Integration and Growth

Gestalt Therapy

Proff. Dr. Ceylan Das

• Publisher: PageTurner Press and Media
• Year: 2021
• eBook ISBN: 9781649086310
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Medicine
• Subtopic: Medical Theory, Practice & Reference

The Gestalt approach is both a life philosophy and a therapy school. The Gestalt approach, with its humanistic point of view, gives the opportunity to the person to be aware of himself or herself and those around him or her to integrate both within himself or herself and with the world without judging or accusing, without feeling ashamed, scared, or worried, and to exist as fully grown in the way he or she really is. This book is written with two important goals in mind. One of the aims of the book is to introduce the Gestalt therapy approach and, while introducing it, to help the readers to be aware of their needs, wishes, the styles of contact they use in their relations, their unfinished businesses, their impasses, and their resistance to change. The second purpose of the book is to help those therapists in therapy training by presenting the theory and methods of the Gestalt approach with examples and thus contribute to the raising of their therapeutic knowledge and skill levels.

Integration and Growth

Prof. Dr. Ceylan Das

Copyright © 2021 by Proff. Dr. Ceylan Das

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All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or manner, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the copyright owner except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

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Created in the United States of America

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020924009

ISBN: Softcover 978-1-64908-632-7

eBook 978-1-64908-631-0

Republished by: PageTurner Press and Media LLC

Publication Date: 01/15/2021

_____________________________________________________

To order copies of this book, contact:

PageTurner Press and Media

Phone: [phone]

[email protected]

www.pageturner.us

CONTENTS

PREFACExiii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTSxix

PART I: INTRODUCTION

1. DEVELOPMENT AND FUNDAMENTALS OF THE
   GESTALT THERAPY APPROACH1
   The Development of the Gestalt Therapy Approach
   Fundamentals of the Gestalt Therapy Approach
2. PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH14
   Characteristics of a Healthy Person
   Factors Causing Mental Health Deterioration
   Layers of Psychological Problems
   The Goals of the Therapy
   Clinical Applications
   Group Practices
3. THERAPEUTIC RELATIONSHIP AND
   THE GESTALT THERAPIST32
   Characteristics of the Dialogic Relationship
   Characteristics of the Gestalt Therapist
   PART II: BASIC CONCEPTS
4. AWARENESS47
   The Meaning of Awareness
   Characteristics of Awareness
   How to Work with Awareness in Therapy
5. NEEDS65
   Figure and Ground Relations
   The Need-Satisfaction Cycle
   Factors Preventing Need Satisfaction
6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS90
   The Meaning of Unfinished Business
   Fixed Gestalt
   The Consequences of Unfinished Business
   How to Work with Unfinished Business in Therapy
7. CONTACT105
   Contact Is Experienced on the Contact Boundary between the Organism and Its Environment
   Growth and Change Can Only Be Achieved through Contact
   In Order to Achieve Good Contact, the Pathways of Contact Have to Be Open
   For Good Contact, the Contact Boundary Must be Flexible and Permeable
   Contact and Withdrawal Are a Rhythm
   The Rhythm of Contact and Withdrawal Is Determined by the Styles of Contact
   Both the Individual and the Environment Are Equally Responsible for Disrupting the Rhythm of Contact and Withdrawal
8. INTROJECTION122
   What Is Introjection?
   The Advantages and Disadvantages of Introjection
   The Basis of Introjection
   Personality Characteristics of People Who Use Introjection as a Contact Style Frequently
   How to Work with Introjection in Therapy
9. DESENSITIZATION138
   What Is Desensitization?
   The Advantages and Disadvantages of Desensitization
   The Basis of Desensitization
   Personality Characteristics of People Who Use the Desensitization Contact Style Frequently
   How to Work with Desensitization in Therapy
10. DEFLECTION147
    What Is Deflection?
    The Advantages and Disadvantages of Deflection
    The Basis of Deflection
    Personality Characteristics of People Who Use the Deflection Style of Contact Frequently
    How to Work with Deflection in Therapy
11. PROJECTION160
    What Is Projection?
    The Advantages and Disadvantages of Projection
    The Basis of Projection
    Personality Characteristics of People Who Use the Projection Style of Contact Frequently
    How to Work with Projection in Therapy
12. RETROFLECTION173
    What Is Retroflection?
    The Advantages and Disadvantages of Retroflection
    The Basis of Retroflection
    Personality Characteristics of People Who Use the Retroflection Style of Contact Frequently
    Physical Characteristics of People Who Use the Retroflection Style of Contact Frequently
    How to Work with Retroflection in Therapy
13. EGOTISM186
    What Is Egotism?
    The Advantages and Disadvantages of Egotism
    The Basis of Egotism
    Personality Characteristics of People Who Use Egotism as a Contact Style Frequently
    How to Work with Egotism in Therapy
14. CONFLUENCE196
    What Is Confluence?
    The Advantages and Disadvantages of Confluence
    The Basis of Confluence
    Personality Characteristics of People Who Use Confluence as a Style of Contact Frequently
    Contact Patterns of People Who Frequently Use Confluence
    How to Work with Confluence in Therapy
15. POLARITIES216
    The Gestalt Perspective on Polarities
    How to Work with Polarities in Therapy
    PART III: APPLICATION
16. RESISTANCE230
    The Gestalt Approach Viewpoint on Resistance
    Creative Adjustment
    Paradoxical Theory of Change
    Impasse
    Creative Indifference
    How to Work with Resistance in Therapy
17. BODY LANGUAGE250
    Fundamental Perspectives of Body Work
    How to Work with Body Language in Therapy
    How to Work with Body Reactions That Emerge in Therapy
    Exploring the Meaning of Bodily Reactions in Therapy
    How to Work with Physical Disturbances in Therapy
    How to Work with Body Structure and Posture in Therapy
18. DREAMS272
    Meaning of Dreams
    The Aims of Dreamwork
    How to Work with Dreams in Therapy
19. A CASE PRESENTATION290
    The Case
    The Story
    Gestalt Diagnosis
    DSM-IV Diagnosis
    The Point of View of the Gestalt Therapy
    Approach to Personality Disorders
    The Goals of Therapy and Issues to Be Considered in the Therapy of Personality Disorders
    Therapy Process

REFERENCES322

INDEX331

To my children: Ceren and Buğra

PREFACE

Integration and growth. The magic strength of the Gestalt therapy approach is hidden in these two vast words. One of my clients beautifully expressed this in the following lines:

I wanted to grow, to be strong

I was so alone in this big world

Small and in pieces

Afraid of being alive And mostly of myself.

But I wanted to grow, to be strong

I first took a look at myself from a corner, hesitating

Then from another corner, shyly

The more I looked, the more I wanted to look

And I gathered whatever there is

I got rid of all that clutter

And I did put myself together, integrated.

I wanted to grow, to be strong

Then I looked at my loved ones

At the world which scared me

Looked at life and every living thing

The more I looked, the more I approached them

I saw them, they saw me

First we greeted each other, but it took a while

But then we hugged, oh so warmly

I gathered them and put them inside me

We are integrated

And suddenly I saw that what I wished for was now true

I had grown.

H. D.

This book is written with two important goals in mind. One of the aims of the book is to introduce the Gestalt therapy approach and, while introducing it, to help readers to understand themselves better. The second purpose of the book is to help those therapists in therapy training by presenting the theory and methods of the Gestalt approach with examples, and thus contribute to the raising of their therapeutic knowledge and skill levels. In order to achieve these goals, I put this book together by going over the literature of Fritz Perls, the founder of the Gestalt therapy approach, by reviewing the contributions of his followers and those of contemporary Gestalt therapists and adding my own views and experiences.

I organized and explained the information according to my own “gestalt,” born from the training I have had over a long period at various Gestalt institutes in the USA and Europe. In other words, the theoretical and methodical information included in this book reflects how I und...

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