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2. Awareness and Figure Ground
Fritz Perls said, Gestalt = Now = Awareness. We explore the Three Zones, the Awareness Cycle, and the contributions of Gestalt Psychology through Figure / Ground. The concept of Unfinished Business is related to incomplete Gestalten, which naturally
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3. Field Theory
The roots of Gestalt derive from Jan Smuts and the Gestalt psychologists who pioneered holism. Kurt Lewin developed Field Theory - now a central pillar of Gestalt Therapy. We explore this topic, examining the use of context in therapy, spheres of inf
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4. Responsibility
Gestalt is rooted in the concept of Existential Responsibility - incorporating autonomy, choice, freedom, and the power to change direction, at any moment. We focus on the ownership of experience, and pay careful attention to language that reflects a
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5. Contact
Contact and awareness go hand in hand in Gestalt. We move towards meeting in Good Contact and explore what organises Poor Contact. Clear boundaries are an inherent part of ‘meeting in difference’, as are the sensory Contact Functions.
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6. Contact Boundary Phenomenon
We understand the dimnishing of contact - and thus ability to function as well as quality of life - as being related to Contact Boundary Phenomenon. In old language the word ‘Resistance’ was used; in Gestalt we prefer to observe the dynamics of Conta
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7. Polarities
Life is a never ending sequence of polarities’. We look at splits in the psyche, how to achieve integration, flexibility rather than rigidity, and the Creative Indifference of Salamo Friedlander.
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8. Organismic Self Regulation
Faith in the Wisdom of the Organism is fundamental to Gestalt. We examine basic philosophical underpinnings of this concept and it's practical applications; the oppressive nature of Shouldistic Control, the operations of Conscience, and the Way of th
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9. I-Thou and Relationality
Gestalt draws on the philosophy of Martin Buber - his ideas of I-Thou relating and the Between. Gestalt is one of the original Relational Therapies, premised on radical authenticity, therapist transparency and the practice of ’therapy without questio
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10. Dreamwork
Freud, Jung and Perls recognised the value of dreams. In Gestalt, dreams are brought alive through the Experiment; their mystery is unmasked by the client rather than the interpretations of the therapist. The process is often playful and reveals core
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11. Phenomenology
The pillar of Awareness derives from Phenomenology and the Eastern traditions of Zen and Taoism. The ‘science of experience’ focuses on the subjective and unique. Rather than starting with psychological models, we allow embodied awareness to naturall
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12. The Gestalt Experiment
The Gestalt pillar of Experiment moves away from ‘talk therapy’, adding colour, drama, creativity and experiential learning to the Gestalt process. We explore a variety of experiments, look at how to tailor them to the client, and examine phases of a
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13. Middle Zone, Metaphor, Fantasy and Story
Lose your mind and come to your senses’ said Fritz Perls. However, Gestalt does use the mind - as metaphor, imagination and projection. Meaning making is one of the 3 Zones of Awareness; we explore how it can be part of an organic, present centred th
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14. Paradoxical Theory of Change
This is the paradox: change occurs spontaneously when you let go of agendas and goals. ‘What is, is, and one thing follows the next’ is a Gestalt take on Existentialist notions of Being and Becoming. We examine Beisser’s contribution to the theory an
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15. Art and Creative Media
Art is a powerful medium in therapy, and the Experiment in Gestalt is ideally suited to its utilisation. We explore a variety of practical ways to apply creative process, support transformation and explore awareness, instead of offering interpretatio
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16. Style, Authenticity and Unvirtues
Existential notions of authenticity underpin Gestalt principles & practices. We are not trying to change people; rather help them become more fully themselves. Recognising and owning ones own ‘style’ - healthy & shadow - is inherent to this process.
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17. Managing a Unit of Work
The Unit of Work is a practical application of the Awareness Cycle in terms of a therapeutic session. The four distinct phases provide an orienting guide to the therapist in terms of managing the process, in any time slot, from start to completion.
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18. Somatics
Gestalt is fundamentally a Somatic Psychotherapy. We work directly with the body using movement, touch, awareness, breathing and grounding. We convert words to body experience, and visa versa. We explore over and underbounding, streaming and postural
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19. Shame
Shame underpins many of the emotions people feel and express; however it’s often hidden. We explore a ‘shame-sensitive practice’; the tension between expectations of responsiblity and agency; what is required of the therapist; and the poles of belong
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20. Psychopathology
Gestalt emerges from the humanistic tradition of therapy - a growth-oriented view of human development and actualisation. How does an holistic therapy address mental conditions which severely limit people’s capacity for embodiment or relationship?
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21. Groupwork
Gestalt is ideallly suited to working with groups. Interactive Groups operate through the Here & Now, I & Thou orientation of Gestalt. We explore the phenomenology and psychology of group process, and apply a Relational orientation at 3 levels of a g
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22. Couples and Family Work
We take a tour through Marital & Family Therapy, looking at conjunctions with the four pillars. We examine a specifically Gestalt approach: process oriented, boundaried, using limited interventions plus experiments, support and integration.
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23. Suicide
Suicide is a difficult subject to address in therapy, and we look at it with a Gestalt perspective, starting with the personhood, experience, and values of the therapist.
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24. Sexuality
We view this complex topic through a Gestalt lens, starting with Field context, addressing the experience and personhood of the therapist, and the place of the Erotic. Awareness of sexual feelings is considered valid to address in the therapeutic dia
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25. Attachment and Developmental Approaches
Gestalt does not have a developmental theory; any foray into a person’s Field is brought into the Here & Now. We examine a range of developmental orientations, attachment theory, other therapeutic modalities and their interface with Relational Gestal
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26. Character and Personality Systems
Although Gestalt is process-oriented, there is a widespread interest in systems of classification - which can become limiting, diminishing and reductionist. We look at the interface of personality systems, temperament, using a phenomenological approa
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27. Historical Influences
Gestalt Therapy is a synthesis of many sources. Here we explore the people, systems of thought, and historical context, ranging through Existentialism, The Grotesque, the Cooperative Anarchism of Kropotkin, and the General Semantics of Korzybski.
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28. Ethics and Clinical Practice
We examine core ethical theories, the Situational Ethics which Gestalt draws on, and the difference between Emic and Etic perspectives. We challenge orthodoxies and look at how complexity can be incorporated without compromising the interests of a cl
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29. The Transpersonal
Gestalt is a-theoretical in its phenomenological base, focusing on Being-With-What-Is, in a Zen awareness style and using Wu Wei - the Creative Void - as a Taoist therapy style. We explore a range of Transpersonal approaches and their relevance to Ge
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30. Work with Trauma and Abuse
The Gestalt approach to trauma underpins many current modalities. We look at working with sexual assault and violence in terms of both clients’ trauma, and clients as perpetrators. We explore a range of orientations including Narrative and Systemic.
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31. Working with Children
We take the core Gestalt principles and practices, and apply them to the population of children as clients. We explore a range of techniques and approaches that are very suited to the Gestalt lens, and we look at specific Gestalt ways to work with ch
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32. Gestalt and Organisations
The Gestalt approach is highly suited to Organisation Development and Consulting. Gestalt books include Authentic Management, and Neurotic Organisations. We explore these concepts and approaches, applying the 4 pillars to working with business settin
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33. Gestalt and The Larger Ecology
Therapy has come under fire as being too focused on the individual and not enough on larger systems. Here we address bigger contexts - community, politics, social change; how therapists can utilise Gestalt approaches to transform the wider Field.
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34. Working with Addictions
Addictions are complex and difficult to work with in therapy. We look at a range of approaches to understanding and working with addictions, applications of Field Theory, and explore an explicitly Gestalt model which is correlated with the Awareness