Gestalt Press – serie

In The Secret Language of Intimacy, shame and its consequences are foregrounded as a major, if not the major, impediment to the healthy functioning in the relationships of couples.In the first part of the book, Robert Lee presents the "Secret Language of Intimacy Workshop," developed and presented for the first time at the 1998 Annual Conference of the Association for the Advancement of Gestalt Therapy. Lee not only describes how the hidden forces of shame and belonging regulate couple dynamics, but also how the workshop itself has facilitated the acceptance of these forces and promoted therapeutic resolution, utilizing clinical vignettes.The second half of the book is comprised of internationally contributed essays from leading names in the Gestalt perspective, each adding to and redefining the role of shame and belonging in the theory and practice of Gestalt couples therapy. Their conclusions, however, are just as insightful for purveyors of other psychoanalytic and psychodynamic therapies as well.

Traditional psychotherapy approaches, focusing on working with and correcting mental events and conditions, have placed little importance on the fundamentally physical nature of the person. Yet many of the problems people bring to therapy are linked with or manifested in the body--such as obesity, psychosomatic distress, chronic tension, and sexual problems. This book provides a therapeutic approach that addresses both the physical and mental nature of clients.In this book, James Kepner shows that a client's posture, movements, and bodily experiences are indeed relevant to therapy, and he offers an insightful framework for incorporating these aspects into a therapeutic framework. This comprehensive treatment explains how body work can be integrated with the aims, methods, and philosophy of psychotherapy, offering a framework within which practitioners of different theoretical approaches can better appreciate body processes in the context of the whole person, rather than as isolated events.This book, including an updated introduction by the author, explores the range of body work in psychotherapy, from the development of body awareness to intensive work with physical structure and expression. And it demonstrates how this approach can be particularly effective with a range of clients, including survivors of sexual abuse, recovering drug addicts or alcoholics, or those suffering from chronic illness.

In this collection of papers and lecturers from the late Rainette Fantz, we witness firsthand the exhilarating possibilities inherent in the Gestalt therapy model. Frantz brings her background in theater to bear on her remarkable work as a therapy and teacher-work marked by delightful imagination, striking improvisation, and aesthetic beauty. The insights contained in these chapters illuminate everything from the intricacies of an opening session to the theoretical foundations of Gestalt dreamwork, and Frantz's candid style invites the reader to explore with her the joys and sorrows of a career as a Gestalt therapist.

To all of those familiar with the Gestalt model and its many creative extensions and applications, the name Joseph Zinker needs no introduction. A master Gestalt therapist and a cofounder of the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland, Joseph trained with Fritz Perls in the 1960's and has been influential in the growth and development of Gestalt theory and methodology for over three decades.His groundbreaking 1976 book, Creative Process in Gestalt Therapy, remains a best-seller and classic. It eloquently presents his unique contributions to the Gestalt method including dreamwork as theater, the choreography of expressive movement, experiment, and application of the arts to psychotherapy. In his most recent book, In Search of Good Form: Gestalt Therapy with Couples and Families, (Analytic Press, 1998) Joseph inspires a return to Gestalt therapy with couples and families, Joseph inspires a return to Gestalt therapy's roots in humanism, holism, and faith in the creative power of growth and integration that resides in each of us. Aside from his books, he has published many articles on psychotherapy, the arts, and the phenomenology of love. In recent years his focus has been on the development of couple and family therapy. He now leads workshops around the world and is well know as an engaging teacher, helping and inspiring therapists and lay people alike. Joseph has experienced drama and struggle in his rich life, resulting in a deep compassion for his fellow man. He is seen as lively and creative, at times funny, at others deeply moving as he lovingly reaches out to workshop participants.

In these groundbreaking new collections, the reader will find an exciting, boad-ranging selection of work showing an array of applications of the Gestalt model to working with children, adolescents, and their families and worlds.  From the theoretical to the hands-on, and from the clinical office or playroom to family settings, schools, institutions, and the community, these chapters take us on a rewarding tour of the vibrant, productive range of Gestalt work today, always focusing on the first two decades of life.  With each new topic and setting, fresh and creative ideas and interventions are offered and described, for use by practitioners of every school and method.

In this ground-breaking book, Michael Clemmens offers a new model of treatment for long-term recovery which goes beyond the traditional "disease" paradigm. Working from the belief that a fuller life for the recovering addict is grounded on a foundation of abstinence, the author explores a "self-modulation" approach which leads to a change in the behavior from within the individual while developing and expanding connection with others.

How do children emotionally heal and regain equilibrium after suffering trauma? How do adults understand and help them in a therapeutic relationship? These questions are at the heart of Violet Oaklander's approach to play therapy and her methods for training adults to work with children and adolescents. In this text, Peter Mortola uses qualitative and narrative methods of analysis to document and detail Oaklander's work in a two-week summer training attended by child therapists from around the world.

Traditional psychotherapy approaches, focusing on working with and correcting mental events and conditions, have placed little importance on the fundamentally physical nature of the person. Yet many of the problems people bring to therapy are linked with or manifested in the body--such as obesity, psychosomatic distress, chronic tension, and sexual problems. This book provides a therapeutic approach that addresses both the physical and mental nature of clients.In this book, James Kepner shows that a client's posture, movements, and bodily experiences are indeed relevant to therapy, and he offers an insightful framework for incorporating these aspects into a therapeutic framework. This comprehensive treatment explains how body work can be integrated with the aims, methods, and philosophy of psychotherapy, offering a framework within which practitioners of different theoretical approaches can better appreciate body processes in the context of the whole person, rather than as isolated events.This book, including an updated introduction by the author, explores the range of body work in psychotherapy, from the development of body awareness to intensive work with physical structure and expression. And it demonstrates how this approach can be particularly effective with a range of clients, including survivors of sexual abuse, recovering drug addicts or alcoholics, or those suffering from chronic illness.