Gestalt Therapy Research Articles

Theory and Praxis in Experiential Education: Some Insights From Gestalt Therapy

Background: Higher education policy increasingly conceptualizes industry-linked, service, and place-based forms of education in terms of experiential education. Although potentially promising, this turn toward experience risks instrumentalizing and marketizing experience, which is exacerbated by individualized theories of experiential learning. Purpose: Some scholars have therefore called for more sociological accounts of experiential learning, inviting deeper consideration of how individual experience is connected to social, cultural, or environmental factors. Methodology/Approach: This article responds to that call by explicating the praxis of Gestalt therapy, often associated with the individualistic human potential movement, but which nevertheless offers a framework for reconceptualizing theory and pedagogy of experiential education in more sociological terms. A brief history of Gestalt therapy foregrounding its sociological and experiential basis is followed by explanation of the three pillars of Gestalt therapy (commitment to dialogue, phenomenology, and field theory). Findings/Conclusions: This framework is shown to support a more sociologically oriented theory and praxis of experiential education that also integrates divergent understandings of experience. Implications: Given the turn toward experience in higher education and contemporary flourishing of cooperative social processes in general, defining experiential education more explicitly in terms of Gestalt praxis promises a timely enhancement of both, in the service of socially responsible objectives.

A estética do movimento: uma leitura sartriana da psicoterapia a partir da arte de Alberto Giacometti

This article presents and discusses the concept of movement aesthetics. It starts with reflections on the aesthetic sense in existential-phenomenological psychotherapy and discusses the process of psychotherapy as a result of the construction of an aesthetic sense that goes beyond speech. Jean-Paul Sartre's reflections on Alberto Giacometti's art are the theoretical support for the presentation of the aesthetic concept of movement, in an attempt to contribute to the phenomenological-existential psychotherapy. This is a theoretical study that is based on data from the master's dissertation of one of the authors, which proposed a dialogue between the Sartrian phenomenological ontology and the notion of body in gestalt therapy. The dissertation work cited discusses, among other things, the methodological contributions of existential psychoanalysis and the Sartrian progressive-regressive method. Here, such a methodological discussion is reached when presenting the notion of aesthetics of movement.Keywords: Esthetic of Movement; Phenomenological-Existential Psychotherapy; Progressive-regressive method; Jean-Paul Sartre; Alberto Giacometti

A Study of Cartier-Bresson's "Decisive Moment" Theory and Its Comparison with Frederick Perls "Gestalt Therapy" Theory

A Study of Cartier-Bresson's "Decisive Moment" Theory and Its Comparison with Frederick Perls "Gestalt Therapy" Theory

Gestalt music therapy in Brazil: exploring fields

Music Therapy is an autonomous and hybrid area arising from the relation between the knowledge and the practices of arts and health fields. Because of this hybridism, it bases some of its knowledge on other disciplines and other practices such as psychotherapies and, amongst them, Gestalt therapy. The research aims to investigate relations between Music therapy and Gestalt Therapy in order to reflect about a Gestalt Music Therapy. It is an exploratory research, developed as a systematic and unsystematic bibliographical survey, as well as with theoretical and political propositions. The literature shows that although there are works in this direction, the proposal of a Gestalt Music Therapy is still little explored, especially in Brazil, and it seems that there is still little opening for professionals Music therapists to seek specific training in Gestalt therapy.

The effectiveness of gestalt therapy and logo therapy on anger reduction and increase of mental health of teenagers of correction and rehabilitation center

Aim of this research has the effectiveness of gestalt therapy and logo therapy on anger reduction and Increase of mental health of teenager of correction and rehabilitation center of Khoram Abad city. In this quasi-experimental research by available method 24 teenagers which take high mark in SCL.90.R exam and state-traitangerexpression inventory-2 STAXI-2 were grouped randomly in three pilot groups as gestalt therapy (8 person) and logo therapy (8 person) and control without any therapeutic intervention (8 person). Members of gestalt therapy and logo therapy pilot groups participate in 8 group therapy 90 minutes sessions, twice in a week. Obtained results measured as pretest and posttest by STAXI-2 and SCL.90.R determination scales and resulting data analyzed to comparison means of three groups at three assessment cases by covariance analysis. Findings has supported the effectiveness of both approaches Logo therapy and Gestalt therapy on anger reduction and increased mental health. Mental health is a science for better life that its principles include all periods of life from the formation of sperm to death. Also is an art and technique that help peoples to adopting with their environment by adjusting proper psychological and emotional methods and finding better solutions to solve their problems.

The Gestalt of the “Self” in Gestalt Therapy: A Suggestion for a New Configuration of Theory

Abstract The concept of the “self” in Gestalt therapy has not, to the author's mind, been fully developed, making it a “heterogenous introject,” an amalgam of theoretical concepts from different scientific sources. This may explain why some therapists of the first generation have not even attempted to define “self” at all, while others have tried to develop this concept in various directions. As a consequence, to date no concise gestalt of the “self” has emerged. The author explores some current philosophical approaches to the self as well as recent scientific research to have a more precise idea of how this concept can be understood. By taking into account the central concept of “gestalt,” we can gain more clarity regarding the fundamental characteristics of Gestalt therapy. The author concludes with a basic structure for a new configuration of theory.

Psychopedagogy of integration and authenticity: on the relationship between Gestalt therapy and Gestalt pedagogy and educational transactional analysis (part 5)

The article discusses the links between Gestalt therapy and pedagogy and transactional analysis in its educational dimension.

The mundaneity of the body: (re)thinking the individualistic culture and its implications for gestalt-therapy

Solidified in modernity, with the emergence of individualism, the dichotomies mind x body, person x world, organism x environment, subject x culture emerge from the same process that, as the anthropologist Le Breton points out, anatomized man, separated him from his environment and from others and objectified nature. Both Gestalt therapy and the philosopher Merleau-Ponty propose an understanding of the human being who seeks to overcome these dichotomies. For Merleau-Ponty we are incarnated in a world, woven with it, affirming the mundaneity of the body. For Gestalt therapy, both the body and the notion of organism/environment field also points to this non-individualistic understanding of human being. The objective of this work is, from these interdisciplinary references, to reaffirm the non-individualistic condition of existence and to deepen this perspective in Gestalt therapy theory.

Buddhism: Who Needs It?

Abstract The author evaluates the relationship between psychotherapy and Buddhism. Section I investigates evidence concerning the effectiveness of incorporating Buddhist practices, principally mindfulness, into psychotherapy in general, and into Gestalt therapy in particular. Beginning with a brief look at the history of Buddhism in America, viewed especially as able to heal physical and mental illness, and the possible influence of Buddhism on the origins of Gestalt therapy, he concludes that, despite claims to the contrary, there is little evidence to support the effectiveness of using mindfulness in psychotherapy. Section II addresses the ethical question of whether mindfulness practices can be successfully extracted from their religious origins for use in the secular context of psychotherapy. Section III examines how the inclusion of mindfulness in many forms of therapy, and the proliferation of mindfulness workshops and “tools,” may be negatively affecting the understanding of Buddhism itself.

Gestalt therapy as a clinic of engagement: understanding the dialogical relation

Gestalt therapy constitutes itself as a dialogical psychotherapy, a clinic of engagement.Empirical research on the dialogical existentialism-gestalt psychotherapy interface is scarce.Considering the dialogical relation as the axis of this approach, the objective was to understand the experiences of psychology professionals regarding the dialogical relation in gestalt therapy.As a methodological resource, we used the qualitative research of a phenomenological method, with a semiotic orientation.Open phenomenological interviews were carried out with five collaborators.The data were recorded and transcribed in full.The analysis was based on phenomenological reflexivity, through description, reduction, and interpretation.Results indicate the opening, presence, and use of epoché by the therapist as fundamental elements for the dialogical relation.Positive I-You attitude experiences have been found, suggesting culminating episodes of this process.There was confusion between the concept of I-You attitude and I-You moments, with an appreciation of this principle to the detriment of the I-It attitude, which evidences the need to rethink the formation of the gestalt therapist. Thus, the dialogical relation in gestalt therapy presents itself as a field of phenomenal pluralities.It is up to the professional to thread carefully and attentively in this field of innumerable possibilities.

Tearing Down the Self, or Transforming It? <em>Est</em> as Uncertain Gestalt

Abstract Continuing the historical trajectory traced previously (Fisher 2019), this article maps the beginning of a critical period of controversy that enveloped est (Erhard Seminar Training) and its founder after 1973. As the est training gained popularity and attracted mainstream media attention, skeptics homed in on its cultish and authoritarian aspects, while defenders argued that Erhard had created an excellent method for transforming the self and unlocking human potential. This dynamic replayed an earlier debate that had centered on Fritz Perls, Esalen, and Gestalt therapy during the 1960s (see Fisher 2017). Yet, est was at the heart of controversy in part because it stood as the symbol and test case for the human potential movement's enduring value, which remains uncertain today.

Hope as creative adjustment: reflections of health, disease and death processes in Gestalt Therapy

Hope can be defined as a forward-looking expectation that can serve as a protective factor to adversity. This work sought to investigate hope in the context of health, disease and death processes from the concept of creative adjustment that originates from a phenomenological perspective developed by Fritz Perls. Through a qualitative narrative review, we sought to define what is being published about hope in addition to hospital psychology in the databases Scielo, PsycINFO and Google Scholar. Materials published from the period 2001 to 2018 were used. The materials found were described and discussed through the precepts of Gestalt Therapy. From the theoretical reflections carried out it can be understood that hope can serve as a way of creatively adjusting to a critical period of serious illnesses or terminality, since it becomes a support for facing reality. It is hoped that this work will enable the health professional to make reflections, redirecting the look to healthy workings in health and illness processes in order to strengthen the potentialities and the recovery of spontaneous and creative responses of their patients.

ADHD in the field of social welfare: possibilities for an extended clinic

This theoretical article aimed to constitute a review of the gestalt literature about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) produced in Brazil and to discuss practical possibilities of intervention based on Gestalt therapy. These proposals were designed in the context of a social welfare service that welcomes children and adolescents, with or without the diagnosis of ADHD. Thus, was necessary to articulate with the concept of extended clinic, supported by the field concept of Kurt Lewin. Was considered the contributions of Luciana Aguiar and Violet Oaklander, two important authors of gestalt psychotherapy with children, in Brasil and in the world, respectively. Among the results, there was the need for interventions at the institutional level (such as working within the institution's introjects and offering greater supervision and monitoring to these children) and individual (performing motor sensory activities aimed at the development of the protagonism through the possibility of to choose).

Comprehension of the security and risk binomial: perspectives in dialogue

The paper seeks to develop an understanding of the creative adjustments of maintaining the status quo and security and the impossibility or non-existence of security as risk-free. Despite this impossibility, the search for safety and risk avoidance are striking in contemporary society and often present in the psychological clinic. This is often understood as a space that will provide answers and security in the imagination of both the seeker and the psychotherapist. Reflecting on the subject, we seek to establish a dialogue between sociological perspectives, the philosophy of Paul Tilich and the theoretical references of Gestalt Therapy. It is argued that, from modern societies, scientific knowledge, including psychology, is sought as a promise of security. From Paul Tilich's work, risk is pointed out as inherent in existence, illustrated by the certainty of death. It is also indicated that anxiety is experienced by man in the face of awareness of his finitude, and this anxiety can be faced by an act of courage. It is resorted to the theoretical framework of Gestalt Therapy, which considers the fantasy of safety and avoidance of risk as possible neurotic adjustments, understood as obstacles to growth by avoiding contact with novelty. It also notes that the clinical practice of Gestalt therapy is not intended to offer an absence of risks to its clients, but, supported by the environmental support built in the therapeutic relationship, seeks to facilitate contact with the way these risks are lived, thus enabling the development of self-support.

Enuresis: modern aspects of etiology, pathogenesis, psycho-, pharmaco-, physical therapy and phytotherapy (part 2)

In the second part of the review, the current state of the pharmacological, psycho-, physical therapy and phytotherapy of enuresis is analyzed in detail. An algorithm for the treatment of bedwetting, recommended by experts from the International Children's Continence Society, based primarily on behavioral therapy, alarm-therapy (“bedwetting alarm clock”), pharmacotherapy, is considered. Methods of psychotherapy are discussed in detail: behavioral therapy, in particular the token system, as well as the differentiated application of the method of suggestion (hypnotic, "maternal suggestion", the method of "hypnosis-repose", self-hypnosis). The using of play therapy, cognitive-behavioral, family-, art therapy, and a child variant of gestalt therapy in psychotherapy of neurotic disorders in case of enuresis is substantiated. The date showing the effectiveness of alarm therapy (a lower rate of subsequent relapses and a lower risk of side effects compared with the widespread treatment with desmopressin) are given. The main targets of pharmacotherapy and the corresponding drugs are analyzed in accordance with the etiology and pathogenesis of the disease. The use of psychostimulants, tricyclic antidepressants for normalization of the sleep depth, nootropic drugs (especially calcium hopantenate) in neurosis-like enuresis, and anxiolytics and sedatives in the relatively rare neurotic form is substantiated. New approaches to pharmacotherapy are discussed, including the use of uroselective antagonists of M3-cholinergic receptors (tolterodine, solifenacin), α1-adrenoblockers, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the off label format. A critical analysis of treatment with desmopressin is given. The features of differentiated physical therapy of enuresis (high frequency current, electrophoresis with antispasmodics, magnetic therapy, thermal procedures, electric sleep, reflex therapy, exercise therapy, biofeedback method) are considered. The analysis of traditional approaches to herbal medicine as an auxiliary method of enuresis treatment using neurotropic, anticholinergic, antispasmodic properties of plants is presented. Strategies for increasing compliance and creating a therapeutic alliance are discussed. The researches supporting the benefits of early treatment of bedwetting are analyzed.

Bodily and Emotional Activation in Pain: Bridging Neurosciences and Gestalt Therapy to Understand the Therapist’s Wish for Help

Bodily and emotional activation in front of pain have been connected with the wish to help the other. Basing on previous researches of neuro-aesthetics, and on the concept of Aesthetic Relational Knowledge inside the frame of Gestalt therapy, the research has inquired on the reactions of 29 individuals in front of images of pain and neutral feelings, in artistic representations and in photos of actors. The individuals were tested with SCL-90-R, MAIA and IRI. The results confirm the hypothesis that the wish to help relates to bodily-emotional activation, with the capacity to feel one’s own body and yet hold the emotion of the other. Bodily-emotional activation was shown only in artistic representation of pain. A possible explanation is that the “movement” that activates a person in front of the pain is better expressed in artistic images. At the same time, the wish to help relates to the capacity to de-centralize from oneself and focus on the other. Lack of empathy is not connected with avoidance to help the other. Lack of empathy and wish to avoid helping has shown to relate to a feeling of anxiety and mistrust in coping, rather than with lack of empathy.

Enchantment: The Secret Ally of Psychotherapy

Abstract In this piece, I name seven foundational Gestalt therapy concepts. Through a combination of current thoughts and previous writings, I try to show how these basics have evolved in my therapeutic work, teachings, and writings.

Restoring the body: changes in body self in the course of a focusing and arts-based therapy program for female interpersonal trauma survivors

BackgroundThe goal of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a therapeutic program for female survivors of interpersonal trauma, among others, of domestic violence. The participating women took part in four two-day modules in a group setting during which they were offered focusing training and arts-based Gestalt therapy. The effectiveness of the interventions was evaluated in terms of improvements in body image and body experience, according to the model of body self as developed by Sakson-Obada.Participants and procedureThe Body-Self Questionnaire, the Affective Body Image test and the Draw-a-Woman test were administered to 21 participants before and after the program.ResultsAfter the therapy, the participants reported a reduction of disturbances in their body experience (interpretation and regulation of emotions and bodily needs and in body identity). In the body image domain, increased body satisfaction was observed using both declarative and projective tools – the women were also more likely to draw uncovered parts of the female body. Although improvements were noted in most of the women, three of them reported an increase in difficulties, mainly in the body image domain.ConclusionsThe study demonstrated that: (1) a combination of the two techniques, i.e., focusing training and art included in the Gestalt group therapy program, resulted in satisfactory changes in body image and body experience; (2) the therapy’s effects should be monitored in the context of a woman’s various life situations; and (3) the use of both declarative and non-declarative methods can be recommended to assess the effectiveness of body-centered therapy.

Pathos and Pathology: Margherita Spagnuolo Lobb and a Message Out of Europe

Abstract This response examines the impact on the North American Gestalt community of Margherita Spagnuolo Lobb's extension of the field approach to include a “worldwide” suffering. I reflect on cultural variants in the understanding of suffering in Europe and North America and inquire what can be learned from the European model. Gestalt therapy's shift of attention from the rising figure to attention to the ground itself has enabled work with deeper forms of suffering such as psychopathology, depression, panic disorder, and trauma, as well as a diagnostic approach that describes the cocreated space between client and therapist. How much can this shift allow the Gestalt therapist to include the sense of an insecure world: changing boundaries, terrorism, inability to trust one's neighbor, lack of grounding? Although it may be difficult for the North American therapist to identify strongly with such matters, Spagnuolo Lobb asks us consider our youth's issues of desensitization, suicide, addictions, lack of containment and identity, to alert us to the need for change.

The Paradigm of Reciprocity: How to Radically Respect Spontaneity in Clinical Practice

AbstractThis article explores how the concept of radical respect, crucial in Gestalt therapy, has changed over the years. Novel contemporary social situations challenge our organism/environment balance and call for new professional values. Today, clinical sufferings (i.e., desensitization, fragile sense of self, increase in impulsive behaviors) require that Gestalt therapists focus on the support of the ground experience rather than the figure. Examples of how to work on the ground are given, along with research results. The author then proposes a switch of paradigm in psychotherapy: to support the reciprocity and its dance in meaningful contacts. The aesthetic relational knowledge of the field is described as a new tool through which the therapist may draw upon her resonance in the field.