A sequence of steps for making sense of a client case, by Jan Roubal
Here is a brief and free account of the sequence of steps for making sense of a client case, proposed at one of the seminars by Jan Roubal, a Czech gestalt therapist, trainer and psychiatrist. The first step: to ask yourself a...
Why does the imperfection of others irritate us so much?
As we know, disenchantment quite often follows enchantment — that is how adult life is arranged. Our imagination paints us the finest pictures of the life to come. We shape our thoughts about others and even about the whole world in the...
Impostor syndrome from the perspective of gestalt therapy
Gestalt therapy sees a person as a whole, where all thoughts, feelings and actions are part of a larger «I». And this is where impostor syndrome appears — like an uninvited guest at the party of your self-awareness. FIRST, it is an...
MUM, TELL ME…
Mum, tell me that you enjoy talking with me. I will grow up — and I will know that I am interesting. Mum, talk to me about feelings. I will grow up — and I will understand myself. Mum, support me when...
Psychological Resonance: A Deeper Understanding of Yourself and Others
Psychological resonance: a path to a deeper understanding of yourself and others. Psychological resonance is the phenomenon of experiencing a deep understanding of, or response to, another person. It is not simply empathy, but the capacity to mirror another’s feelings, state and...
What First-Stage Training in Gestalt Therapy Is Like
So, the first stage is a training and therapy group in the Gestalt approach. This means that throughout the first stage of training the greater part of the attention goes to exploring yourself, your style of making contact and the ways you...
Debunking Myths: the Paradoxical “Theory of Change”
The paradoxical theory of change is often misunderstood, which gives rise to myths and mistaken ideas. This theory, built on self-acceptance, holds that real change happens when we accept ourselves fully, not when we try to become someone else. Let us debunk...
How to Keep a Long-Distance Relationship Alive
The foundation of any relationship is contact — not merely physical, but emotional and spiritual too. Distance puts that contact at risk, but it also offers us a unique chance to explore and strengthen our bonds more deeply. The difficulties of a...
A Few Observations on Psychotherapy, After the Aphorisms of Thomas De Quincey
A psychotherapist has their own ideal of what a therapy session should be. Most likely it will not coincide with the client’s idea of it. A therapist’s tolerance rests not on arrogance but on an understanding of human weaknesses as creative adjustment...
The Basics of Gestalt Therapy for Beginners
The main difference between Gestalt therapy and other schools of psychology is that it works “here and now”, exploring the client’s processes in the present tense (even when what is being discussed happened in the past). At the same time it is...