GESTALT FORMATIVE ESSAY
ESSAY TITLE:
Fritz Perls(1969) in Gestalt Therapy Verbatim identified three zones of awreness: Inner, Outer and Middle.
Describe with examples, your own understanding of the three zones.
Explore the movement between these zones paying attention to the role of ‘aggressive destructiveness and reconstructiveness’ (Perls, Hefferline and Goodman Gestalt Therapy: Excitement and growth in the Human Personality,’ 1951:67).
Post Graduate Certificate Module Number Formative Essay
Gestalt Centre London and
Metropolitan University
Name:
WORD COUNT: 3291
In this essay, I will examine the three zones of awareness, inner, outer and middle, as identified by Perls (1969) and look at how we move between these zones in a way which breaks down our understanding in order that it may be reintegrated (the ‘aggressive destructiveness and reconstructiveness’ of which Perls spoke in Gestalt Therapy: excitement and Growh in the Human Personality, (1951). I hope to demonstrate that we should see the three zones as part of one whole. A holistic view of awareness allows us to appreciate how all parts of awareness work together to make a brighter and clearer whole and I believe this is what Perls intended.
Gary Yontef, in Gestalt Therapy History Theory and Practice (Woldt and Toman 2005) says ‘I think that the cognitive reflection and the ‘glowing light’ awareness are parts or phases of an overall awareness process and are best considered as part of one whole. That would emphasise the importance of being aware of the various kinds of awareness and would assert that they are incomplete without a more holistic awareness.’ So while it is important that I explain and we understand each concept within Perls’ three levels of awareness, I believe that it is vital that we see these concepts as part of a larger whole, one that we can approach through the de-struction and reconstruction described by Perls and one which embraces the whole of our organism, our
Fritz Perls(1969) in Gestalt Therapy Verbatim identified three zones of awreness: Inner, Outer and Middle.
Describe with examples, your own understanding of the three zones.
Explore the movement between these zones paying attention to the role of ‘aggressive destructiveness and reconstructiveness’ (Perls, Hefferline and Goodman Gestalt Therapy: Excitement and growth in the Human Personality,’ 1951:67).
Post Graduate Certificate Module Number Formative Essay
Gestalt Centre London and
Metropolitan University
Name:
WORD COUNT: 3291
In this essay, I will examine the three zones of awareness, inner, outer and middle, as identified by Perls (1969) and look at how we move between these zones in a way which breaks down our understanding in order that it may be reintegrated (the ‘aggressive destructiveness and reconstructiveness’ of which Perls spoke in Gestalt Therapy: excitement and Growh in the Human Personality, (1951). I hope to demonstrate that we should see the three zones as part of one whole. A holistic view of awareness allows us to appreciate how all parts of awareness work together to make a brighter and clearer whole and I believe this is what Perls intended.
Gary Yontef, in Gestalt Therapy History Theory and Practice (Woldt and Toman 2005) says ‘I think that the cognitive reflection and the ‘glowing light’ awareness are parts or phases of an overall awareness process and are best considered as part of one whole. That would emphasise the importance of being aware of the various kinds of awareness and would assert that they are incomplete without a more holistic awareness.’ So while it is important that I explain and we understand each concept within Perls’ three levels of awareness, I believe that it is vital that we see these concepts as part of a larger whole, one that we can approach through the de-struction and reconstruction described by Perls and one which embraces the whole of our organism, our
References: 1. Joyce P. and Sills C. (2010) Skills in gestalt Counselling and Psychotherapy (2nd Ed) London, Sage 2. Latner J. (1986) The Gestalt Therapy Book (2nd Ed), The United States, The Center for Gestalt Development 3. Mann D. (2010) Gestalt Therapy 100 Key Points and Techniques, Hove, Routledge 4. Perls F., Hefferline R.F. and Goodman P. (1951) Gestalt Therapy, Excitement and Growth n the Human Personality, London , Souvenir Press 5. Perls F.(1969) Gestalt Therapy Verbatim, Gouldsborouigh, The Gestalt Journal Press 6. Pollatos O. and Schandry R. (2008) Emotional processing and emotional memory are modulated by interoceptive awareness in Cogniton and Emotion 22(2), 272-287 7. Polster E. and Polster M. (1974) Gestalt Therapy Integrated New York, Vintage Books 8. Van Bergen P. and Salmon K. (2010) Emotion-oriented reminiscing and children’s recall of a novel event in Cognition and Emotion 24(6), 991-1007 9. Yontef G.M. (1993) Awareness Dialogue and Process, Essays on Gestalt Therapy, Gouldsborough ME, The Gestalt Journal Press 10. Woldt A. L. and Toman S.M. (2005) Gestalt Therapy, History, Theory and Practice, Thousand Oaks, California, Sage