The IIBA is an international membership organization of psychotherapists devoted to the development and practice of Bioenergetic Analysis.
The Institute for Bioenergetic Analysis (IBA) was founded in 1956, in New York City, USA, by Alexander Lowen and two other students of Wilhelm Reich, John Pierrakos and William Walling. They separated a few years later and Alexander Lowen remained alone to manage the IBA.
(*Past logo from IBA)
In 1976, facing the international expansion of Bioenergetic Analysis and a growing demand in psychotherapist's trainings, Alexander Lowen turned the IBA into the International Institute for Bioenergetic Analysis (IIBA).
(*Past logo from IIBA)
Board of Trustees (BoT) 2021
Executive Committee
- President of the IIBA: Léia Maria de M. Cardenuto
- Vice-President: Janet Pinneau (from Northridge CA, USA)
- Secretary & Treasurer: Vita Heinrich-Clauer (from Osnabrück, Germany)
Representatives to the BoT 2021 for Europe:
- Patrizia Moselli (from Rome, Italy) - Term 1, Year 2 (elected in 12/2019, 1st term will finish in 03/2023, possibility of being re-elected in 12/2022)
- Vita Heinrich-Clauer (from Osnabrück, Germany) - Term 1, Year 2 (elected in 12/2019, 1st term will finish in 03/2023, possibility of being re-elected in 12/2022)
- Yarel Harel (from Moshav Bet-Halevi, Israel) - Term 1, Year 2 (elected in 12/2019, 1st term will finish in 03/2023, possibility of being re-elected in 12/2022)
- Manuela Tremante (from Rome, Italy) – Term 1, Year 1 (elected in 12/2020), 1st term will finish in 03/2024, possibility of being re-elected in 12/2023.
Representatives to the BoT 2021 for NANZIBA:
- Janet Pinneau (from Northridge, USA) - Term 1, Year 2 (elected in 12/2019, 1st term will finish in 03/2023, possibility of being re-elected in 12/2022)
- Paola Alessio (from New York, USA) - Term 1, Year 2 (elected in 12/2019, 1st term will finish in 03/2023, possibility of being re-elected in 12/2022)
- Ann Coleman (from Troy, USA) – Term 1, Year 1 (elected in 12/2020), 1st term will finish in 03/2024, possibility of being re-elected in 12/2023)
Representatives to the BoT 2021 for Latin America:
- Léia Maria de Mora Cardenuto (from Vila Madalena, Brazil) - Term 1, Year 2 (elected in 12/2019, 1st term will finish in 03/2023, possibility of being re-elected in 12/2022)
- Jayme Panerai Alves (from Apipucos Recife, Brazil) - Term 2, Year 2 (elected in 01/2020, 2nd term will finish in 03/2023)
- Alexandre Franca Barreto (from Petrolina, Brazil) – Term 1, Year 1 (elected in 12/2020, 1st term will finish in 03/2024, possibility of being re-elected in 12/2023)
Representative to the BoT 2021 for the International Faculty:
- Diana Guest (from San Diego, USA) - Term 2, Year 2 (elected in 12/2019, 2nd term will finish in 03/2023)
Advisor to the President:
- Maria Cristina Piauhy Silva Mendes (from Graça Salvador, Brazil) – her term as Adivsor to the President will finish in 03/2022)
Past Presidents
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Alexander Lowen resigned as Executive Director of the IIBA in 1996. |
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Ed Svasta (from Gainesville, USA) |
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Virginia Hilton (from Irvine, USA) |
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William White (from Newport Beach, USA) |
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Hugo Steinmann (from Stans, Switzerland) |
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Scott Baum (from New York, USA) |
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Garry Cockburn (from Roseneath Wellington, New Zealand) (2014 - 2016) |
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Diana Guest (from San Diego, USA) (2017-2019) |
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Maria Cristina Piauhy Silva Mendes (from Graça Salvador, Brazil) (2020) |
Membership
Members belong to the IIBA through membership in local societies (or as an exception as Member at Large). The IIBA has nearly 1600 active members and about 50 affiliated local societies, distributed worldwide. Bioenergetic Analysis is practiced in Europe, North America, South America, New Zealand and Asia.
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Mission The mission of the IIBA is to plan and execute activities that support and encourage the development of its members as Bioenergetic Therapists, that support and enhance the work of local societies and regional groups, and that promote the development and growth of modern Bioenergetic Analysis, as a theory and as a movement. To accomplish this, the IIBA takes as its mission to support cohesion and sharing within the community of members. This cohesion includes a commitment to the maintenance and enhancement of the international character, and recognition of the responsibility of all members, and groups within the IIBA to promote this. |
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The core organizational entity in the IIBA are the local afffiliated societies The Local Affiliated Societies function autonomously, understanding the unique characteristics of their national and professional situations.
The Local Affiliated Societies are, along with the members, the ground of the organization. Often the Local Affiliated Societies join to form larger regional organizations in order to pool resources and to coordinate programs. |
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The Board of Trustees (BoT) is committed to growing a method of organizational self-governance. An organization in which members can maintain a healthy allegiance to a bioenergetic center that holds the interests of members around the world, and also participate in local autonomous organizations. This is what members have asked for, and the BoT has tried to model this way of relating to each other organizationally, with respect for the Local Affiliated Societies and Federations, with an awareness of the interests of those members who have no local or regional affiliation, and with a guiding commitment to the interests and welfare of all the members. This part of the organizational mission is advanced by the IIBA acting to coordinate the activities of bioenergetic groups worldwide. This includes developing means of communication between Local Affiliated Societies, Regional Groups, and between members that enhance information and knowledge sharing, and thereby enhance members’ competence. |
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The International Faculty One very significant way in which this mission is advanced is by the IIBA acting on behalf of all members to assure the high quality training offered by Local Affiliated Societies. This includes formal training leading to certification as a Bioenergetic Therapist, and ongoing, continuing education. The overall vision of the IIBA is embodied in the highly competent ethical practice of modern Bioenergetic Analysis. This part of the mission of the IIBA is carried forward especially by the International Faculty, a body of highly skilled teachers whose work includes the development of new theory and methods of practice. The quality and updating of the content of training programs will be endorsed by the IIBA through the basic Curriculum that shall be continuously revised by the International Faculty and approved by the BOT. The Local Affiliated Societies guarantee the implementation of this basic content; with the possible adding of specific content due to regional needs. |
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The future of IIBA The mission of the IIBA extends into the future by supporting and encouraging the development of new knowledge and skills in modern Bioenergetic Analysis, and the appropriate synthesis of knowledge from other fields and theories into the knowledge base available to its members. The IIBA serves its members by conceiving, planning and executing activities that provide forums for sharing, teaching and groundbreaking. |
LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender)
The members of the International Institute for Bioenergetic Analysis (IIBA) do not believe that same-sex orientation should or needs to be changed, and efforts to do so represent a significant risk of harm by subjecting individuals to forms of treatment which have not been scientifically validated and by undermining self-esteem when sexual orientation fails to change.
No credible evidence exists that any mental health intervention can reliably and safely change sexual orientation; nor, from a mental health perspective does sexual orientation need to be changed.
In addition, the IIBA opposes discrimination against individuals with same-sex attraction.
