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Couples therapy has long been regarded as one of the most demanding forms of psychotherapy because of the way it challenges therapists to combine the insights of dynamic psychology with the power and clarity of systems dynamics.  In this exciting new volume, Gordon Wheeler and Stephanie Backman, couples therapists with broad training and long years of experience, present dramatic new approaches that at last integrate the dynamic/self-organizational and the systemic/behavioral schools of thought.

Building on the insights of Gestalt psychology and psychotherapy, the authors show us how a truly phenomenological approach, based on the clients' own experience and goals, holds the key to a dramatic increase in therapeutic power and flexibility.  The fifteen engaging chapters demonstrate the application of this approach to issues of intimacy, self-construction, power and abuse, "resistance," growth, and shame - and to such diverse and challenging populations as abuse survivors and their partners, remarried couples, gay and lesbian couples, and couples with "personality" or "character" disorders.

In the process, the authors offer a fresh perspective that will serve to re-energize the couples therapist's work in this challenging area.  On Intimate Ground contributes new insights to many of the most timely and provocative questions in the field today. 

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The Summer of Fire, as the media calls it, brings steamy weather and the threat of an arsonist. Officer Helen is charged with ending the madness, yet her passion for a widowed firefighter continues to flame. ... Read more

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Many would agree that today we live in a turbulent world where dialogue across the globe is essential, where cross0communication is an ever increasing and fundamental need on our planet now more than ever before.By adoping a Gestalt multi-cultural focus, a group of 23 eminent Gestaltists have investigated some of the human troubles that are of convern to many of us.They have steped forward to write about their own experiences working in foriegn lands and their attempts tohelp heal the ills that exist between sociieties and to offer readers ways of doing the same. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A Gestalt perspective of values and cultural diversity
This is a brave book.What I generally like is the fact that the problems addressed in the book are too often not dealt with.Often they fall in the cracks between clinical formulations, organizational development formulations, research formulations, etc.Too few people take the issues of conflict which has a political/social dimension seriously as a human/psychological concern.Conflicts amongst cultures - and their resolutions - deserve greater attention in this time of assaults on society and the values of diverse communities.I would recommend this book to anyone interested in working with communities of all kinds.

the opening of eyes long closed!
do you remember the first time that you popped on a pair of reading glasses ? realizing that your natural sight was not all that you thought it was ! well, the bridge quickly shakes deep,long held views about a fusion of cultural issues.
see the world more clearly - read the bridge!

j.hartland ( managing director - blue chip co. )

Gestalt addresses culture
Among the important themes of The Bridge are immigrant experiences, the psychological and cultural crisis points abundant in the acculturation process. The editor opens the book with a chapter focused on "making a difference," bridging through sharing, which she powerfully describes as, "being in mutual contact and bridging differences while acknowledging the unbridgeable." Later, she insists, "Fundamental to this process is the conviction that even though change is inevitable as a result of a dialogic meeting, one can still maintain what is fundamental to oneself. The starting point is that of meeting and allowing, as opposed to demanding and imposing change."

What does Gestalt bring to working with culture? The editor is clear: Gestalt views and observes differences, takes an interest in the way each culture configures the field, and strives to create enough common ground for bridges to be stretched across them. Far from being a purely theoretical concern, she offers her own cultural identity struggle and that of her clients as concrete examples of the uncertainties, pains and joys of steering ones identity through cultural storms.

Contributors to the volume are Gestalt therapists all, and, although the experiences of Jewishness and Israel are dominant for quite a few contributors, there is good diversity in the mix. The reader is introduced to a wide range of contexts in which Gestalt theory and practice are applied to therapy and social life.

Following the introduction are two important essays by Philip Lichtenberg and Gordon Wheeler that position culture within the Gestalt process. They give the reader both a theoretical and historical context for understanding Gestalt psychology and its terminology, making subsequent chapters more transparent for those unfamiliar with its principles and practices.

The Gestalt approach, in a sense, is counterfoil to those academic and scientific approaches to culture that seek to be as value free and detached as possible. Gestalt proposes work that is unashamedly value rich whether the values are traditional, religious, political or social.Moreover in relational contexts, even between therapist and client, cultural phenomena may become not only become ominous and threatening to others, but may also attack one's own cultural immune system unless surfaced and dealt with. This is true for the individual but as well for society and politics. Imposed assimilation deprives the assimilator as well as the assimilated. Imperialism, cultural or otherwise, ultimately denudes the emperor. Bloated patriotism destroys the community it was meant to sustain.

Section Two of The Bridge shows applications of Gestalt to bridging of social phenomena. The struggle for identity and belonging is a part of experiences as disparate as surviving the Holocaust, being a victim of HIV or finding motivation for one's studies. It may be about dealing with immigration and social change or with the generational differences between mothers and daughters in a new land or a new age. Often in these situations individualism puts people at cultural risk and the return to wholeness lies in reconnection with others. One discussion in Section Two addresses belonging in an educational counseling context-a Gestalt approach assists minority students seeking to establish a self-image coherent with full participation in educational opportunities. The final essay tells of creating belonging in the formation of an Israeli-Arab theatre group through personal narration and dialogue.

Section Three of the book shifts the focus to interpersonal bridge making. Being born a Cleveland Indians baseball fan myself, it jogged my emotional memory to read how the gift of baseball cap bearing the very red face of Chief Wahoo stimulated a painful but productive dialogue toward understanding racism. Here the play of figure and ground in Gestalt help us to understand how cultural difference in the ground may make all the difference to the meaning of the symbols we exchange and actions our well intended actions toward each other. Factors that have formed us, though not unrelated to the color of our skin, can run much deeper and make up a far greater part of our self-construct than we are likely to imagine.

The final essays address bridging in therapy. While the title suggests we might hear about how to professionally connect people and their values, the bridges talked about here are mainly between the therapist(s) and the client or client group. Again, engagement rather than detachment is a hallmark of the Gestalt process. It becomes very clear that the therapist's own dialogue with difference is as critical to the outcome of therapy as the dialogues that bring the client or the group to experience itself and transcend its boundaries in healing and creation. Accounts relate how elements of racial and religious background are brought into the foreground of the therapists' own crisis and dialogue. This stimulates change and growth that in turn nourishes the therapeutic sessions. There is no deus ex machina in Gestalt work. We bring who we are and what we have. It is this honest engagement with the other that often works miracles. Detachment only exists in the sense of knowing what feelings belong to whom.

The editor's epilogue sums up the collaborative discussion of the cultural used to create this book with the dictum, "experience trumps theory." This highlights the dilemma that the reader, especially if not a therapist but otherwise engaged in intercultural work must address and resolve in everyday practice. Experience is messy, and frequently interculturalists whose work may have healing potential but who don't see themselves as therapists would themselves avoid the messiness. Much of the time, we are brought to work in situations because our clients fear the messiness and expect us to clean it up or at least help them clean it up. This book reminds us that both in therapy as well as training and consulting, intercultural messiness, the proverbial "can of worms", holds the potential of it own reorganization if we are able to honor it and bring it to the foreground and speak of it as we experience it. We are not all therapists but we are all engaged in the dance of figure and ground.

The Bridge is neither a manual of techniques nor a collection of cultural information. Rather it is a book that challenges therapists and interculturalists alike by inviting us, in Gestalt terms, to dialog with the dialog it presents us with, in short to do our own work in order to work well with others.

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Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

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This contemporary counseling approach seamlessly meshes with pastoral theology!

Gestalt therapy is designed to be simple, free of jargon, and emotionally liberating--ideal for pastoral counseling in the context of a variety of faiths. This primer is designed to give pastors and rabbis a working knowledge of the basic techniques and attitudes pioneered by Dr. Fritz Perls. Pastoral Counseling: A Gestalt Approach shows how this holistic approach, with its emphasis on the here and now, is a natural counterpoint to pastoral theology.

This comprehensive book gives specific instructions on using Gestalt techniques to increase the depth of the pastoral care and counseling you provide. Pastoral Counseling explains the basic goals of Gestalt work, which are to achieve spontaneity and expressiveness and to move toward personal authenticity. It also reveals how you can employ these techniques to help you and your congregation move toward realizing your God-given potential.

Pastoral Counseling illustrates Gestalt theories from several perspectives, including:

• theory and techniques
• case studies
• a folk tale
• session transcripts
• a sermon

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent practical application of Gestalt theory
This book is a must-read for any practitioner of the Gestalt approach. It is particularly helpful for the field of pastoral counseling and clinical pastoral education as it offers vivid case illustrations of the techniques used. It also is a useful tool for everyday pastoral care offered by congregation-based clergy, who seek a holistic approach using the body language, facial expressions and internal dialogue of the one seeking help. The chapters on the hot-chair and the counseling session are particularly gripping and enlightening for pastoral practice. All chapters offer well-integrated, in-depth theoretical reflections.

As a former post-graduate student of Dr. Knights I had the privilege to experience his personal strength and leadership for several years. His motivating force was to meet people at the center of their vital awareness by helping them to be authentic in the here-and-now. The book is an accurate reflection of Dr. Knights' clinical and educational practice. His use of the Gestalt approach has enabled many pastors to be more authentic persons and therefore to be more empathetic and genuine with the people to whom they minister.

Accessible Tools
The language and exercises of Gestalt are presented in usable form accessible to beginners as well as seasoned practitioners. Illustrations from folk tales, scripture, group and individual counseling, and congregational settings keep readers interested and involved. Actual verbatim conversations give specific insight into real life experience with the theory.The material is engaging.It would be hard to find a better description of this psychological theory well integrated into an understanding of pastoral care and counseling.I have used the book personally with Association for Clinical Pastoral Education students and in local church settings effectively.I highly recommend this resource.--The Rev. Martha Rutland, D. Min., ACPE Supervisor ... Read more

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Reviews of the First Edition . . .

"This is the first major manual on Bender Gestalt testing in over 30 years, and includes detailed administration and scoring instructions, and data on validity and reliability." —Epilepsia.

"This book will provide both psychologists and psychiatrists [with] a comprehensive yet easy-to-use manual for screening brain dysfunction." —Contemporary Psychiatry.

"Dr. Lacks should be complimented for her treatment of the use of the BGT in screening for organic brain dysfunction." —Book Reviews in Neurosciences.

Utilized for over 60 years by clinicians worldwide, the Bender Gestalt Test (BGT) today continues to be a widely used assessment tool to measure the cognitive domain of visuoconstructive abilities and to screen for brain dysfunction. Much of the BGT's popularity rests on its brevity, simplicity, and proven effectiveness with individuals from age 4 to 100. The test is often employed in inpatient psychiatric settings because of its ability to discriminate between brain impairment and serious mental disorders like schizophrenia. More recently, the BGT has also been used to identify older adults at high risk for cognitive decline.

This Second Edition is fully revised and includes an up-to-date review of the relevant scientific literature on the test's reliability, validity, and diagnostic accuracy. The book also contains additional normative data, a discussion of malingering, and almost all new examples and practice case materials. Five new chapters address issues in neuropsychological screening, eight steps to interpretation of test results, and use of the Bender Gestalt Test with children, adolescents, and older adults.

The book serves as a comprehensive manual for the administration, scoring, and interpretation of the Bender Gestalt Test. The diagnostic significance of general and specific behavioral observations is stressed and a format for recording them is included. For scoring, there are descriptions and multiple examples within the author's adaptation of the 12 errors of the Hutt and Briskin scoring system. The reader can use the 12 varied clinical case examples with explication of the scoring and 10 additional practice cases to gain rapid scoring facility and accuracy. Norms are provided for adult non-patients and psychiatric inpatients, nonpatient and demented older adults, and adolescents.

Designed for practical use and adhering to APA standards for test manuals, Bender Gestalt Screening for Brain Dysfunction is a comprehensive and easy-to-use manual that will enable psychology clinicians, psychometricians, and graduate students to increase their level of diagnostic accuracy in screening for brain damage. ... Read more

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This book introduces a new theory in Computer Vision yielding elementary techniques to analyze digital images. These techniques are a mathematical formalization of the Gestalt theory. From the mathematical viewpoint the closest field to it is stochastic geometry, involving basic probability and statistics, in the context of image analysis. The book is mathematically self-contained, needing only basic understanding of probability and calculus. The text includes more than 130 illustrations, and numerous examples based on specific images on which the theory is tested. Detailed exercises at the end of each chapter help the reader develop a firm understanding of the concepts imparted.

Customer Reviews (1)

All behavior is meaningful
Most clinicians are familiar with the Bender-Gestalt test.Since the publication of the system by Elizabeth Koppitz, the test has been largely utilized for visual-motor screening, screening for neurological impairment,and for emotional indicators. Dr. Perticone has brought this test to a newlevel.Those who are familiar and believe in the utility of the projectiveutilization of testing will take delight at a new way the Bender-Gestalttest can be administered and interpreted.In his work, Dr. Perticonediscusses the hypothesized symbolic pull of each design, the projectivesigns of how the designs are drawn, and a method of expanding the Bender. Dr. Perticone brings a method where subjects, clients, and patients candiscuss their design, thereby adding to the projective value of theassessment.This is a strongly recommended work, especially for anyclinican who utilizes the Bender-Gestalt test in their assessment. ... Read more

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Called "the most significant addition to the body of Gestalt therapy literature in almost two decades,” this collection of Yontef's writings encompasses the history and politics of Gestalt therapy, Gestalt therapy theory, field theory and the practice of Gestalt therapy including new chapters on treating people with character disorders and working with shame.Highly recommended as a training text and as a resource for graduate students and scholars. ... Read more

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No return policy
Although I received the product as described and in excellent condition, it turned out that I did not need the book after all and I wanted to return it. The individual company I ordered through amazon (GEstalt Journal Press), would not let me return the book. Nowhere on the website is the return policy posted and it was confusing because I saw amazon.com return policy and assumed it was the same. It wasn't until I wanted to return the book that I found out they do not return books. Gestalt Journal Press's site on amazon, was shut down for weeks and there was no sign of a return policy anywhere. i emailed them and it took them forever to respond. For anyone who is buying from Gestalt Journal Press beware that they DO NOT return books.

An Important book for all Gestalt therapists and trainees
Although this book took a little longer than normal to arrive, it did so in perfect condition.As a long time Gestalt practitioner, Yontef updates Gestalt practice and encourages integration of input from other paradigms, while not losing the essential aspects of the subject. ... Read more

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An indispensable reader for those interested in the history of the development of Gestalt therapy and the personalities involved, this volume contains interviews with those in the Gestalt community who had been involved in the development of Gestalt therapy since its inception in the late 1940's. Laura Perls, Isadore From, Erving Polster, Miriam Polster, and Elliot Shapiro offer their reminisces of and insights into the personalities involved in the early years of Gestalt therapy. ... Read more

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The Gestalt Theory and the Problem of Configuration BY BRUNO PETERMANN UNIVERSITY OF KIEL LONDON KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUBNER CO., LTD. BROADWAY HOUSE, CARTER LANE, E. G. 1932 Translated by MEYER FORTES PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY STEPHEN AUSTIN AND SONS, LTD., HERTFORD CONTENTS INTRODUCTION PAGE THE PROBLEM OF CONFIGURATION AND THE GESTALT THEORY Contemporary psychology and the problem of configuration. Purpose of the present investigation ...... i BOOK ONE THE CONCEPTUAL CONSTITUTION OF THE GESTALT THEORY, DEVELOPED IN ITS GENETIC CONTINUITY .... 7 CHAPTER I. THE THEORY OF THE -PROCESS SIMPLY A PRELIMINARY STEP TO THE ACTUAL GESTALT THEORY . . . . .10 2. The seeing of movement The thesis of the sensation-equivalence of the seeing of move ment, and the theory of the directed fa-process 1 1 3. The seeing of gestalt . Its derivation from the seeing of movement, and the theory of the simultaneous fa-process . . . .14 4. The principles inherent in Wertheimers contentions of 1912, and the actual gestalt theory ....... 16 CHAPTER II. THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE ORIENTATION IN THE PROBLEM, WHICH is CHARACTERISTIC OF THE ACTUAL GESTALT THEORY . .20 i. The proposal to transform the standpoint of psychological thinking in its principles . . .20 5. The first critical considerations opposing the old psychology Kohler, 1913 . . 21 6. The achievement of an anti-synthetic stand point as positive manifestation of a trans formation of principles . . . - 25 vi CONTENTS PAGE 2. The first delineation of actual gestalt thinking ....... 29 7. The establishment of the specific significance of the gestalt concept .... 29 8. The extension of the gestalt way of thinking to the different special provinces of psychology 32 CHAPTER III. THE CONSOLIDATION OF THE ACTUAL SYSTEM OF THE GESTALT THEORY . . - 34 1. The psychophysical-deductive founding of the basic principles of the gestalt doctrine by Kohler . . 35, 9. Kohlers epistemological extension of the gestalt thinking to physical domains . 35 10. Kohlers constructional solution of the psychophysical problem .... 39 11. Kdhlers logical incorporation of all problems of wholeness in his physical-physiological gestalt doctrine 41 2. The psychological refinement of the gestalt concept x into a principle founding a positive system . . 44 12. The primacy of the whole over the part in psychical events ..... 44 13. The notion of the conformance to laws of the gestalt, as formal presupposition for the conceptual tenets of a specific gestalt theory 47 14. The notion of the gestalt disposition as material presupposition for the empirical feasibility of a specific gestalt theory . 51 CHAPTER IV. THE ARCHITECTONICS OF THE FINAL BODY OF DOCTRINE OF THE GESTALT THEORY . 56 15. The extent of the gestalt theorys systematic field in general 56 1 6. The principles of construction of the system of gestalt psychology .... 56 17. The organization of the gestalt-psychological system in its integrality 57 CONTENTS vii BOOK TWO PAGB TOWARDS A CRITICISM OF THE GESTALT THEORY 59 PART ONE TOWARDS AN APPRAISEMENT OF THE CON STRUCTIONAL FOUNDATION OF THE GESTALT THEORY 62 CHAPTER I. KOHLERS EVIDENCE TO DEMONSTRATE A GESTALT-THEORETICAL PROVINCE IN THE SYSTEM OF PHYSICS . . . . .62 1. Kohlers demonstration of a first physical gestalt factor ........ 63 1 8. Kohlers line of argument in proof of the gestalt character of systems of electrolytic solutions ...... 63 19. Bechers version of Kohlers line of argument 66 2. Kohlers doctrine of the gestalt character of dis tribution systems . . . . .68 20. The distribution systems of physics and Kohlers interpretation of them ... 68 21. A direct testing of Kohlers contention by means of a model distribution system which can be envisaged in its entirety . . 71 22. Critical analysis of Kdhlers detailed arguments for the gestalt character of distribution systems .... 78 3 ... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

good
got it just in time for it to not be useful for my project, but it was still within the time frame they gave so it's ok. i may still read it sometime. (-: ... Read more

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The World In Your Head: A Gestalt View of the Mechanism of Conscious Experience represents a bold assault on one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in science: the nature of consciousness and the human mind.

Rather than examining the brain and nervous system to see what they tell us about the mind, this book begins with an examination of conscious experience to see what it can tell us about the brain.

Through this analysis, the first and most obvious observation is that consciousness appears as a volumetric spatial void, containing colored objects and surfaces. This reveals that the representation in the brain takes the form of an explicit volumetric spatial model of external reality. Therefore, the world we see around us is not the real world itself, but merely a miniature virtual-reality replica of that world in an internal representation. In fact, the phenomena of dreams and hallucinations clearly demonstrate the capacity of the brain to construct complete virtual worlds even in the absence of sensory input. Perception is somewhat like a guided hallucination, based on sensory stimulation.

This insight allows us to examine the world of visual experience not as scientists exploring the external world, but as perceptual scientists examining a rich and complex internal representation. This unique approach to investigating mental function has implications in a wide variety of related fields, including the nature of language and abstract thought, and motor control and behavior. It also has implications to the world of music, art, and dance, showing how the patterns of regularity and periodicity in space and time--apparent in those aesthetic domains--reflect the periodic basis set of the underlying harmonic resonance representation in the brain.
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Customer Reviews (2)

A great read
I started on the biological side of vision but my career has taken me firmly on the machine or computer vision side of the aisle (Plug, I just wrote an O'Reilly book on the topic: Learning OpenCV: Computer Vision with the OpenCV Library).But, I still love thinking and reading about brain science.

In this book Steve Lehar has combined Gestalt psychology and computational models of perception and learning into a whirl win tour of the brain. His scientific views are, um, probably a bit out there.You can accept them or not, but the real pleasure of this book come in where he marshals evidence to defend his views -- you get to go along for the ride on an extensive tour of the latest in experimental psychology, brain science and philosophy.It's a very enlightening, entertaining read, suitable also for people not in the field and, as a bonus, Steve is simply a great graphic artist -- the illustrations are worth the price of entry alone.

So why isn't this a classic yet?
I don't know Steven Lehar.We've corresponded a couple times about other matters via e-mail, but that's it.I don't write solicited reviews, and this is no exception.At some point, I searched online and found Lehar's website, with its interesting text and beautiful graphics.It was obvious to me that Lehar is doing something unique, creative and important, albeit way out of the current mainstream.That led me to purchase his book here (Oops.Apparently you can get it for less by ordering from the publisher).

I'm wondering why this isn't a classic yet.OK, well, honestly, I'm just getting started with this book, but what I'm finding is amazing.The text seems crisp and well-written.Lehar is addressing issues that I've wondered about for years.The figures are beautiful and informative. (Take a look at the color images at the author's website).I'll have more to say once I get deeper into the text.

Make sure to take a look at Lehar's online material.His "cartoon epistemology" is brilliant for its simplicity, humor, artistic flair and importance. You can read about Lehar's theory online, and gain access to color illustrations that resemble the black and white ones from the book.

This is truly the best of times and the worst of times for the perceptual and neural sciences. The toys (like fMRI and multi-electrode EEGs) have become more sophisticated and powerful, and there have been many new discoveries.If you are a workhorse who can churn out data, publications, and grant proposals, you are relatively safe. But at the same time, the field has not been kind to rogue scientific thinkers, no matter how brilliant. Many modern academics seem not to give themselves much time to think, or to pay attention to thinkers.This book may well be a gem, waiting to be discovered.

(My only complaint is that the text in the book is SMALL.I actually purchased some reading glasses to make it easier to read this book.Is this what if feels like to be.... old???)

At least one other person seems to share my assessment of this book -- Hellmuth Metz-Göckel (Universität Dortmund).He writes, "The theory that LEHAR presents here is unusually stimulating, and can certainly be seen as the most important contemporary contribution to Gestalt theory and its further development. Much of it is - as the author concedes - speculative, but when one considers the facts, his considerations are characterized by a high plausibility and rigor. If one wishes to clear up the manifold phenomena, there remains only one possibility, as the presented theory offers. It remains to be seen which and how much resonance the resonance theory will find in the scientific literature. It has certainly earned it."

I think we may be ripe for a rediscovery of Gestalt ideas.I've written some reviews of other three recent Gestalt offerings.See my profile/reviews. ... Read more