There has been a renewed interest in the last ten
years in the underpinnings theoretical, philosophical,
and historical of the Gestalt approach. Often in the
past, these have been lost in oversimplified versions of
the therapy. The author's aim in his writings has been
to provide a full and coherent account of Gestalt
theory, and to emphasise our links to our therapeutic
and philosophical heritage, particularly psychoanalysis
and existentialism. His theme is a field-relational
theory of self as the centrepiece of the approach, and
how this has been placed within a structure that is
still recognisably psychoanalytic. In this approach,
self is understood as meaningful only in relation to
what is taken as other, and how that other is contacted.
The formation of a relatively coherent self-concept is a
task, not a given, and can be problematic as well as
helpful (when it no longer supports the person s
life-situation). Thus therapy is not an attunement to a
self inherent in the client, but an exploration of
contacting and awareness; and the therapist s stance can
never truly be seen as neutral. Many of these ideas have
found their way in some form into other therapeutic
approaches (Intersubjectivity Theory, Dialectical
Behaviour Therapy), and the actual relationship between
therapist and client is acknowledged as highly
significant. However, this has usually happened without
the underpinning of a systematic field-relational
approach to psychotherapy, and Gestalt Therapy, which
has one, has for historical reasons not been in a
position to engage with these developments. Fortunately
this is now changing, and it is hoped that this work
will help that development.
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