Social class and Gestalt therapy: are we blind?

Abstract

"Abstract Social class and social inequality in the context of Gestalt therapy are boundary events, forces in the Person/Other field, one of several power relations that play out in our interactions. They are also forces that shape our profession. Yet, unlike sexism, homophobia and racism, they are rarely discussed in Gestalt writing. I explore some ways a 'working class’ background, and a class difference between us as individuals and the people we work with, impact our clients, our trainees and ourselves. I will address the questions: How does class manifest as a force in the client-therapist field? Are we 'class blind' in our therapeutic or supervision work and training curricula? I will offer some examples from therapy and supervision, suggest some reasons for the absence of this topic from Gestalt teaching and outline possible methodological tools to explore this. Keywords social class, Gestalt therapy, therapy training, power relationships, inequality, field theory, ideology, identity politics, capitalism"