bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Relativistic Quantum Field Theory: Implications for Gestalt Therapy
Authors: O'Neill Brian, 
Published: February 2018

AbstractIt 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

Abstract
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

AbstractGestalt 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

Abstract
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

Abstract
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

AbstractGestalt 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.
“Espérame en el cielo”: The Process of Grief According to Gestalt Therapy
Authors: Bandín Carmen Vázquez 
Published: February 2018

AbstractDrawing 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

Abstract
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

AbstractI 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

Abstract
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

Abstract
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

Abstract
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

AbstractThis 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

Abstract
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

Abstract
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

AbstractDuring 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

AbstractIn 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

Abstract
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

Abstract
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.
The Rubenfeld Synergy Method: The Six “Ahas”
Authors: Rubenfeld Ilana 
Published: February 2018

Abstract
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

AbstractThe 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

Abstract
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

Abstract
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

AbstractThe 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

Abstract
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

Abstract
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

Abstract
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

AbstractThe 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.