Description:

Invited Address Session 11 Part 2 from the Evolution of Psychotherapy 1995 – Beyond One to One
Featuring Miriam Polster, PhD; with discussant Alexander Lowen, MD.
Moderated by W Michael Munion, MA.

The proliferation of therapeutic groups, either self-help or professionally staffed, has dramatically expanded the applicability of psychotherapy. This development reflects society’s increased willingness to deal communally with personal problems that were previously restricted to private psychotherapeutic sessions. Gestalt group therapy, with its original emphasis on the freshness and pungency of individual experience has also extended its perspective to group work. Dr. Miriam Polster describes how the gestalt approach enlivens group focus and interaction through its principles of awareness and experiment-and especially through its attention to the quality of the contact between group members.

Educational Objectives:

1. To name one of the major principles of gestalt theory and give an example of its use in a group setting.
2. To name two of the major functions of a gestalt group leader.
3. To give one example of how a gestalt experiment can be used in a group setting.

*Sessions may be edited for content and to preserve confidentiality*