Many books have been written about gestalt therapy. Not many have been written on the relationship between gestalt therapy and psychotherapy research. The Handbook for Theory, Research, and Practice in Gestalt Therapy is a needed bridge between these two concerns, and a timely addition to scholarly literature on gestalt therapy itself. In 2007 an international team of experienced gestalt therapists devoted themselves to create this book, and they have collaborated with one another to produce a challenging and enriching addition to the literature relevant to gestalt therapy. The book discusses the philosophy of science, the need for research specifically focused on gestalt therapy, and the critical realism and natural attitude found in both research and gestalt praxis. It provides discussions of qualitative and quantitative research, describes the methods of gestalt therapy as based in a unified theory, and illustrates the application of research in the contexts of emerging gestalt research communities. The discussion contained in this book is needed at a time when warrant for the practice of psychotherapy is increasingly sought in the empirical support available through psychotherapy research–the so called evidence-based movement–and at a time when public policy is increasingly driven by the call for "what works."
This is a true second edition, so much so that it approaches being a different book. It includes among its new authors some of the most sought-after theorists in contemporary gestalt therapy. There is a section on the philosophy of science, research and research methodology, and one devoted to gestalt therapy and its teaching and research in diverse parts of the world. There is disagreement and critique, for this is not a simple book. It is so packed with information that it serves as both a challenge and a resource. This second edition of the Handbook will take its place as an aid in understanding the evolution of contemporary gestalt therapy and as a guide to the evolving research tradition in gestalt therapy. It rightfully belongs on the shelves of both beginning trainees in gestalt therapy and advanced and experienced practitioners, and certainly represents a resource for practitioner-researchers involved in practice-based research.
This book is a practical, professional reference on the practice of Gestalt Therapy (GT) by Philip Brownell, a leading practitioner and scholar in the field. The book covers the philosophical basics of GT and contrasts it with various types of psychotherapeutic approaches. The book also provides guidelines on how to apply GT principles to therapeutic practice with clients. Lastly, the authors cover training on a post-graduate level, certification, and continuing education issues relevant for the practicing therapist. Key Features: Explains Martin Buber's use of "dialogue" in gestalt therapy and how to practice in a dialogical manner Compares and contrasts the features of a gestalt system of diagnosis with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) Provides GT treatment planning and case management practices
Gestalt Therapy: History, Theory, and Practice is an introductory text, written by major Gestalt theorists, that will engage those new to Gestalt therapy. Editors Ansel Woldt and Sarah M. Toman introduce the historical underpinnings and fundamental concepts of Gestalt therapy and illustrate applications of those concepts to therapeutic practice. The book is unique in that it is the first Gestalt text specifically designed for the academic and training institute settings. Gestalt Therapy takes both a conceptual and a practical approach to examining classic and cutting-edge constructs.
Gestalt therapy is well-grounded in its daily practice, but is a field which is still in the process of developing a research tradition to support this practice. Gestalt practitioner researchers devote themselves to the generation of interest in the field, the enlargement of capacities and expertise, and the sharing of research projects and their findings. The larger Gestalt community realises that such research has begun to take place, but it requires more information and to be brought into the conversation through a book that speaks of philosophy and method and actually shares some of the research that emerges. This volume fills this lacuna, collecting for the first time the theoretical grounds for research in Gestalt therapy, and introduces useful research methods and presents actual research projects to provide inspiration to Gestalt practitioner researchers. The book will be helpful not only to Gestalt therapists interested in research, but also to students of Gestalt therapy involved in training, as it will serve to bolster their own academic performance. It will also be of interest to the larger field of psychotherapy research, in demonstrating how a clinical school based on principles such as existential dialogue, phenomenology and field theory is responding to the need for evidence-based practice, and is keeping pace with the needs of a twenty-first century professional community.
Organized around the latest CACREP standards, Counseling Theory: Guiding Reflective Practice, by Richard D. Parsons and Naijian Zhang, presents theory as an essential component to both counselor identity formation and professional practice. Drawing on the contributions of current practitioners, the text uses both classical and cutting-edge theoretical models of change as lenses for processing client information and developing case conceptualizations and intervention plans. Each chapter provides a snapshot of a particular theory/approach and the major thinkers associated with each theory as well as case illustrations and guided practice exercises to help readers internalize the content presented and apply it to their own development as counselors.
Over a decade in the making, this volume brings together some of the richest thinking about gestalt therapy theory and practice that emerged in the lead-up to the 21st century. In 1996, the internet was breaking out of its shell, and the first electronic journal for gestalt therapy appeared as a hybrid of the text-based discussion group Gstalt-L and the graphically rich, web-based journal itself. The journal, supported by a community at St. Johns University, was titled Gestalt!. Its vision was to stimulate a global discussion of gestalt therapy using the electronic medium that has now become so common and essential, and it did just that. Gestalt! was free. It was quick. Those working with the journal were focused on substance over style. The editors have ensured this relevant and playful attitude shines through in this collection. There are errors in form, because the editors have maintained many in order to provide a realistic feel for what the journal was like. Although it no longer exists, this book reclaims the journal’s great historical value and still-significant ideas.
A compendium of research and practice techniques in the field of humanistic psychotherapies. In addition to the editors' comprehensive overview of the history, defining characteristics and evolution of humanistic psychotherapies, the contributors illustrate significant research results in the last decades and document the effectiveness of major humanistic therapeutic approaches, including client-centred, Gestalt, existential and experiential. The research presented shows these approaches to be equivalent and, in many cases, superior to others in treating a wide range of psychopathology. Contributors also offer guidelines for practice and introduce innovative methods for working with an increasingly difficult, diverse and complex range of individuals, couples, families and groups.
Integrating the work of leading therapists, the book covers both conceptual foundations and current treatment applications. The volume delineates a variety of experiential methods, and describes newly developed models of experiential diagnosis and case formulation.
"The Handbook of Humanistic Psychology presents a historic overview, theory, methodology, applications to practice and to broader settings, and an epilogue for the new millennium...The Handbook of Humanistic Psychology is an academic text excellently suited for collegiate education and research...The Handbook of Humanistic Psychology will be the inspiration and reference source for the next generation of humanists in all fields." - Lynn Seiser, Ph.D., THE THERAPIST "This volume represents an essential milestone and defining moment for humanistic psychology.... [It] belongs on the shelf of everyone who identifies with the humanistic movement and can serve as an excellent resource for those who would like to offer their students more than the perfunctory three paragraphs designated to humanistic psychology found in most introductory psychology books" -Donadrian Rice, CONTEMPORARY PSYCHOLOGY "Psychologists already partial to humanistic perspectives will take great pleasure in reading this book, and those seeking to expand their understanding of psychological humanism will find themselves much informed, perhaps even inspired, by it." - Irving B. Weiner, PSYCHOTHERAPY RESEARCH "A cornucopia of valuable historical, theoretical, and practical information for the Humanistic Psychologist." — Irvin Yalom, Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry, Stanford University "The editors represent both the founding generation and contemporary leadership and the contributors they have enlisted include most of the active voices in the humanistic movement. I know of no better source for either insiders or outsiders to grasp what humanistic psychology is about, and what either insiders or outsiders should do about it." — M. Brewster Smith, University of California at Santa Cruz "As a humanist it offered me a breadth I had not known existed, as a researcher it offered me an excellent statement of in depth research procedures to get closer to human experience, as a practitioner it offered me inspiration. For all those who work with and explore human experience, you can not afford to miss the voice of the third force so excellently conveyed in this comprehensive coverage of its unique view of human possibility and how to harness it." — Leslie S. Greenberg, York University Irvin Yalom, M. Brewster Smith, Leslie S. Greenberg, Inspired by James F. T. Bugental′s classic, Challenges of Humanistic Psychology (1967), The Handbook of Humanistic Psychology represents the latest scholarship in the resurgent field of humanistic psychology and psychotherapy. Set against trends toward psychological standardization and medicalization, the handbook provides a rich tapestry of reflection by the leading person-centered scholars of our time. Their range in topics is far-reaching—from the historical, theoretical, and methodological, to the spiritual, psychotherapeutic, and multicultural. Psychology is poised for a renaissance, and this handbook plays a critical role in that transformation. As increasing numbers of students and professionals rebel against mechanizing trends, they are looking for the fuller, deeper, and more personal psychological orientation that this handbook promotes.
