Foundations of Gestalt Therapy

Foundations of Gestalt Therapy is organized by Therapist Development Center (TDC).

Description:
This course provides clinicians with an overview of Gestalt therapy, including its history and the context within which the theory emerged. Participants will become familiar with differences between Gestalt theory and other existing theories of the time. Foundational underpinnings, as well as defining clinical characteristics of Gestalt theory as a third force in psychotherapy will be discussed. Clinical concepts, such as “I-It / I-Thou”, “contact”, “awareness”, “paradoxical theory of change”, and “creative adjustment” will be explained and clinically exemplified.  Participants will be introduced to three important elements of the dialogic method and its therapeutic implications. In addition, this course will discuss the concept of phenomenology, its components and clinical application.  Finally, the instructors are going to walk the participants through the concepts of field theory, as well as paradoxical theory of change and their clinical implications.

Learning Objectives:
As a result of participating in this training, participants will be able to:

• Understand the concept of I-Thou
• Differentiate between I-Thou and I-It concepts
• Understand elements of the dialogical methodology
• Grasp the evolution of Gestalt therapy theory
• Differentiate between psychoanalytic and gestalt theories
• Understand the concept of “awareness” through Gestalt theory lens
• Gain knowledge of field theory and its clinical implication
• Understand the concept of phenomenology as it applies to clinical practice
• Describe three aspects of phenomenological method: bracketing, description, horizontalization
• Articulate paradoxical theory of change
• Describe the concept of “creative adjustment”