bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The potential of satellite spectro-imagery for monitoring CO2 emissions from large cities
Authors: Broquet Grégoire , Bréon François-Marie , Renault Emmanuel , Buchwitz Michael , Reuter Maximilian , Bovensmann Heinrich , Chevallier Frédéric , Wu Lin , Ciais Philippe
Published: February 2018

Abstract. This study assesses the potential of 2 to 10 km resolution imagery of CO2 concentrations retrieved from the shortwave infrared measurements of a space-borne passive spectrometer for monitoring the spatially integrated emissions from the Paris area. Such imagery could be provided by missions similar to CarbonSat, which was studied as a candidate Earth Explorer 8 mission by the European Space Agency (ESA). This assessment is based on observing system simulation experiments (OSSEs) with an atmospheric inversion approach at city scale. The inversion system solves for hourly city CO2 emissions and natural fluxes, or for these fluxes per main anthropogenic sector or ecosystem, during the 6 h before a given satellite overpass. These 6 h correspond to the period during which emissions produce CO2 plumes that can be identified on the image from this overpass. The statistical framework of the inversion accounts for the existence of some prior knowledge with 50 % uncertainty on the hourly or sectorial emissions, and with ∼ 25 % uncertainty on the 6 h mean emissions, from an inventory based on energy use and carbon fuel consumption statistics. The link between the hourly or sectorial emissions and the vertically integrated column of CO2 observed by the satellite is simulated using a coupled flux and atmospheric transport model. This coupled model is built with the information on the spatial and temporal distribution of emissions from the emission inventory produced by the local air-quality agency (Airparif) and a 2 km horizontal resolution atmospheric transport model. Tests are conducted for different realistic simulations of the spatial coverage, resolution, precision and accuracy of the imagery from sun-synchronous polar-orbiting missions, corresponding to the specifications of CarbonSat and Sentinel-5 or extrapolated from these specifications. First, OSSEs are conducted with a rather optimistic configuration in which the inversion system is perfectly informed about the statistics of the limited number of error sources. These OSSEs indicate that the image resolution has to be finer than 4 km to decrease the uncertainty in the 6 h mean emissions by more than 50 %. More complex experiments assess the impact of more realistic error estimates that current inversion methods do not properly account for, in particular, the systematic measurement errors with spatially correlated patterns. These experiments highlight the difficulty to improve current knowledge on CO2 emissions for urban areas like Paris with CO2 observations from satellites, and call for more technological innovations in the remote sensing of vertically integrated columns of CO2 and in the inversion systems that exploit it.
Evaluation of a low-cost optical particle counter (Alphasense OPC-N2) for ambient air monitoring
Authors: Crilley Leigh R. , Shaw Marvin , Pound Ryan , Kramer Louisa J. , Price Robin , Young Stuart , Lewis Alastair C. , Pope Francis D.
Published: February 2018

Abstract. A fast-growing area of research is the development of low-cost sensors for
measuring air pollutants. The affordability and size of low-cost particle
sensors makes them an attractive option for use in experiments requiring a
number of instruments such as high-density spatial mapping. However, for
these low-cost sensors to be useful for these types of studies their accuracy
and precision need to be quantified. We evaluated the Alphasense OPC-N2, a
promising low-cost miniature optical particle counter, for monitoring ambient
airborne particles at typical urban background sites in the UK. The precision
of the OPC-N2 was assessed by co-locating 14 instruments at a site to
investigate the variation in measured concentrations. Comparison to two
different reference optical particle counters as well as a TEOM-FDMS enabled
the accuracy of the OPC-N2 to be evaluated. Comparison of the OPC-N2 to the
reference optical instruments shows some limitations for measuring mass
concentrations of PM1, PM2.5 and PM10. The OPC-N2 demonstrated
a significant positive artefact in measured particle mass during times of
high ambient RH (> 85 %) and a calibration factor was
developed based upon κ-Köhler theory, using average bulk particle
aerosol hygroscopicity. Application of this RH correction factor resulted in
the OPC-N2 measurements being within 33 % of the TEOM-FDMS, comparable to
the agreement between a reference optical particle counter and the TEOM-FDMS
(20 %). Inter-unit precision for the 14 OPC-N2 sensors of
22 ± 13 % for PM10 mass concentrations was observed. Overall,
the OPC-N2 was found to accurately measure ambient airborne particle mass
concentration provided they are (i) correctly calibrated and (ii) corrected
for ambient RH. The level of precision demonstrated between multiple
OPC-N2s suggests that they would be
suitable devices for applications
where the spatial variability in particle concentration was to be determined.
Microbial community structure in the Western Tropical South Pacific
Authors: Bock Nicholas , Van Wambeke France , Dion Moïra , Duhamel Solange
Published: February 2018

Abstract. Accounting for 40 percent of the earth's surface, oligotrophic regions play an important role in global biogeochemical cycles, with microbial communities in these areas representing an important term in global carbon budgets. While the general structure of microbial communities has been well documented in the global ocean, some remote regions such as the Western Tropical South Pacific (WTSP), remain fundamentally unexplored. Moreover, the biotic and abiotic factors constraining microbial abundances and distribution remain not-well resolved. In this study, we quantified the spatial (vertical and horizontal) distribution of major microbial plankton groups along a transect through the WTSP during the austral summer of 2015, capturing important autotrophic and heterotrophic assemblages including cytometrically determined abundances of non-pigmented protists (also called flagellates). Using environmental parameters (e.g. nutrients and light availability) as well as statistical analyses, we estimated the role of bottom-up and top-down controls in constraining the structure of the WTSP microbial communities in biogeochemically distinct regions. At the most general level, we found a typical tropical structure, characterized by high abundances of Prochlorococcus at the surface, a clear deep chlorophyll maximum at all sampling sites, and a deep nitracline. Despite their relatively low abundances, picophytoeukaryotes (PPE) accounted for up to half of depth-integrated phytoplankton biomass in the lower euphotic zone. While present at all stations, Synechococcus accounted for only 2 % and 4 % of total phytoplankton abundance and biomass, respectively. Our results show that the microbial community structure of the WTSP is typical of highly stratified regions, and underline the significant contribution to total biomass by PPE populations. Strong relationships between N2 fixation rates and plankton abundances demonstrate the central role of N2 fixation in regulating ecosystem processes in the WTSP, while comparative analyses of abundance data suggest microbial community structure to be increasingly regulated by bottom-up processes under nutrient limitation, possibly in response to shifts in abundances of high nucleic acid bacteria (HNA).
Experimental assessment of the sensitivity of an estuarine
phytoplankton fall bloom to acidification and warming
Authors: Bénard Robin , Levasseur Maurice , Scarratt Michael Grant , Blais Marie-Amélie , Mucci Alfonso , Ferreyra Gustavo , Starr Michel , Gosselin Michel , Tremblay Jean-Éric , Lizotte Martine
Published: February 2018

Abstract. We investigated the combined effect of ocean acidification and warming on the dynamics of the phytoplankton fall bloom in the Lower St. Lawrence Estuary (LSLE), Canada. Twelve 2600 L mesocosms were set to initially cover a wide range of pHT (pH on the total proton scale) from 8.0 to 7.2 corresponding to a range of pCO2 from 440 to 2900 µatm, and two temperatures (in situ and +5 °C). The 13-day experiment captured the development and decline of a nanophytoplankton bloom dominated by the chain-forming diatom Skeletonema costatum. During the development phase of the bloom, increasing pCO2 influenced neither the magnitude nor the net growth rate of the nanophytoplankton bloom whereas increasing the temperature by 5 °C stimulated the chlorophyll a (Chl a) growth rate and particulate primary production (PP) by 50 % and 160 %, respectively. During the declining phase of the bloom, warming accelerated the loss of diatom cells and negatively affected PP. Due to the countervailing responses of the plankton community to warming during the two phases of the experiment, the time-integrated primary production was not significantly affected over the full duration of the study. The diatom bloom was paralleled by a gradual decrease in the abundance of photosynthetic picoeukaryotes and followed by a bloom of picocyanobacteria. Increasing pCO2 and warming did not influence the abundance of picoeukaryotes, but warming stimulated picocyanobacteria proliferation. Overall, our results suggest that warming, rather than acidification, is more likely to alter phytoplankton autumnal bloom development in the LSLE in the decades to come. Future studies examining a broader gradient of temperatures should be conducted over a larger seasonal window in order to better constrain the potential effect of warming on the development of blooms in the LSLE and its impact on the fate of primary production.
Local soil quality assessment of north-central Namibia: integrating farmers' and technical knowledge
Authors: Prudat Brice , Bloemertz Lena , Kuhn Nikolaus J.
Published: February 2018

Abstract. Soil degradation is a major threat for farmers of semi-arid north-central Namibia. Soil conservation practices can be promoted by the development of soil quality (SQ) evaluation toolboxes that provide ways to evaluate soil degradation. However, such toolboxes must be adapted to local conditions to reach farmers. Based on qualitative (interviews and soil descriptions) and quantitative (laboratory analyses) data, we developed a set of SQ indicators relevant for our study area that integrates farmers' field experiences (FFEs) and technical knowledge. We suggest using participatory mapping to delineate soil units (Oshikwanyama soil units, KwSUs) based on FFEs, which highlight mostly soil properties that integrate long-term productivity and soil hydrological characteristics (i.e. internal SQ). The actual SQ evaluation of a location depends on the KwSU described and is thereafter assessed by field soil texture (i.e. chemical fertility potential) and by soil colour shade (i.e. SOC status). This three-level information aims to reveal SQ improvement potential by comparing, for any location, (a) estimated clay content against median clay content (specific to KwSU) and (b) soil organic status against calculated optimal values (depends on clay content). The combination of farmers' and technical assessment cumulates advantages of both systems of knowledge, namely the integrated long-term knowledge of the farmers and a short- and medium-term SQ status assessment. The toolbox is a suggestion for evaluating SQ and aims to help farmers, rural development planners and researchers from all fields of studies understanding SQ issues in north-central Namibia. This suggested SQ toolbox is adapted to a restricted area of north-central Namibia, but similar tools could be developed in most areas where small-scale agriculture prevails.
Pioneers in Computerized Legal Research: The Story of the Pittsburgh System
Authors: Batra Hershey Tina , Burke Donald
Published: February 2018

The potential effects of law are far-reaching and research is ongoing regarding the intersection of law and technology.  Given the widespread availability of online legal documents today, the laws of various jurisdictions can be reviewed and researched in their full text form.  However, in the not-so-distant past, this task was overwhelmingly more difficult. Many jurisdictions, unable to keep pace with the increased volume of statutes, regulations, and judicial decisions, compiled indexes of legal information rather than catalogs of full documents.  These indexes made comparisons between jurisdictions difficult and left researchers unsure of whether they had captured all relevant information.  However, in the middle of the 20th century, researchers began to tap into the potential of computers in relation to information retrieval.  Much of the early pioneering work in the legal field was conducted by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, who developed the “Pittsburgh System” that was a precursor to the computerized legal research tools that are ubiquitous today.
Management of Records in Tanzania: Review and Appraisal of Applicable Theories and Examination of Selected Empirical Findings
Authors: Mohamed Bakari Maligwa , Rasheli Geraldine Arbogast , Mwagike Leonada Rafael
Published: February 2018

This paper has examined applicable theories on the records and archives management (RAM) in an attempt to use empirical results and findings to explain the RAM practices. The paper had used ten deliberately selected empirical studies on the RAM practices conducted in Tanzania. Results and findings from the examined empirical studies reveals that records life-cycle theory has been dominantly used to study RAM practices in Tanzania; whilst case study methodology being the dominant research design used by most of the examined studies. Empirically, it has been found that RAM practices in Tanzania have been constrained by a number of constraining factors. The identified factors were, inter alia: inadequacy of RAM practices; inexistence of RAM guidelines; inadequate funding over RAM activities; untrained personnel; lack of comprehensive RAM policy; inadequate records storage space, equipment and facilities; and unreformed records and archives management systems. Based on these results and findings it is concluded that theories propounded for the records and archives management could be supplemented by other management theories and philosophies in studying specific issues on the subject matter. It is recommended that RAM needs specialised studies to determine the influence of the constraining factors on the extent of proper management of records and archives in the specialised administration and management fields that need efficient management and care of records.
How Posture Affects Memory Recall and Mood
Authors: Peper Erik , Lin I-Mei , Harvey Richard , Perez Jacob
Published: February 2018

Body posture reflects emotional states, and this study investigates the effect of posture sitting in a slouched or upright position on recall of either negative (hopeless, helpless, powerless, or defeated) memories or positive (empowered or optimistic) memories. Two hundred and sixteen college students sat in either a slouched or an erect position while recalling negative memories and then in a second step, recalling positive memories. They then sat in the opposite body position while recalling negative and then positive memories. Eighty-six percent of the students reported that it was easier to recall/access negative memories in the collapsed position than in the erect position (p < .01), and 87% of the students reported that it was easier to recall/access positive images in the erect position than in the collapsed position (p < .01). Participants who reported being most depressed over the previous two years reported significantly more recall of negative memories in both the slouched position (p = .01) and erect position (p < .05). For those who were most depressed, there were no differences in recalling positive memories. We recommend that therapists teach clients posture awareness and to sit more upright in the office and at home as a strategy to increase positive affect and decrease depression.
Biofeedback Treatment for Headaches
Authors: Khazan Inna
Published: February 2018

Classic medical treatment of migraine and tension-type headaches is an ongoing struggle and challenge for the medical practitioner. Pharmacologic treatment does not cure these common conditions and offers only short-term palliation. Biofeedback treatment, on its own or in conjunction with cognitive behavioral therapy, offers long-term encouraging results. The methodology is noninvasive, easy to apply and efficacious. Furthermore, the migraine or tension headache sufferer acquires a sense of self-control and mastery over the short term and especially over the long term. Best results are achieved with continued practice of biofeedback skills over the long term.
The Gestalt Cycle of Experience: A Creative Tool for Growth
Authors: Russell Gayle , Grad. Dip G.T. , Masters G.T.
Published: February 2018

This paper explores the value of teaching the Gestalt model of the Cycle of Experience (also known as the Interactive Contact Cycle) in a facilitated personal growth training program. The model was introduced experientially by way of graded exercises in Week Three of a standard program. Experiences were further consolidated in subsequent weeks. As a consequence, participants developed an experiential understanding that incorporated thoughts, feelings, and sensations, providing them with greater awareness of self and the ways in which they make or interrupt contact. This study has implications for a range of other programs, including adult and school education, drug education, and workplace training.
Relativistic Quantum Field Theory: Implications for Gestalt Therapy
Authors: O'Neill Brian,
Published: February 2018

It may be an opportune time in the evolution of Gestalt theory to address how Gestalt therapy and physics have developed the terms “field” and “field theory,” and the interrelationships between the two approaches. Gestalt therapist Malcolm Parlett, among others, has noted certain advances in physics that have moved beyond Maxwell's initial formulation of the electromagnetic field. These include the quantum field, the relativistic quantum field and, most recently, the work of Bohm and others on relativistic quantum fields. These advanced notions of field are beyond the original field theory speculations of Smuts, Lewin, Wertheimer, and some Gestalt therapy theorists. The possible implications for Gestalt therapy of this expanded perception of the field in physics are outlined below both theoretically and clinically.
Connection Versus Survival at Work (or Buber Meets Machiavelli)
Authors: Maurer Rick,
Published: February 2018

Two fundamental human needs are present within individuals working in organizations: the need for connection with others and the need to survive. People such as organization development consultants often encourage exchanges that foster trust and transparency and ignore or dismiss important survival needs that may demand the ability to be cunning and deceitful. This article explores that wide polarity and begins to suggest ways to acknowledge and legitimize the needs for both connection and survival at work.
Gestalt Ethics: A Utopia?
Authors: Bernhardtson Lennart,
Published: February 2018

Gestalt therapy's ethics and reading of human nature are discussed in this article. While early Gestalt therapy placed an emphasis on the liberation of the individual and was critical towards the prevailing morals of the society of the time, in recent years, this early individualism has been challenged. Critics have focused on the interdependence among human beings and tried to articulate the ethics inherent in field theory. The relationship between the individual and the field can be observed as a polarity within Gestalt. Behind this polarity lie differing basic assumptions about (wo)men. This article discusses three different interpretations of this polarity: antagonism, harmony, and paradox. The author argues that those who advocate an ethics of the field actually are formulating a utopian approach to human nature. This utopian character is illustrated by using Gulliver's Travels and George Orwell.
Expanding the Field: Gestalt Therapy and the Evolutionary Process
Authors: Rubenfeld Frank,
Published: February 2018

This paper proposes a Chardanian theory of evolution as a larger field within which the field of Gestalt theory and practice can be situated. Complexification is seen as the dynamic core of evolution; it is described as a process leading to increasing intra-aggregate differentiation while maintaining cohesion. Connection sustains cohesion, thus allowing the evolutionary process to unfold. Examples of social, interpersonal, and personal complexification are provided. The resonance between an evolutionary perspective that emphasizes complexification and the evolutionary arc Gestalt has been following is discussed. The author closes by positing some of the clinical, philosophical, and spiritual implications inherent in aligning Gestalt within this larger perspective.
Applying Gestalt Theory to Coaching
Authors: Simon Stuart N.
Published: February 2018

The practice of professional coaching has grown dramatically over the past 10 to 15 years, with a proliferation of professionals and articles. During this time, there have been only a few coaching articles that draw upon Gestalt principles for their theoretical base. This article focuses on two foundational Gestalt principles, contact and awareness, to demonstrate that Gestalt theory can offer a significant contribution to the field of professional coaching.
The Phenomenological Method of Gestalt Therapy: Revisiting Husserl to Discover the “Essence” of Gestalt Therapy
Authors: Bloom Dan
Published: February 2018

Gestalt therapy stands out from other experiential psychotherapies through its unique attention to figure/ground emergence and the sequence of contact within the phenomenal field of the therapist and the patient. This is the “essence” or heart of gestalt therapy. It is achieved through the application of a modified version of Edmund Husserl's phenomenological method. This paper will describe that process and offer a clinical example for elaboration.
Commentary I: Prologue: From the Radical Center: The Heart of Gestalt Therapy
Authors: Jacobs Lynne
Published: February 2018

In this brief Commentary, I point the reader to the eloquent, evocative experiential writings that are the forte of the Polsters. While providing some examples of such writing, I also point to a tendency to obscure theoretical contradictions.
“Espérame en el cielo”: The Process of Grief According to Gestalt Therapy
Authors: Bandín Carmen Vázquez
Published: February 2018

Drawing on the work of the psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, M.D., this paper discusses five stages in the process of accompanying, supporting, and working with grief due to the loss of a loved one through death: Denial and Isolation; Bargaining and Ritual; Rage; Sadness; Acceptance. Framed within a Gestalt perspective, case vignettes are provided for each stage; included too is a brief, supplementary commentary on the process of grief in children. The author maintains that sensitising and training therapists and nursing assistants on accompanying and working processes of grief is an urgent, social necessity.
The Sacredness of Change: Coaching and Spiritual Practice
Authors: Spigel Rosalind
Published: February 2018

As coaches, we are not only compelled to model behaviors of personal growth, but we are also obligated to foster the self-awareness and growth of our clients. In this paper, Gestalt and the spiritual practice of Mussar are examined as pathways that offer access to self-awareness. In reviewing the theoretical underpinnings of coaching and mapping them onto the practice of Mussar, both approaches can offer goal setting, action steps, and the development of competencies coaching clients seek. Mussar can be an additional framework instrument that coaches can use for themselves, and for their clients to lift them out of unproductive and overused behaviors.
Gestalt Therapy Training and Research: Holding Our Place at Academic Institutions in the USA
Authors: Frew Jon E.
Published: February 2018

I am compelled to add my voice to the many others (e.g., Gold and Zahm, 2008; Brownell and Melnick, 2008; Greenberg, 2008), who have called for more attention to research in Gestalt therapy. For the past 10 years, I have had the good fortune to be involved in training, supervising, and mentoring the research of doctoral psychology students at Pacific University (Portland, Oregon), some of whom represent the next generation of Gestalt practitioners. The situation at Pacific is rare, if not unique (in the USA). The purpose of this article is to describe the program at Pacific, and to make the case that Gestalt therapy training and research can still take place within academic institutions and not be left solely to be carried on by Gestalt therapy training institutes.
Dialogical Exposure in a Gestalt-Based Treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Authors: Butollo Will , Karl Regina , König Julia , Hagl Maria
Published: February 2018

Traumatic experiences not only may lead to the well-known posttraumatic symptoms but also can change a person's self and self-processes. The importance of the ability to maintain an intrapsychic dialogue, necessary for the resolution of the disruption which trauma causes in relationships and contact, is often not sufficiently regarded. The process-oriented trauma therapy presented here combines a Gestalt therapeutic frame with cognitive-behavioral elements and is committed to an interactional and dialogical approach. This intervention, with “dialogical exposure” as one of the core features, allows for the identification and resolution of the disruptions of contact so that patients can again experience continuity in their experience and regain their contact-ability.
Gestalt Parent Coaching©: A New Model for Intervening In Family Systems
Authors: Melnick Harvey
Published: February 2018

Gestalt Parent Coaching (GPC)© is a new application of the Gestalt coaching model (Simon, 2009, 2012) that specifically focuses on working with families. In the GPC Model, parents are the primary clients of the coach and are encouraged and supported in becoming change agents on behalf of their children. The adults learn safely to explore, practice, and acquire new and more effective ways of behaving as parents. This article presents the GPC model, traces its roots in Gestalt theory, compares and contrasts it with organizational coaching, and gives concrete examples of Gestalt principles in the practice of GPC.
Linking (Gestalt) Coaching with Philanthropy: “Where Philanthropy IS more than Money”
Authors: Harris Penny
Published: February 2018

This reflection presents how certain Gestalt principles of the Cape Cod Model©—Strategic and Intimate Interactions, Well-Developed Competencies/Less Developed Competencies— advanced at the Gestalt International Study Center (GISC), along with Beisser's (1970) notion of “The Paradoxical Theory of Change,” can be used to frame the behavior within the “asking and giving” culture of philanthropy. These principles, in offering opportunities for change, would improve the experience of the “asker” and the “giver.” Philanthropy is more than the money. A resilient philanthropic culture is generated when people experience the joy and passion of working together in generous support of community.
Developing Gestalt Case Conceptualization
Authors: Kenofer Bruce
Published: February 2018

This article presents a framework for the development of case conceptualization within a Gestalt and developmental framework. It suggests a series of questions that serve as guidelines in the development of case conceptualizations. A central theme is that there is a fundamental problem in self-development that interferes with an important life project. Resolution of the problem involves movement through developmental standpoints. The application of these guidelines to a specific case example is presented.
“It actually reveals things to me about myself”: How Play Becomes Real in the Oaklander Approach
Authors: Mortola Peter
Published: February 2018

Freud's game-like use of associations was intended to get his patients thinking laterally and not literally. Perls's use of the “empty chair” aimed to help his clients engage in “as if” scenarios, akin to the make-believe play of children. Yet, playfulness has lost ground over the years to the bullying forces of logic, language, and outcome-based measures that permeate our therapeutic field. In this article, the work of Gestalt play therapist Violet Oaklander is analyzed to provide a much-needed model of how play helps therapy become real for both adults and children.
Awareness and Emergence: A Gestalt Approach to Global Diversity and Inclusion
Authors: Stevenson Herb
Published: February 2018

During the last forty years, members of the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland have created an organizational development (OD) theory by combining Gestalt psychology with Gestalt therapy. Steeped in humanistic psychology, phenomenology and existentialism, holism, field theory, and systems theory, the resulting Gestalt approach to OD has evolved as a present-centered, awareness-building, and high-impact form of intervention. Aside from its unique approach to interventions, its particular core assumptions have led to developing the Gestalt “consulting stance.”

This article will discuss the core of Gestalt theory and the Gestalt consulting stance as it applies to organizational development and to diversity and inclusion. It borrows from the author's global experience—in which nationalities, ethnicities, and cultural differences converge within one organization or joint venture—to illuminate the Gestalt consulting stance (and theory) that supports effective OD interventions and involves issues of diversity and inclusion. Finally, the Gestalt consulting stance is used to examine the impact on diversity of the ever-increasing size of organizations. We will see that the migration from international to global organizations inherently involves greater diversity; those organizations need to be inclusive in order to be effective.
Coaching at the Point of Contact: A Gestalt Approach
Authors: Stevenson Herb
Published: February 2018

During the Gestalt coach and client relationship, indelible moments may occur—moments in which vulnerability and presence, if they are balanced, can lead to insight or intimacy. However, these same moments can lead to embarrassment, humiliation, or shame in either the client or the coach, or in both, when vulnerability and presence are not balanced. To understand better how this dynamic works, it is necessary to examine the Gestalt concepts of presence and contact prior to discussing how humiliation and shame can become critical components within the coaching relationship.
Addiction as Persistent Traumatic Experience: Neurobiological Processes and Good Contact
Authors: Pintus Giancarlo
Published: February 2018

In the wake of the relationship between theory and practice of Gestalt therapy and neuroscientific knowledge, the author delineates the connections between neurobiological processes in addiction and its traumatic emotions. The cortical and subcortical areas involved in the processes of addiction are deeply interconnected with those delegated to cognitive functions. These are the same areas activated in primary attachment relationships, and traumatized in addiction by the power of addictive experience. There is also a functional link between the need for affiliation, support, and vulnerability and addiction. The treatment of addiction becomes transformative if is able to support and fulfill the intentionality of belonging that is never completely fulfilled in the organism-environment field.
Experiments in Community Building
Authors: Brownell Philip , Cook Cynthia , Toman Sarah , Wolfert Ruth , Gregory Susan , Fodor Iris , Grey Lucanna , Robertson Bruce
Published: February 2018

This article describes the initiation and development of the Experiments in Community Building (ECB), a new component to the 1999 conference structure of the Association for the Advancement of Gestalt Therapy (AAGT). It speaks of change within organizations, competing ideologies behind approaches to community building, and unifying figures of interest for Gestalt therapists. It provides insight into the field from which the ECB emerged, describing the historical context, design, results, and relevant theoretical tenets that provide insight into the ongoing development of community, which characterizes the AAGT as a unique, international, professional organization.
Expanding Our Vision: It Takes Two to Create One
Authors: Mulgrew Jack
Published: February 2018

It is my belief that the “developmental history” of each individual can be observed within their present interpersonal relationships. During this workshop presentation I focused on the ongoing interpersonal interactions that took place within the time-limited parameters of this experiential workshop. Participants were asked to contend with an emergent, increasingly complex reality, which was designed to encourage each participant to rely more on her or his maturity as a person and to become less dependent on “therapeutic techniques.”

Members of this training experience were asked to consider the amount of time set aside for the group to represent a “symbolic life time” and to focus on the quality of life that existed during this workshop. In order to stay focused on issues that were developing within this workshop, the leader made “coaching comments” to the group whenever they were beginning to not pay attention to the interpersonal issues that were developing within this time-limited container.

The focus on the I–Thou relationships taking place in the present moments of this workshop helped support the development of the personhood of each participant involved in interpersonal interactions with their peers.
Gestalt in the Boardroom
Authors: Bentley Trevor J.
Published: February 2018

This paper describes how a Gestalt approach to working with corporate boards as “intimate systems” can greatly improve relationships and enable directors to operate with greater authenticity and clarity. The methods used are described and related to a case study of working with one particular board in a context where there were many misunderstandings and “off-target” decisions.
The Rubenfeld Synergy Method: The Six “Ahas”
Authors: Rubenfeld Ilana
Published: February 2018

In this chapter I delineate the six “ahas” that changed my life focus from a full time career in music conducting to become a Gestalt therapist and bodyworker. The 18 principles were gleaned over 35 years of practice and are always in process. They began in the 1960s and continue to evolve.
Process and Silence: A Phenomenology of Couples Therapy
Authors: Zinker Joseph C. , Cardoso-Zinker Sandra
Published: February 2018

The first part of this paper offers the reader different lenses through which we appreciate the couple-organism: we look at problems as disturbances of process phenomena, the empowerment and wisdom of the couple and process in relation to the couple's story (content). At the level of theoretical understanding, we examine the phenomenology of process, couples as “system-fields” and understanding through metaphor. The second part of the paper offers an actual couple in which their exchange is examined as a kind of disturbance of pace and speeding gradually leading to slowness and silence—the silence becomes a “container” in which the couple find themselves and establish meaningful contact.
“Expectation”: A Useful Concept for Gestalt Therapy?
Authors: Handlon Joseph H.
Published: February 2018

Utilizing a version of Tolman's 1932 concept of sign-gestalt-expectation as related to Gestalt therapy, this paper suggests that: There can be benign expectations involved in therapy and that such expectations can be related to the placebo effect. The expectation process is compatible with the Experience Cycle. Useful distinctions can be made between “expectation” and a number of different menaings of “projection.” Using a conceptual model developed earlier can help explain the possible origins of expectations for the individual. A specific clinical application of expectation may be found in a brief sample of a typical group therapy session.
Gestalt Counseling: Orientation, Commitment, Meaning, Perspective
Authors: Fuhr Reinhard
Published: February 2018

Following my proposal to delineate a professional profile for “counseling” in distinction to “therapy” and “training,” I summarize the available concepts of Gestalt counseling. This is the basis for the elaboration of some essential aspects of the Gestalt approach to counseling: the focus on Gestalt awareness and consciousness (in contrast to a focus on actions and solutions), the: significance of the client–therapist relationship, the exploration and definition of the problem at stake as a crucial task of counseling, and the need to differentiate several dimensions and levels of a problem, which clearly transcends a psychological understanding of “problems.” By referring to a phase model in analogy to the cycle of contact, I elaborate some important particularities of practicing Gestalt counseling in the course of which I repeatedly refer to Gestalt therapeutic principles and critically discuss the use of methods and techniques.
Art and Creativity in Gestalt Therapy
Authors: Amendt-Lyon Nancy
Published: February 2018

The development and theoretical foundation of the aesthetic and creative dimensions of Gestalt therapy are presented. Special consideration is given to the reflection of the theoretical and practical significance of art and creativity for the founders of Gestalt Therapy, in particular Laura Perls. Contributions from the “pioneers” in this field in the United States are discussed. A number of principles suited for a timely appreciation and practice of art and creative process in Gestalt therapy are suggested.
The Space for Creativity in Gestalt Therapy: Commentary on Nancy Amendt-Lyon's Paper
Authors: Ruckert Jan
Published: February 2018

The goal of both art and psychotherapy is to bring something novel into the foreground so that a new figure can emerge and, out of old elements, contemporaneous views can develop. Creative expression constructs a model of growth on the firm ground of process-centered treatment and the theoretical literature. Gestalt pioneers contribute rich examples of creative thinking and practice in their writings and in their work. The texture of art and science offers a harmonious composition to the practice of psychotherapy.
A Call to Courage—Applying Principles of Art and Creativity in Organizational Development in Large Systems: Commentary on Article by Nancy Amendt-Lyon
Authors: Wilson-Sanford Joyce
Published: February 2018

The author responds to Amendt-Lyon's article using the Gestalt Cycle of Awareness for the structure of her response. Wilson-Sanford compares the Gestalt Cycle of Awareness to the Creative Process. Then Wilson-Sanford talks about her use of some of the principles of creativity mentioned by Amendt-Lyon and describes how she uses them in her work in very concrete, pragmatic ways. Lastly she talks about the challenges in organizational development comparable to those in Gestalt therapy—for example, that of being courageous enough to create—which means letting go of habitual, albeit successful, techniques and being willing to step into the unknown and the here-and-now with the client.
Fritz Perls Revisited: A Micro-Assessment of a Live Clinical Session
Authors: Rosenberg Sol S. , Lynch J. Edward
Published: February 2018

A single session with Fredrick Perls, M.D., that was conducted 6 months prior to his death is transcribed from a verbatim recording. A statement-by-statement analysis of Gestalt processes that accompanies this report includes attention to foreground issues, projection, introjection, deflection, experiments, and regression. This enriches the figure and presents an example of the method that provides the means to uncover hidden aspects of childhood and reclaim lost facets of the personality. This look at Perls at work offers insight into the content and process that caught his attention and gives the reader examples of his methods, style, and interests.
Gestalt Therapy and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: The Irony and the Challenge
Authors: Cohen Arie
Published: February 2018

The purpose of the present study is to review the theoretical, strategic, and tactical/technical contributions of Gestalt therapy to the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and to examine its contributions to the professional literature. From a theoretical point of view, the conceptualization of PTSD as a special case of “unfinished business” posits Gestalt therapy as a treatment of choice for this syndrome. From a strategic point of view Gestalt therapy offers phenomenology and I-Thou dialogue as effective therapeutic components. Finally, from a tactical point of view, Gestalt therapy offers unique mechanisms for surfacing trauma-related conflicts from the past and solving them in the present. These mechanisms include: attending to the “here and now,” body movements and non-verbal behavior, insisting on retelling the traumatic event as if it were happening in the present, the use of fantasy and visualization, the creative enhancement of body language, two-chairs and empty chair work, graded experiments, and psychodrama and enactment. In spite of all these assets of Gestalt therapy, a thorough literature search yielded a meager testimony to the utility of Gestalt therapy for treating patients suffering from PTSD. The author challenges Gestalt therapists to document and report case studies of Gestalt therapy applications with PTSD patients, and to take part in quantitative studies on PTSD to enable the practice of Gestalt therapy to actualize its full potential, and gain its appropriate status among therapeutic approaches.
Reactivity—An Integral Gestalt Approach to Fights and Strife and a More Peaceful World
Authors: Fuhr Reinhard , Gremmler-Fuhr Martina
Published: February 2018

In communication in all aspects of our lives, we are often confronted with a phenomenon that is hardly ever discussed in detail, which was introduced as “reaction formation” in Perls, Hefferline and Goodman (1951), and which is of vital importance for peace and conflict in everyday life. We have developed this concept which we call “reactivity” further in theory and practice. Reactivity is basically an emergency reflex of fight, flight or playing dead without any obvious emergency in view. We will describe this phenomenon in some detail, and will analyze it using Ken Wilber's four perspectives of reality (“four quadrants”). We will summarize plausible theories on the genesis of reactivity and show ways to overcome this kind of contact function, which is destructive and burdensome over time. It is to be hoped that this could contribute to a little more peace in our private and public lives.
In Search of a Theory of Practice: What Does Gestalt Have To Offer the Field of Mediation?
Authors: Gaynier Lisa Parola
Published: February 2018

The practice of alternative dispute resolution in general, and mediation in particular, is gaining currency and popularity within many segments of the American and international communities, probably as a result of dissatisfaction with court-based mediation.

This article discusses mediation with particular emphasis on transformative mediation which bears a resemblance to Gestalt applications to client work, but lacks a coherent theory of practice. The author also proposes ways in which Gestalt theories apply to and strengthen the practice of mediation.
Using the Paradoxical Theory of Change in Organizations
Authors: Maurer Rick
Published: February 2018

Arnold Beisser's paradoxical theory of change has had a profound impact on the practice of Gestalt therapy. The notion of “becoming what is” rather than trying to force a change applies equally well at other levels of systems. This article explores ways in which Beisser's theory can be used to orient and guide the work of people who are trying to influence the work of organizations.
Jewish Roots of Gestalt Therapy
Authors: Knijff Ernst
Published: February 2018

Since the founders of Gestalt therapy were Jews, we may assume that the philosophy and some basic concepts are influenced by Jewish traditions and modes of thinking. In this article I will show which important concepts and approaches have Jewish roots, and the difficulties in translating them into Western thinking. I will start by exploring what the terms Jewish and Judaism mean, and then concentrate on the Jewish anti-totalitarian world view and relational thinking, which seem to be two of the most widely misunderstood concepts in Gestalt therapy. I will insert a few Jewish jokes in order to demonstrate another particular trait of the way of life of Jews as survivors: humor.
Hubris: A Gestalt Alternative to Groupthink
Authors: Karp H. B. , Jackson Kanata A.
Published: February 2018

Hubris is to the individual what groupthink is to the group. While Mainstream OD has been effective in dealing with the negative effects of groupthink, it has not addressed hubris as a dynamic because hubris is an intrapsychic, although highly destructive, phenomenon. A Gestalt perspective is more helpful in dealing with this problem. Hubris grows in the conditions of pure and consistent positive feedback, and is identified by eight symptoms. These symptoms are: the myth of invulnerability; the myth of omnipotence; belief in one's press; seeing oneself as messianic; belief that one is infallible; the interpretation of external dissension as ignorance; having had the experience of being previously misunderstood; and belief that one can empower others. While it is particularly difficult to work with, eight tactics are presented to avoid or deal with hubris.
The Story of Daniel: Gestalt Therapy Principles and Values
Authors: Cardoso-Zinker Sandra
Published: February 2018

Working with children takes us to unexpected places. Children are in constant movement and transformation. They surprise us with their understanding of the world, and introduce us to a different perspective and experience of life. The work is fascinating and sometimes disorienting.

There are some children who need help with the process of growing up. They are not able to integrate their own experience with a world that is presented to them. In this article I bring you a story of a boy who needed help to enter the world as a whole being. In achieving this, he also changed the world.

Gestalt therapy principles and values will be discussed in this case presentation.
The Willing Suspension of Disbelief: Optimism
Authors: Melnick Joseph , Nevis Sonia March
Published: February 2018

Optimism is embedded in every form of psychotherapy practice, from psychoanalysis to behavior modification. Our goal is to help clarify where Gestalt therapy's theory and practice place it on the therapeutic spectrum. After first outlining our theoretical background, we explore various definitions of optimism, differentiating it from pessimism, hope, and courage. We then describe why we believe that psychotherapy is an inherently optimistic enterprise. Finally, after surveying the emerging field of positive psychology, specifically focusing on the work of Seligman, we discuss optimism using a Gestalt frame.

We conclude that optimism is inherent in the Gestalt approach which, at its core, is about how to approach and embrace the unknown.
Witness for the Client: A Judge's Role in Increasing Awareness in the Defendant
Authors: Wheeler Joyce A.
Published: February 2018

Traditionally, a judge remains objective and sufficiently detached to carry out the responsibility of making objective and reasonable decisions based on the evidence presented and the applicable law. Moving from judge to witness supports both the judge and the criminal defendants in the potentially transformative process in a new adult drug treatment court. This article discusses what it means to be a judge who both witnesses and judges. A drug court session illustrates the stance of judge as witness and the promising relationship between the judge and defendant when the judge also serves as witness.