Gestalt Therapy Book Series – serie

Enchantment and Gestalt Therapy is a personal exploration of Erving Polster’s remarkable career, the value of the Gestalt approach, and the power of enchantment in psychotherapy.Polster points ahead to a vision of a psychotherapy that includes the population as a whole rather than focusing on individuals, highlights common aspects of living, and focuses on creating an ethos for a shared understanding. The book outlines the six Gestalt therapy concepts that have formed the basis of Polster’s work and describes Life Focus Groups, with an emphasis on the communal relationship between tellers and listeners. Polster also describes the phenomenon of enchantment in psychotherapy in detail, with reference to his own experiences. This unique work is essential reading for Gestalt therapists, other professionals interested in Gestalt approaches, and readers looking for a deeper insight into community and connection.In the below link, Erving Polster speaks to Margherita Spagnuolo Lobb, the series editor of The Gestalt Therpay Book Series, about Enchantment and Gestalt Therapy.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PVG9JgpTQQ&feature=youtu.be

Enchantment and Gestalt Therapy is a personal exploration of Erving Polster’s remarkable career, the value of the Gestalt approach, and the power of enchantment in psychotherapy.Polster points ahead to a vision of a psychotherapy that includes the population as a whole rather than focusing on individuals, highlights common aspects of living, and focuses on creating an ethos for a shared understanding. The book outlines the six Gestalt therapy concepts that have formed the basis of Polster’s work and describes Life Focus Groups, with an emphasis on the communal relationship between tellers and listeners. Polster also describes the phenomenon of enchantment in psychotherapy in detail, with reference to his own experiences. This unique work is essential reading for Gestalt therapists, other professionals interested in Gestalt approaches, and readers looking for a deeper insight into community and connection.In the below link, Erving Polster speaks to Margherita Spagnuolo Lobb, the series editor of The Gestalt Therpay Book Series, about Enchantment and Gestalt Therapy.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PVG9JgpTQQ&feature=youtu.be

Exploring Masculinity, Sexuality, and Culture in Gestalt Therapy is an invitation to explore social and political issues within the psychotherapeutic framework. It describes and analyses the author’s journey of becoming a gestalt therapist in Poland and England through analyses of masculinity, sexuality, relationality, and culture.This book addresses the collective gestalts exploring the psychotherapeutic taboos of sexual transference, same-sex attraction, use or lack of touch, gender equality, and inter-cultural conflicts. Each chapter is an exploration of prejudices embedded in our cultures and therapeutic work, and provides a theoretical challenge to current practices within gestalt therapy and beyond. The author advocates for a more collective understanding of embodied sensations emerging in the therapeutic context as collective gestalts. Through the use of autoethnographic research methodology, this book shows how personal embodied experiences are intertwined with the social, political, and material context. It is essential reading for gestalt therapists, as well as readers interested in gestalt approaches.

Exploring Masculinity, Sexuality, and Culture in Gestalt Therapy is an invitation to explore social and political issues within the psychotherapeutic framework. It describes and analyses the author’s journey of becoming a gestalt therapist in Poland and England through analyses of masculinity, sexuality, relationality, and culture.This book addresses the collective gestalts exploring the psychotherapeutic taboos of sexual transference, same-sex attraction, use or lack of touch, gender equality, and inter-cultural conflicts. Each chapter is an exploration of prejudices embedded in our cultures and therapeutic work, and provides a theoretical challenge to current practices within gestalt therapy and beyond. The author advocates for a more collective understanding of embodied sensations emerging in the therapeutic context as collective gestalts. Through the use of autoethnographic research methodology, this book shows how personal embodied experiences are intertwined with the social, political, and material context. It is essential reading for gestalt therapists, as well as readers interested in gestalt approaches.

In Human Interaction and Emotional Awareness in Gestalt Therapy H. Peter Dreitzel explores a model of the contacting processes between human beings and their environments and presents a phenomenological exploration of the emotions guiding such contacts.The book makes an important contribution to our understanding of the role of psychotherapy in the modern world, especially in the context of change and crisis. Dreitzel sets out a new perspective of how we interact with each other, how we frame our encounters and differentiate them from one another, how we give them meaning, and how they are related to our needs and wants. This is followed by a unique phenomenological exploration of the emotions guiding such contacts, the first time the world of human feelings has been explored in depth and systematically analysed in Gestalt thought. These innovative explorations are framed first by a discussion of the historical development of Western conventions regarding everyday behaviour, and secondly by an examination of perspectives on climate change. Dreitzel analyses the mental and emotional states of potential clients as they are affected by these global processes and the book also includes an epilogue which evaluates how to work with climate anxiety.Dreitzel’s conception of social change, with Gestalt therapy at its core, is relevant to all aspects of humanistic psychology. It elevates empathy, emotional development and the prevention of suffering at all levels of society, filling important gaps in Gestalt therapy theory and expanding it into exciting new territory. Human Interaction and Emotional Awareness in Gestalt Therapy also contains an insightful foreword by Michael Vincent Miller, PhD, and will be essential reading for Gestalt therapists, other professionals with an interest in Gestalt approaches and readers interested in social interaction, climate change and the role of psychotherapy in a changing world.

In Human Interaction and Emotional Awareness in Gestalt Therapy H. Peter Dreitzel explores a model of the contacting processes between human beings and their environments and presents a phenomenological exploration of the emotions guiding such contacts.The book makes an important contribution to our understanding of the role of psychotherapy in the modern world, especially in the context of change and crisis. Dreitzel sets out a new perspective of how we interact with each other, how we frame our encounters and differentiate them from one another, how we give them meaning, and how they are related to our needs and wants. This is followed by a unique phenomenological exploration of the emotions guiding such contacts, the first time the world of human feelings has been explored in depth and systematically analysed in Gestalt thought. These innovative explorations are framed first by a discussion of the historical development of Western conventions regarding everyday behaviour, and secondly by an examination of perspectives on climate change. Dreitzel analyses the mental and emotional states of potential clients as they are affected by these global processes and the book also includes an epilogue which evaluates how to work with climate anxiety.Dreitzel’s conception of social change, with Gestalt therapy at its core, is relevant to all aspects of humanistic psychology. It elevates empathy, emotional development and the prevention of suffering at all levels of society, filling important gaps in Gestalt therapy theory and expanding it into exciting new territory. Human Interaction and Emotional Awareness in Gestalt Therapy also contains an insightful foreword by Michael Vincent Miller, PhD, and will be essential reading for Gestalt therapists, other professionals with an interest in Gestalt approaches and readers interested in social interaction, climate change and the role of psychotherapy in a changing world.

This essential new book gives the reader an introduction to the fundamental concepts of gestalt therapy in a stimulating and accessible style. It supports the study and practice of gestalt therapy for clinicians of all backgrounds, reflecting a practice-based pedagogy that emphasises experiential learning.The content in this book builds on the curriculum taught at the Norwegian Gestalt Institute University College (NGI). The material is divided into four main sections. In the first section, the theoretical basis for gestalt therapy is presented with references to gestalt psychology, field theory, phenomenology, and existential philosophy. In the later parts, central theoretical terms and practical models are discussed, such as the paradoxical theory of change, creative adjustment, self, contact, contact forms, awareness, polarities, and process models. Clinical examples illustrate the therapy form’s emphasis on the relational meeting between therapist and client.Detailed description of gestalt therapy theory from the time of the gestalt psychologists to today, with abundant examples from clinical practice, distinguishes this book from other texts. It will be of great value to therapists, coaches, and students of gestalt therapy.

This essential new book gives the reader an introduction to the fundamental concepts of gestalt therapy in a stimulating and accessible style. It supports the study and practice of gestalt therapy for clinicians of all backgrounds, reflecting a practice-based pedagogy that emphasises experiential learning.The content in this book builds on the curriculum taught at the Norwegian Gestalt Institute University College (NGI). The material is divided into four main sections. In the first section, the theoretical basis for gestalt therapy is presented with references to gestalt psychology, field theory, phenomenology, and existential philosophy. In the later parts, central theoretical terms and practical models are discussed, such as the paradoxical theory of change, creative adjustment, self, contact, contact forms, awareness, polarities, and process models. Clinical examples illustrate the therapy form’s emphasis on the relational meeting between therapist and client.Detailed description of gestalt therapy theory from the time of the gestalt psychologists to today, with abundant examples from clinical practice, distinguishes this book from other texts. It will be of great value to therapists, coaches, and students of gestalt therapy.

This compelling and comprehensive volume is an anthology of current thinking by many of gestalt therapy’s leading theoreticians, clinicians, and researchers. Including many well-known voices in the field and introducing several new ones to the current gestalt therapy literature, the book presents a broad-ranging compendium of essays, scientific articles, clinical applications, and integrative approaches that represent the richness and vibrancy of the field. Each contributor brings intellectual rigor, honest personal reflection, and humanism to their area of inquiry. This ethos—the spirit of relational gestalt therapy—infuses the whole book, bringing a sense of coherence to its seventeen chapters. Following an introduction written by Mark Winitsky, PhD, as an entry point into the field for students and psychotherapists from other schools of thought, the book is organized into three sections: Theory, Clinical Applications, and Integrative Approaches. Readers will encounter new ways of thinking about psychotherapy, new skills they can bring to their work, and new ways of integrating gestalt therapy with other approaches. The Relational Heart of Gestalt Therapy is essential reading for Gestalt therapists as well as other mental health professionals with an interest in Gestalt approaches.

This compelling and comprehensive volume is an anthology of current thinking by many of gestalt therapy’s leading theoreticians, clinicians, and researchers. Including many well-known voices in the field and introducing several new ones to the current gestalt therapy literature, the book presents a broad-ranging compendium of essays, scientific articles, clinical applications, and integrative approaches that represent the richness and vibrancy of the field. Each contributor brings intellectual rigor, honest personal reflection, and humanism to their area of inquiry. This ethos—the spirit of relational gestalt therapy—infuses the whole book, bringing a sense of coherence to its seventeen chapters. Following an introduction written by Mark Winitsky, PhD, as an entry point into the field for students and psychotherapists from other schools of thought, the book is organized into three sections: Theory, Clinical Applications, and Integrative Approaches. Readers will encounter new ways of thinking about psychotherapy, new skills they can bring to their work, and new ways of integrating gestalt therapy with other approaches. The Relational Heart of Gestalt Therapy is essential reading for Gestalt therapists as well as other mental health professionals with an interest in Gestalt approaches.

This book tells the story of the community at the New York Institute for Gestalt Therapy (NYIGT) as it evolved in connection with the highly regarded theory it produced, examining some important turning points for the institute spanning the period from the early 1970s until 2020 and describing the more large-scale changes the community underwent. Through chronologically ordered chapters, the history of the NYIGT is written in a documentary-style narrative complete with the voices of contemporary witnesses embedded into the storyline. The book explores the aggressiveness during community meetings that the institute was once known for, how the LGBTQIA community shaped the institute from the beginning, what changed when the institute began to be run democratically, its feminist revolution, as well as recent developments and the institute’s current group processes. This historically rich work is essential reading for Gestalt therapists, other professionals interested in Gestalt approaches, and readers interested in the history of Gestalt therapy.

This book tells the story of the community at the New York Institute for Gestalt Therapy (NYIGT) as it evolved in connection with the highly regarded theory it produced, examining some important turning points for the institute spanning the period from the early 1970s until 2020 and describing the more large-scale changes the community underwent. Through chronologically ordered chapters, the history of the NYIGT is written in a documentary-style narrative complete with the voices of contemporary witnesses embedded into the storyline. The book explores the aggressiveness during community meetings that the institute was once known for, how the LGBTQIA community shaped the institute from the beginning, what changed when the institute began to be run democratically, its feminist revolution, as well as recent developments and the institute’s current group processes. This historically rich work is essential reading for Gestalt therapists, other professionals interested in Gestalt approaches, and readers interested in the history of Gestalt therapy.

This collection explores the impacts and new ways of treatment of difficult clinical situations, in the uncertainty of a world in crisis, through a phenomenological and aesthetic field-oriented lens.Each author offers a Gestalt-centered perspective on clinical issues – a situational window, which includes the therapist and avails itself of tools configured to modify the entire experiential field. Through clinical case studies and theoretical reflections, the book examines the experience of children, difficult childhood situations (such as separations, abuse, neurodevelopmental disorders, adolescent social closure), the experience of dependency, couples and family therapy, the condition of the elderly and the end of life, interventions for degenerative diseases, and the trauma of loss and mourning, all of which are considered according to two cardinal points: first, the description of the relational ground experiences of patients, and second, the aesthetic relational knowing, a field perspective which allows the presence of the therapist to be modulated.Psychopathology of the Situation in Gestalt Therapy: A Field-oriented Approach is essential reading for Gestalt therapists as well as all clinicians with an interest in phenomenological and aesthetic understanding of the complexity of clinical situations.

This collection explores the impacts and new ways of treatment of difficult clinical situations, in the uncertainty of a world in crisis, through a phenomenological and aesthetic field-oriented lens.Each author offers a Gestalt-centered perspective on clinical issues – a situational window, which includes the therapist and avails itself of tools configured to modify the entire experiential field. Through clinical case studies and theoretical reflections, the book examines the experience of children, difficult childhood situations (such as separations, abuse, neurodevelopmental disorders, adolescent social closure), the experience of dependency, couples and family therapy, the condition of the elderly and the end of life, interventions for degenerative diseases, and the trauma of loss and mourning, all of which are considered according to two cardinal points: first, the description of the relational ground experiences of patients, and second, the aesthetic relational knowing, a field perspective which allows the presence of the therapist to be modulated.Psychopathology of the Situation in Gestalt Therapy: A Field-oriented Approach is essential reading for Gestalt therapists as well as all clinicians with an interest in phenomenological and aesthetic understanding of the complexity of clinical situations.

This fascinating book examines the place and practice of Relational Gestalt therapy (RGT) within an Indian cultural context, and how it can be applied in a group setting. The book begins by introducing the foundational concepts of Gestalt therapy (GT), namely phenomenology, field theory and dialogic existentialism. Through stories and vignettes, it then invites the reader to enter the circle of the group, a profound way of learning akin to the old Indian folk tradition of village communities sharing stories and bonding as a social group. Drawing from these narratives, the book not only elaborates on the theoretical concepts of GT, but also offers culturally sensitive guidance for Indian practitioners wishing to conduct group therapy.Written by a practitioner with over 20 years’ experience, this book will prove essential reading not only for practitioners working in India, but also for anyone with an interest in how GT can be applied in group settings in different cultural contexts.

This fascinating book examines the place and practice of Relational Gestalt therapy (RGT) within an Indian cultural context, and how it can be applied in a group setting. The book begins by introducing the foundational concepts of Gestalt therapy (GT), namely phenomenology, field theory and dialogic existentialism. Through stories and vignettes, it then invites the reader to enter the circle of the group, a profound way of learning akin to the old Indian folk tradition of village communities sharing stories and bonding as a social group. Drawing from these narratives, the book not only elaborates on the theoretical concepts of GT, but also offers culturally sensitive guidance for Indian practitioners wishing to conduct group therapy.Written by a practitioner with over 20 years’ experience, this book will prove essential reading not only for practitioners working in India, but also for anyone with an interest in how GT can be applied in group settings in different cultural contexts.

In Gestalt therapy, sociological, political, and economic research is often neglected or ignored. Drawing on analyses about current societal conditions, this book considers that there is no such thing as a ‘postmodern’ therapy and offers a new approach to Gestalt therapy.Gestalt therapy is still currently based on the Cartesian worldview, even if relational approaches are in search for an ‘in-between’. The author’s approach of Gestalt therapy is based on an idea by the founders: “Contact is the first reality” – so the field coemerges and coexists with individuals’ perceptions providing specific conditions, demands, limitations and opportunities. An individual’s field is not an afterthought established by the perspective of the first-person-singular (i.e. individuals) but a ‘conditio sine qua non’. Gutjahr reflects on both theoretical and practical aspects of the field’s many processes of resonance. Putting the field consistently at the centre of his approach, the author describes the main tenets expanding on previous versions of Gestalt therapy.This important new book is at the cutting edge of the current discussion of relational and field-oriented approaches to Gestalt therapy, and will be of particular interest to practitioners of Gestalt therapy, psychotherapists, phenomenologists, as well as theorists of philosophy, sociology and therapy.

In Gestalt therapy, sociological, political, and economic research is often neglected or ignored. Drawing on analyses about current societal conditions, this book considers that there is no such thing as a ‘postmodern’ therapy and offers a new approach to Gestalt therapy.Gestalt therapy is still currently based on the Cartesian worldview, even if relational approaches are in search for an ‘in-between’. The author’s approach of Gestalt therapy is based on an idea by the founders: “Contact is the first reality” – so the field coemerges and coexists with individuals’ perceptions providing specific conditions, demands, limitations and opportunities. An individual’s field is not an afterthought established by the perspective of the first-person-singular (i.e. individuals) but a ‘conditio sine qua non’. Gutjahr reflects on both theoretical and practical aspects of the field’s many processes of resonance. Putting the field consistently at the centre of his approach, the author describes the main tenets expanding on previous versions of Gestalt therapy.This important new book is at the cutting edge of the current discussion of relational and field-oriented approaches to Gestalt therapy, and will be of particular interest to practitioners of Gestalt therapy, psychotherapists, phenomenologists, as well as theorists of philosophy, sociology and therapy.

This book is intended for psychotherapists working with depressed clients. In particular, it focuses on how working with depressed clients affects the therapists themselves, and elaborates on how therapists can care for themselves in such demanding work to prevent burnout, or process it meaningfully as part of their professional development.Based on the results of the author’s own long-term experience, qualitative research and theoretical concepts describing psychopathology from the humanistic-existential perspective of Gestalt therapy, this book describes a paradoxical way of working in which therapists transform their own experience in the presence of a depressed client. Using the example of working with depression, the book introduces how the field theory approach can be used in clinical practice. The book provides a conceptual framework, practical skills and case examples illustrating what a field theory approach brings new to the table.This will be a useful guide for psychotherapists and Gestalt therapists who regularly come into contact with depressive clients, as well as for therapists who are themselves experiencing professional exhaustion and are at risk of reaching burnout.

This book is intended for psychotherapists working with depressed clients. In particular, it focuses on how working with depressed clients affects the therapists themselves, and elaborates on how therapists can care for themselves in such demanding work to prevent burnout, or process it meaningfully as part of their professional development.Based on the results of the author’s own long-term experience, qualitative research and theoretical concepts describing psychopathology from the humanistic-existential perspective of Gestalt therapy, this book describes a paradoxical way of working in which therapists transform their own experience in the presence of a depressed client. Using the example of working with depression, the book introduces how the field theory approach can be used in clinical practice. The book provides a conceptual framework, practical skills and case examples illustrating what a field theory approach brings new to the table.This will be a useful guide for psychotherapists and Gestalt therapists who regularly come into contact with depressive clients, as well as for therapists who are themselves experiencing professional exhaustion and are at risk of reaching burnout.

This volume contains a collection of published and unpublished essays and conference lectures prepared by Jean-Marie Robine. Following the author in his line of thought, readers can learn how Robine has explored some of the topics most dear to him, in which his insights have become key contributions over the last ten years in the international Gestalt community.Robine is one of the most prominent theorists on the contemporary gestalt therapy scene, and this book is a precious contribution to the gestalt therapy community not only for the contents it conveys, but as an example of a paradigmatic model of inquiry – of how to develop gestalt therapy theory and practice by drawing from various grounds and like-minded disciplines and channelling it into the practice of psychotherapy and stimulating new thought, without ever losing the rigor of our foundational epistemology. This new edition features five new chapters covering topics such as the concept of self, establishing a clinical approach to the "situation" in gestalt therapy and the therapeutic relationship.Readers will be taken on a tour of Robine's unique perspectives in areas ranging from philosophical issues to social concerns, clinical insights to political perspectives, without ever losing focus of gestalt therapy. It will be of great value to therapists and students of gestalt therapy.

This volume contains a collection of published and unpublished essays and conference lectures prepared by Jean-Marie Robine. Following the author in his line of thought, readers can learn how Robine has explored some of the topics most dear to him, in which his insights have become key contributions over the last ten years in the international Gestalt community.Robine is one of the most prominent theorists on the contemporary gestalt therapy scene, and this book is a precious contribution to the gestalt therapy community not only for the contents it conveys, but as an example of a paradigmatic model of inquiry – of how to develop gestalt therapy theory and practice by drawing from various grounds and like-minded disciplines and channelling it into the practice of psychotherapy and stimulating new thought, without ever losing the rigor of our foundational epistemology. This new edition features five new chapters covering topics such as the concept of self, establishing a clinical approach to the "situation" in gestalt therapy and the therapeutic relationship.Readers will be taken on a tour of Robine's unique perspectives in areas ranging from philosophical issues to social concerns, clinical insights to political perspectives, without ever losing focus of gestalt therapy. It will be of great value to therapists and students of gestalt therapy.

How do social and political conflicts of our time “contaminate” psychotherapy practice?Rather than investigating the reasons for war, this book offers testimonies from psychotherapists working on the front lines or from those who are deeply aware that we live in times of war. Is it possible to remain clear-headed and neutral in the therapeutic role, to navigate such traumatic emotions without fleeing or being overwhelmed? This volume does not deny the terrible emotions of war but seeks to move through them, finding new clinical tools that psychotherapists can use to help patients in their turmoil and support therapists in their caregiving role.This book will be invaluable to Gestalt psychotherapists, psychotherapy trainers, and all therapists who are looking for new tools for working with patients from multicultural and critical contexts, especially in relation to polarized social stances, wars, and other traumatizing conflicts.

How do social and political conflicts of our time “contaminate” psychotherapy practice?Rather than investigating the reasons for war, this book offers testimonies from psychotherapists working on the front lines or from those who are deeply aware that we live in times of war. Is it possible to remain clear-headed and neutral in the therapeutic role, to navigate such traumatic emotions without fleeing or being overwhelmed? This volume does not deny the terrible emotions of war but seeks to move through them, finding new clinical tools that psychotherapists can use to help patients in their turmoil and support therapists in their caregiving role.This book will be invaluable to Gestalt psychotherapists, psychotherapy trainers, and all therapists who are looking for new tools for working with patients from multicultural and critical contexts, especially in relation to polarized social stances, wars, and other traumatizing conflicts.

Phenomenology of the Self in Gestalt Therapy is a compelling and insightful work that offers an original and in-depth perspective on Gestalt theory and practice.With theoretical rigor and clear exposition, the author guides the reader through the core concepts of the model, such as the self, spontaneity, and contact, skillfully weaving together phenomenological reflection and clinical sensitivity. By revisiting the founding text of Perls, Hefferline, and Goodman in light of contemporary developments, Macaluso makes complex material accessible and reveals its ongoing relevance to therapeutic practice.This is an essential text for psychotherapists, students, and scholars seeking to engage with the living heart of Gestalt and to deepen their understanding of how its theory can inform and enrich clinical work.