Fritz Perls Biography
Fritz Perls Biography
Frederick Salomon Perls (July 8 1893, Berlin – March 14, 1970, Chicago), better known as Fritz Perls, co-founded the Gestalt school of psychotherapy with his wife and long-time collaborator, Laura.
Frederick Perls started his path of life in 1893 in Berlin. All thought that he would follow the steps of his uncle who was a lawyer, but he chose medicine. He served in the German Army for some time during the WWI. Perls began to study psychiatry, works of Willhelm Reich and Freud.
He started his own family in 1930 with Lore Posner, who later became known as Laura and two children were born afterwards. Fritz and Laura Posner called them Stephen and Renate.
Hitler's regime made this family change the country and in 1933 they left for the Netherlands and then for South Africa. There in 1941 Perls wrote his book «Ego, Hunger, and Aggression», which was published a year later. Though the name of his wife was not mentioned as a co-author, but she also made her contribution to the book. From 1942 to 1946 Fritz Perls served in the South African Army as a psychiatrist. He was ranked a captain.
In 1946 the Pearls family leaves for New York. Perls worked there with such famous figures as Karen Homey and Willhelm Reich. In 1947 Gestalt therapy was published thanks to the joint efforts of Raiph Hefferline and Paul Goodman. Paul Goodman made it by request of Fritz Perls, who asked him to write down some things.
When in 1960 Perls came to California, he started active work there at Esalen Institute, located in Big Sur. There he organized seminars, workshops and training courses together with Jim Simkin. Fritz Perls produced great influence upon his pupils many of whom became famous figures in the sphere of psychiatry. Dick Price was very close to him then. Fritz Perls worked in California up the moment when he moved to Canada in 1969. There on Vancouver Island he organized a Gestalt community. This happened one year before his death in 1970 of
Frederick Salomon Perls (July 8 1893, Berlin – March 14, 1970, Chicago), better known as Fritz Perls, co-founded the Gestalt school of psychotherapy with his wife and long-time collaborator, Laura.
Frederick Perls started his path of life in 1893 in Berlin. All thought that he would follow the steps of his uncle who was a lawyer, but he chose medicine. He served in the German Army for some time during the WWI. Perls began to study psychiatry, works of Willhelm Reich and Freud.
He started his own family in 1930 with Lore Posner, who later became known as Laura and two children were born afterwards. Fritz and Laura Posner called them Stephen and Renate.
Hitler's regime made this family change the country and in 1933 they left for the Netherlands and then for South Africa. There in 1941 Perls wrote his book «Ego, Hunger, and Aggression», which was published a year later. Though the name of his wife was not mentioned as a co-author, but she also made her contribution to the book. From 1942 to 1946 Fritz Perls served in the South African Army as a psychiatrist. He was ranked a captain.
In 1946 the Pearls family leaves for New York. Perls worked there with such famous figures as Karen Homey and Willhelm Reich. In 1947 Gestalt therapy was published thanks to the joint efforts of Raiph Hefferline and Paul Goodman. Paul Goodman made it by request of Fritz Perls, who asked him to write down some things.
When in 1960 Perls came to California, he started active work there at Esalen Institute, located in Big Sur. There he organized seminars, workshops and training courses together with Jim Simkin. Fritz Perls produced great influence upon his pupils many of whom became famous figures in the sphere of psychiatry. Dick Price was very close to him then. Fritz Perls worked in California up the moment when he moved to Canada in 1969. There on Vancouver Island he organized a Gestalt community. This happened one year before his death in 1970 of