Courses / Unit 4
About the course
Unit Objectives
Understand the Gestalt concept of responsibility.Able to take responsibility for own experience.Understand the Gestalt approach to support.Able to support self.Able to balance frustration and support so client takes responsibility for themselves.
Understanding theory
Contact-awareness-choice Maturation, Relation environmental to self support Manipulation vs. expression of wants Language Existentialism
Personal Development
Commitment to own growth, Taking responsibility for own experience, Strong self support, Open to positive and negative feedback, Responsible for ecological balance between self and surroundings, Being direct
Practice Skills
Ability to frustrate client - not give in to client manipulations, or take responsibility for them , Ability to support client , Facilitating self support in client , Attention to language - self and client , Centring client in their own experience , Able to be honest and direct in session, minimum of words/jargon , Ability to confront.
Course curriculum
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Andreas, S. (2000). Modal Operators. Anchor Point, 151, pp 19-26.
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Clark, D. (1999). Growing older or growing up. In Chicken soup foe the college soul Inspiring and humorous stories about college. httpswww.snopes.comfact-checknever-too-old-to-live-your-dream.
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Focus Psychological Services. (2021). Using I language. httpsfocuspsychservices.comimagesPDFUsing%20I%20Language
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Katie, B. (2015). Idea turnarounds with the work of Byron Katie. Finn Kollerup. httpsfinnkollerup.com20150718idea-turnarounds-with-the-work-of-byron-katie
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Langle, A. (2003). The Search for Meaning in Life and the Fundamental Existential Motivations. Psychotherapy in Australia, 10(1), 22-27.
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Larsen, L. (2002). Meta Model. httpwww.lorenlarsen.comarticlesmetamodel
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McNeilly, R. (1998). Solution Oriented Counselling Can therapy be brief and human_ Psychotherapy in Australia, 2(2), 34-38.
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Steiner, C. (2003). Chapter 7 Taking responsibility. In Emotional literacy Intelligence with a heart (pp. 111-131). Personhood Press.
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Yalom, I.D. (1980). Chapter 6 Responsibility. Existential Psychotherapy. New York Basic Books. Pp218-233.
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Barlow, A. R. (1986). The role of semantics in Gestalt therapy. The Gestalt Journal, 9(2), 67-76.
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Bloom, D. (2001). The song of the self Language and Gestalt therapy. The Gestalt Journal, 24(2), 31-44.
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Briedis, M. (2009). Phenomenology of freedom and responsibility in Sartres existentialist ethics. Santalka, 17(3), 71-82.
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Clark, A. (1981). Developmental Gestalten in adulthood. The Gestalt Journal, 4(2), 55-72.
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Crocker, S. F. (1983). Truth and foolishness in the Gestalt prayer. The Gestalt Journal, 5(1), 4-15.
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Crocker, S.F. (1993). Gestalt Magic. The British Gestalt Journal, 2, 96-103.
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Cummings, D. (2018). What is existential freedom_ httpsareomagazine.com20180731what-is-existential-freedom
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Ketcham, C. (2018). The human Gestalt. The Human Prospect, 7(2), 22-28.
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Koprek, I. (2016). Responsibility. Ethical Imperative of Humanity. Gestalt Today Malta, Vol 1. p.127-136
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Korb, M. P. (1984). Therepeutic steps and processes in maturation A Gestalt approach. The Gestalt Journal, 8(2), 43-59.
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Korb, M. P. (1999). Redefining maturity and maturational processes. The Gestalt Journal, 22(2), 7-30.
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Lichtenberg, P. (2012). Inclusive and exclusive aggression- Some (Gestalt) reflections. Gestalt Review, 16(2), 145-161.
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Perls, F. (1973). Peeling the Onion. In The Gestalt Approach and Eyewitness to Therapy, Bantam Books, NY pp74-85.
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Perls, L. (1992). Chapter 15 Commitment. Living at the Boundary. The Gestalt Journal. Pp221-226.
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Rogers, R., & Ridker, M. (1981). Dynamics of pathalogical aggression from a Gestalt therapy program. The Gestalt Journal, 4(1), 65-73.
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Schoen, S. (1984). A note on Gestalt responsibility and Buddhist non-attachment. The Gestalt Journal, 7(2), 70-75.
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Skovgaard, R. (2015). The question of anger- On Frank and Barbara Staemmler's criqitue of Perls. Gestalt Review, 19(3), 195-211.
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Smith, E. W. L. (1998). At the cusp of being and becoming The growing edge phenomenon. The Gestalt Journal, 21(2), 9-19.
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Soggie, N. A. (2009). Thinking, relating and choosing Resolving the issue of faith, ethics and the existential responsibility of the individual. The Indo-Pacific Journal of Phenomenology, 9(2), 1-5.
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Staemmler, F.M. (2020). Human suffering and the vicissitudes of personal responsibility in the course of psychotherapy. British Gestalt Journal Vol. 29, No. 1, p.1220
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Tobin, S.A. Wholeness and Self Support, in J.O. (ed) (1975). Gestalt is. Real People Press, Utah, pp129-149.
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Ziembinski, Z. (1986). Self support and Gestalt therapy. At the Boundary, 3(4), 316.
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Focus Psychological Services. (2021). Defensiveness. httpsfocuspsychservices.comimagesPDFDefensiveness.pdf.
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Focus Psychological Services. (2021). Exercising self-responsibility.httpsfocuspsychservices.comimagesPDFFILE-20170811-1455HGDQT1GTVSC8
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Foster, H. L., & Biernat, N. A. (2001). Conscious and unconscious teacheradministrator behavior and conflict Three related studies.
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Kador, J. (2009). In Effective apology - Mending fences, building bridges, and restoring trust (pp. 183–211). Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
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Kegan, R., & Lahey, L. L. (2007). Chapter 2 From the language of blame to the language of personal responsibility. In How the way we talk can change the way we work (pp. 33-46). Jossey-Bass.
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Manser, A. (1991). Existentialism. Cogito, 5(2), 16.
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Ross, K. L. (2003). Existentialism. The proceedings of the Friesian School, fourth series. httpswww.friesian.comexistent.htm.
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Sakaguchi, K., & Hasegawa, T. (2007). Personality correlates with frequency of being targeted for unexpected advanes by strangers. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 37(5), 948-968.
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Spinelli, E. (2010). Personal correspondence.
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Spinelli, E. (2014). Responsibility. In Practicing existential therapy - The relational world (pp. 45–46). Sage Publications.
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Swan, N. (1998). Mastering the control factor. The Health Report. ABC Radio National. httpswww.abc.net.auradionationalprogramshealthreportmastering-the-control-factor-part-one3566112.
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Winkel, F. W., & McCormack, R. J. (1997). Victim precipitation Some fresh evidence on nonverbally mediated perceptions of vulnerability. Psychology, Crime and Law, 3(3), 219-225.
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Wyatt, C. S. (2008). Existentialism An introduction. httpsseemart.wordpress.com20080731existentialism-an-introduction.
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Zur, O. Psychology of victimhood - Reflections on a culture of victims and how psychotherapy fuels the victim industry. Zur Institute.
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Duckles, A. (2015). The reach of words.
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Jacobs, L. (2006). That which enables - Support as complex and contextually emergent. British Gestalt Journal, 15(2), 1–24.
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Papidze, A. (2019). Gestalt therapy as a process of liberation. New Gestalt Voices Vol 4. p.52-60
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Video lecture on Responsibility - 237 minute
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Quiz on Responsibility
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4. Responsibility • Assessment 15 • Concept Map
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4. Responsibility • Assessment 16 • Reflection Form
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4. Responsibility • Assessment 17 • Core Readings - Focus summaries / concept maps
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4. Responsibility • Assessment 18 • Essay - Can’t and Won’t
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About the presenter

Dr Steve Vinay Gunther
Steve Vinay Gunther has studied Gestalt therapy since 1985 and founded Gestalt institutes in Australia, South Korea, and China. Since 2000, he has been an international Gestalt trainer, teaching in Asia, Egypt, South Africa, Mexico, Colombia, and the USA.
In addition to Gestalt therapy, Steve is trained in family therapy, narrative therapy, somatic therapy, career coaching, and family constellations. He has practiced and studied meditation since 1973 and previously served as a professor of Spiritual Psychology at the Ryokan Institute in Los Angeles.
Steve pioneered relational psychology with his concept, The Unvirtues, and designed the Relational Parenting system. He is the father of five children and grandfather to four boys.