Fritz Perls - Father of Gestalt Therapy
Fritz Perls (1893-1970), was a German born psychotherapist who coined the term “Gestalt therapy” for the approach to therapy he developed with his wife Laura Perls in the 1940s. He led Gestalt therapy in the 1950s and 1960s, which had a large influence on personal growth and development. Along with humanist psychologists Carl Rogers and Albert Ellis, he described the importance of therapist-client fit over the technique used.
Perls became associated with the Esalen Institute in California in 1964. A resident at Esalen before his death in 1970. Marilyn Atkinson, founder of Erickson International, studied with Perls and was actually at Esalen the day he died.
According to Patrick Williams and Marilyn Atkinson, his empty chair technique, conversing with different parts of self, paying attention to body and somatic expressions, has been adapted to coaching. Gestalt also emphasized “being in the here and now” and taking responsibility for our choices. These elements remain critical to successful coaching today.
Who else has studied Fritz Perls techniques and applied them to coaching?
Vikki G. Brock, Ph.D., EMBA, MCC
Leadership & Mentor Coach
Director, History & Archives Division
Popularity: 18% [?]
Comment by Helga M Genannt Matzko MA; CAGS, PCC on 21 July 2008:
I was thrilled to read the article by Vikki G. Brock presenting Gestalt theory as a viable and useful application for coaching and for opening up the topic to others.
I would like to respond by explaining briefly my background in Gestalt, my thoughts on the applicability to coaching, and my use of Gestalt in my coaching program “Coaching the Addiction-Recovered Client to full Potential” which I will be presenting for ILCT in September.
I have never studied with Fritz Perls; I have, however, studied with Lore Perls with whom I share some history, the city of my birth, and many memorable conversations. My training and mentoring since 1981 is/was primarily with Erving and Miriam Polster, Sonia Nevis, Joseph Zinker and others.
If I may, I wish to add some thoughts how Gestalt theory has evolved from the days of Fritz Perls. While he was a brilliant individual indeed (read the book Ego, Hunger and Aggression), many considered his style of boom, boom, boom therapy of the 60’s bombastic, simplistic, arrogant, and confrontive. At the very least it was misleading for it did not produce lasting change. To this day, many imagine that Gestalt is pounding pillows, screaming angrily anything goes kind of 60s thing. At that time profundity of earlier years was replaced by theatricality eluding lasting change (Yontef 1993, pp 3-41). Gestalt learned and began growing up from the 70’s forward.
Just as Coaching is greater than the some of its theoretical contributors (Williams and Menendez Becoming a Professional Life Coach, 2007, pp. xi-xxvii), so is Gestalt a holistic integration of Gestalt theory, existential phenomenology, field theory, Reich, Adler, Buber, neuro science, to mention some. The possibilities for Gestalt Coaching applications are endless. Here are some concepts:
Raising awareness to the what and how of experience in the ongoing present (including memories, working through),
The client knows best, has the capacity to organismically self-regulate in the context of environment/field
The coaching relationship is horizontal, is process oriented, contact is co-created, non-judgmental
Coach listens, explores phenomenological experience, finds unacknowledged strengths, give observational feedback, reframes
Theory of change – happens when one becomes his authentic self rather than what he has internalized to be.
Working with substance addicted for close to 30 years and coaching the addiction-recovered individuals for the past 6 years, I find it difficult to pinpoint any one Gestalt approach that would work better than another. Erv Polster used to say that one cannot “do” Gestalt, one is Gestalt. One must learn until it is part of self so that one can truly be present in the process with the client; that includes the timing for experiments with a focus on awareness-raising of Mindbody self in the context of environment. While all experience takes place in the present, it IS the seed for learning and becoming for the dreamed of tomorrow. The miracle of Gestalt coaching is being a fellow wanderer on the “Road less traveled” one that makes all the difference for this once battered and courageous, very deserving addiction-recovered population.
Helga M. Matzko MA., CAGS., PCC
http://www.GestaltRI.com
http://www.PurposefulIntention.com
http://www.Beyond-Recovery.com >
Helga@giri.necoxmail.com
401-270-3636
Comment by Isabelle Beltran de Lugo DMD, CEC on 11 August 2008:
It is extremely energizing and encouraging reading both your comments. A recently certified coach, I realize how of my own Gestalt experience as a “Client” (13 years ago) is influencing my coaching today as a Coach. Presence, awareness and working with what appears in the moment…these are the basis of my practice. I have found in coaching a wonderful structure to integrate my knowledge and experience. I am aware of the importance of the body, thoughts, and emotions and I use the Enneagram as a way to enhance awareness and to show (cognition) how our habitual patterns (in this case our personality) pulls us away from who we really are. Mostly what I believe to be the strengths of coaching integrating gestalt and The Enneagram are:
-The Power of creating Awareness
-The Power of Presence
-The client sets the agenda
-No judgment
-Here and Now
-We are not our personality
-We can learn how to release our personality and get closer to our true nature