Gestalt theory psychotherapy

Gestalt Theoretical Psychotherapy is one of the Gestalt theory of the Berlin School derived psychotherapy method . It is related to the gestalt therapy of Fritz Perls in some areas of the practical procedure, but not identical. Rather, the application of Gestalt theory in the clinical-psychotherapeutic field goes back to the 1920s. An initial systematic presentation and justification of gestalt theoretical psychotherapy under this name emerged in the German-speaking countries, however, primarily from the efforts of Hans-Jürgen Walter (a student of the gestalt psychologists Edwin Rausch and Friedrich Hoeth ) and others who tried to do so on the basis of gestalt theory To develop opportunities to integrate compatible approaches from psychoanalysis , depth psychology , cognitive behavioral therapy , talk therapy and other schools of psychotherapy.

Overview

Gestalt theory psychotherapy is a process based on depth psychology that is consistently based on the findings and experimental psychological findings of Gestalt psychology and on their phenomenological orientation. The procedures and techniques used in this context are very variable and tailored to the individual case. Typical is, however, the effort to promote the integration of feelings, senses, thinking and behavior through experience-activating interventions - some of which have been adopted from Gestalt therapy and psychodrama . The epistemological position of critical realism occupies a central position in the conceptual building of Gestalt theory psychotherapy . The psychotherapeutic attitude and the image of man show very close connections to the individual psychology of Alfred Adler . Its proximity to Gestalt psychology was the basis for Wolfgang Metzger , one of the most famous German representatives of Gestalt psychology, to campaign especially for the publication of Adler's writings and for the establishment of the German Society for Individual Psychology. The Italian gestalt psychologist Giuseppe Galli has made significant accents in the further development of gestalt theoretical psychotherapy .

Gestalt theory psychotherapy of this kind has meanwhile found widespread use mainly in German-speaking countries, in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In Austria, Gestalt theoretical psychotherapy is one of the state-recognized scientific-psychotherapeutic methods, the Austrian Working Group for Gestalt Theoretical Psychotherapy (ÖAGP) offers specialist psychotherapy training in this process and publishes the journal Phenomenal - Journal for Gestalt Theoretical Psychotherapy published by Krammer Verlag, Vienna .

Historically, and here again especially in the English-speaking world, different approaches to the application of gestalt theory in the field of psychotherapy developed much earlier. This essentially took place in the wider context of a connection between Gestalt theory and psychoanalysis as the originally predominant trend in psychotherapy. These include the work of the Lewin student Junius F. Brown and the Wertheimer employee Erwin Levy , but also the gestalt psychological approaches of Molly Harrower (poetry therapy; inkblot therapy), Erika Oppenheimer-Fromm (hypnotherapy) and Frieda Fromm-Reichmann (intensive psychotherapy). Gestalt theoretical influences are also of S. H. Foulkes developed and W. Bion group psychoanalysis , in the dynamic group psychotherapy and in the Katathym-imaginative psychotherapy of HANSCARL LEUNER unmistakable. The Wertheim employee Abraham S. Luchins has made a name for himself especially in the field of group psychotherapy and psychotherapeutic work with psychotic patients .

One of the more recent applications of gestalt theory in psychotherapy is directed play therapy (giocoterapia focale), which was developed by Giancarlo Trombini and his colleagues at the University of Bologna.

Another psychotherapeutic approach based on gestalt psychology has developed in Germany since the late 1970s on the basis of the morphological psychology of Wilhelm Salber ( University of Cologne ). It has meanwhile been approved for the training course in psychotherapy based on depth psychology under the name Analytical Intensive Treatment.

See also : German Working Group for Gestalt Theoretical Psychotherapy

literature

• Current overview article: Dieter Zabransky, Eva Wagner-Lukesch, Gerhard Stemberger , Angelika Böhm (2018): Fundamentals of Gestalt Theoretical Psychotherapy. In: M. Hochgerner et al. (Ed.) Gestalt therapy . 2nd expanded and updated edition. Facultas Verlag, Vienna 2018, ISBN 978-3-7089-1542-5 , pp. 132-169.
• Presentation of the systematic practice: Gerhard Stemberger (2018, 2019): Therapeutic relationship and therapeutic practice in Gestalt theoretical psychotherapy: praxeology part 1 , praxeology part 2 , praxeology part 3
• The story: G.Stemberger (2019): 40 years of Gestalt theoretical psychotherapy have a constant (on the occasion of the 70th birthday of Rainer Kästl); Rainer Kästl, Gerhard Stemberger: Gestalt theory in psychotherapy. In: Journal für Psychologie , 13, 4, 2005, pp. 333–371. urn : nbn: de: 0168-ssoar-17128
• Hans-Jürgen Walter: Gestalt theory and psychotherapy. 3. Edition. Westdeutscher Verlag, Opladen 1994, ISBN 3-531-12621-0 .
• Hans-Jürgen Walter: Applied Gestalt theory in psychotherapy and psychohygiene. Westdeutscher Verlag, Opladen 1996, ISBN 3-531-12855-8 .
• Gerhard Stemberger (Ed.): Mental disorders in the I-world relationship. Gestalt theory and psychotherapeutic disease theory. Krammer, Vienna 2002, ISBN 3-901811-09-5 .
• Giuseppe Galli: Man as fellow man. Essays on Gestalt theory in research, application and dialogue. Edited and introduced by Gerhard Stemberger . Krammer, Vienna 2017, ISBN 978-3-901811-75-3 .
• Klaus Winkelhog: Gestalt theoretical psychotherapy in prison. In: G. Hörmann, MR Textor (Ed.): Practice of Psychotherapy. Five directions of therapy in case studies. Westdeutscher Verlag, Opladen 1992, 2nd edition 1998 Verlag Dietmar Klotz, ISBN 3-88074-618-4 , pp. 203-254.
• Wolfgang Zöller: On the scientific standpoint of Gestalt theoretical psychotherapy. In: Gestalt Theory. 18, pp. 257-275.
• Renzo Canestrari, Giancarlo Trombini: Psychotherapy as a restructuring of the field. In: S. Ertel, L. Kemmler, M. Stadler (eds.): Gestalt theory in modern psychology . Steinkopff, Darmstadt 1975, pp. 266-273.
• Gerhard Stemberger: Diagnostics: Gestalt theoretical psychotherapy. In: H. Bartuska u. a. (Ed.): Psychotherapeutic diagnostics. Springer, Vienna / New York 2005, ISBN 3-211-25290-8 , pp. 105-116.
• Angelika Böhm & Gerhard Stemberger: Gestalt theoretical psychotherapy. In: M. Hochgerner (Ed.): Basics of Psychotherapy. Textbook for the psychotherapeutic propaedeutic course. Facultas, Vienna 2018, ISBN 978-3708915821 , pp. 181–191.
• Gerhard Stemberger: Gestalt theoretical psychotherapy. In: G. Stumm (Ed.): Psychotherapy: schools and methods. 3. Edition. Falter Verlag, Vienna 2011, ISBN 978-3-85439-448-8 , pp. 218-227.

Web links

• ÖAGP , Austrian Working Group for Gestalt Theoretical Psychotherapy
• Basics of Gestalt theory psychotherapy (as of 2018)
• GTA - Society for Gestalt Theory and Its Applications

Individual evidence

1. ↑ H.-J. Walter: What do Gestalt theory and Gestalt therapy have to do with each other? (PDF) In: Gestalt Theory. 6, 1984, pp. 55-69. See also the commented literature overview on this topic: G. Stemberger: Gestalt Theoretical Critique of Conceptions of Gestalt Therapy. Bibliography 1974-2010. In: Phenomenal. 2 (1), 2010, pp. 51-53.
2. ↑ A historical outline of this clinical application of the Gestalt theory can be found in: R. Kästl, G. Stemberger: Applications of the Gestalt Theory in Psychotherapy. In: H. Metz-Göckel: Gestalt Theoretical Inspirations: Applications of the Gestalt Theory. Gestalt Theory Handbook. Volume 2, Verlag Krammer, Vienna 2011, pp. 27–70.
3. ↑ A comprehensive presentation of the systematic practice of Gestalt theory psychotherapy can be found in Gerhard Stemberger's three-part article on praxeology 2018 and 2019: Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 .
4. ↑ A compact presentation of the history and basic positions of the method can be found in G. Stemberger, Gestalt Theoretical Psychotherapy. In: G. Stumm (Ed.): Psychotherapy - schools and methods. 3. Edition. Falter Verlag, Vienna 2011, pp. 218–227.
5. ↑ Marianne Soff, Michael Ruh: Gestalt theory and individual psychology: a fruitful connection. (PDF) In: Gestalt Theory. 21, 4, 1999, pp. 184-202.
6. ↑ see Giuseppe Galli: Man as Mit-Mensch. Essays on Gestalt theory in research, application and dialogue . 2017
7. ↑ R. Kästl, G. Stemberger: Gestalt theory in psychotherapy . In: Journal für Psychologie , 13, 4, 2005, pp. 333–371.
8. ^ William F. Stone, Lorenz J. Finison: The Social Psychology of JF Brown: Radical Field Theory. In: The Journal of Mind and Behavior. Vol. 1, No. 1, 1980, pp. 73-84; G. Stemberger: Junius F. Brown (1902–1970): “Radical field theorist” - builders of bridges between Gestalt psychology, psychoanalysis and Marxist social theory. In: Phenomenal. 1, 1, 2009, pp. 38-41.
9. ↑ G. Stemberger: Erwin Levy - Gestalt Theoretical Psychiatrist and Psychoanalyst (1907-1991) , in: Phenomenal. 3, 1, 2011, pp. 53-54 .; K. Haller: Erwin Levy. Gestalt theoretical contributions to schizophrenia research . Göttingen 2018: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.
10. ↑ For details on the history and content of the relationships between Gestalt theory and psychoanalysis: B. Waldvogel: Psychoanalyse und Gestaltpsychologie. Frommann Holzboog, Stuttgart 1992.
11. ^ E. Lemche: Gestalt theoretical aspects in the group psychoanalysis of SH Foulkes. In: Phenomenal. 2, 1, 2010, pp. 31-37.
12. ↑ Maria Majce-Egger (Ed.): Group therapy and group dynamics - dynamic group psychotherapy. Theoretical foundations, developments and methods. Facultas, Vienna 1999.
13. ↑ See the psychopathological approach, which is explicitly based on gestalt psychological field theory, in H. Leuner: Die experimental Psychose. VwB, Berlin 1962, reprint 1997, as well as the gestaltpsychological foundation of the katathymic image life in H. Leuner: Katathym Imaginative Psychotherapie. 4th edition. Huber Bern 2012.
14. ↑ R. Kästl, G. Stemberger: Applications of the Gestalt theory in psychotherapy. 2011.
15. ↑ Publication information on the Wikipedia page about Giancarlo Trombini
16. ↑ The carrier is the Scientific Society for Analytical Intensive Treatment / Psychotherapy e. V. (WGI) , wgi-online.de

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