact and explore that profound center in each of us where all our emotions, thoughts, movements and dreams flow together and from which all our life experiences spring.

The Founders

Will Davis

Will Davis is an American body-psychotherapist with more that 45 years’ experience in the field. He is a psychologist and was trained by Charles Kelley in neo-reichian Radix work. He trained in Encounter groups, Gestalt Therapy and in various healing methods. In the past 35 years, he has been offering trainings in America Japan and all over Europe.

Will developed Functional Analysis based on understanding the functioning of the life force. His interest is in the functional approach to therapy, which he interprets as the meeting place between Reich’s energy concepts and recent research in biology and physics, with a focus on the energetic qualities of connective tissue.

He is considered one of the major researchers in the fields of the functioning of the instroke and of the plasmatic origins of early disturbances.

He developed the gentle release technique of Points&Positions and combines that with a unique synthesis of verbal therapy.

He published innumerous articles in book form as well as in various professional journals, most notably in “Energy and Character”.

He is a member of: the International Advisory Board for the Journal of Energy and Character, the Advisory Board of the International Journal of Body Psychotherapy, the Scientific Committee of the Italian Society of Psychologists and Psychiatrists, the European Association of Body Psychotherapy .

“Will Davis, the founder of Functional Analysis Body Psychotherapy, challenges many assumptions within the Neo-Reichian movement, in particular the over-emphasis on too much cathartic discharge and induced emotional release. Davis described the polarities within the natural energetic pulsation within the organism, and has developed the deeply sensitive concept and practice of working with the “instroke”. This leads to a healing contact with quiet inner rhythms of the embodied self and to organic processes of self-recognition and self-valuation. Together with his wife, Lilly, Will has developed an important understanding of the flow of energy through the connective tissues of the body. This is a significant contribution to psychotherapy in general and forms a bridge between subjective experience and objective anatomy” (David Boadella)

Lilly Davis

Lilly Davis is a body-oriented psychotherapist. Since 1984 she works in her private practice in different European countries. From 1985 until 1994 she worked as a Trainer and Supervisor for Charles Kelley, The Radix Institute, Ojai California. Now she works as Trainer and Supervisor for the Institute of Functional Analysis. Her particular interest is consciousness and the psychosomatic process. She also teaches within a DIU "L'approche psychosomatique dans le soin" at the University of Montpellier. She is a state approved psychotherapist ( N° Adeli), a member of the EABP, ECP- holder and membre de la Federation Francaises des Psychothérapeutes et Psychanalystes. She lives in an old farmhouse in the countryside, where she brought up their two children with her husband Will.