Phenomenology of the Self in Gestalt Therapy

Mercurio Albino Macaluso is a clinical psychologist and Gestalt psychotherapist. He teaches at the Istituto di Gestalt HCC Italy and works within the public mental health service in Palermo. His research focuses on the phenomenology of the self and contemporary developments in Gestalt therapy theory and practice.

"This book is a tour de force contribution to Gestalt therapy’s theory of self. Macaluso addresses the original theory through a hermeneutic reading and with a critical evaluation of its various refinements over the last 75 years. He not only presents the original theory with a clarity that makes the book essential reading for students and practitioners at every level of experience, but his own critical approach is a significant contribution to gestalt therapy’s clinical phenomenology in its own right."Dan Bloom, JD, LCSW, president New York Institute for Gestalt Therapy"Macaluso’s wisdom glides us gracefully and respectfully, with clear and astute prose, through the developmental phases of the language and application of gestalt therapy from beginnings to the present. I might have a different idea, here and there, but I would not hesitate to assign this book to interested students and partitioners. I was drawn in, captivated."Lynne Jacob, Co-founder, Pacific Gestalt Institute Training analyst, Institute of Contemporary Psychoanalysis"I want to welcome this book by a senior Gestalt trainer to the recent writings about Self in Gestalt Therapy. He has brought together the original writing by Perls and Goodman with more recent contributions on the subject."Peter Philippson, MSc, Full Member, New York Institute for Gestalt Therapy, Founder Member, Manchester Gestalt Centre, Honorary Member, GPTI (UK), Founder Member, IG-FEST

• 1. Subjective Experience in Gestalt Therapy: Aspects and Relational Dynamics 2. The Theory of the Self in Gestalt Therapy: Self, Ego, Id, and Personality 3. The Spontaneity of the Therapeutic Encounter as a Key Factor for Change 4. Deliberateness and Spontaneity in Gestalt Therapeutic Action 5. The Id in Gestalt Therapy 6. Rediscovering the Id in Dreamwork: A Gestalt Approach through the Continuum of Awareness 7. Personality, Neurotic Mechanisms, and Gestalt Diagnosis 8. The Concept of the Field in Gestalt Therapy: Developments and Implications