On the web: Articles and lectures accessible through links at this website

Online: Daniels--Thumbnail; Perls: What is Gestalt Therapy (interviewed by Bry; ) Latner: Theory of Gestalt Therapy through "Contact Boundary Disturbances" Concepts: Contact & confluence; imperviousness; authenticity

Perls: Gestalt Approach. ix-4. In & Out of the Garbage Pail 1-22

Methods 1: phenomenology

Polster 277-311; 332-35; Perls IGP 240-273

Polster 260-284; Perls IGP 273-295

TEXTBOOKS

Fritz Perls: The Gestalt Approach/Eyewitness to Therapy (1973)

Fritz Perls: In and Out of the Garbage Pail

Polster, Erv and Miriam: From the Radical Center: The Heart of Gestalt Therapy (1999)

Please do the assigned reading by the date shown and come to class prepared to discuss it. The Perls Books are available both at North Light Books and the SSU bookstore; Polster just at SSU Bookstore.

If you have read one or more of the books above, please meet with me for alternative recommendations.

Also recommended are two of my own books. Matrix Meditations: A 16-Week Program for Developing the Mind-Heart Connection (just released) integrates concepts from Western psychology and philosophy with Eastern meditative disciplines. Being & Caring: A Psychology for Living by Victor Daniels & Laurence J. Horowitz applies Gestalt oncepts and methods to everyday living.

There are also a number of articles about nitty gritty details of the Gestalt working process, and some innovations that I and others have made, available online. After this course is over, these can serve as a good review of some of what you will have learned. The complete text in Spanish of my presentation earlier this year at the Latin American Gestalt Therapy Conference in Argentina ("X Congreso") is also linked from my website.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

There are four aspects to our experiential work. Oneis "microlab" exercises devoted to learning specific psychological skills that are useful as component parts of the Gestalt process. A second, which continues throughout the term, is the Gestalt working modality itself, which involves a deep exploration of issues and concerns which are important for each group member. A third is developing an in-depth understanding of Gestalt theory and how it can be translated into practical terms. A fourth, which we may pursue either relatively little or to a great degree, depending on the backgrounds and readiness of class members, is student use of the Gestalt working modality.

Until this semester prerequisites have been 307, Humanistic, Existential & Transpersonal Psychology OR 319, Group Processes OR 428, Introduction to Counseling, or an equivalent acceptable to the instructor. This semester the only prerequisite is that you feel comfortable disclosing personal material in the group context and are willing to engage in significant self-disclosure. (We make a confidentiality agreement so that things said and done in the group will not be repeated outside it)

REQUIREMENTS

• Attend regularly--not more than two absences--and be an active participant in the group. Each person must "work" in the group at least once during the semester.
• Spend some time surfing the gestalt and gestalt related sites on the web,and/or thumbing through issues of The Gestalt Journal, International Gestalt Journa (now on CDs)l, or Gestalt Review at the library or Gestalt! online.
• Turn in the required work at the scheduled times.
• Participate in class discussion as described below

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS (Length 3-6 pages). Note: It is possible that a change may be made in one or more of these assignments, so if you miss a class be sure to consult the "News" page on my website.

PAPER 1. THE EXPERIENTIAL PAPER. Select a matter of personal concern. This may be a pattern of interpersonal difficulty, or of past events that have negativelyk affected your actions in the present, of difficulties in awareness and expression of particular emotional states, or of some other kind of dynamic of interest to you that is not mentioned here. Describe, in autobiographical or semi-literary form, a concrete situation or recurring pattern that illustrates what is central about it for you, what questions or dilemmas you experience in regard to it, what kinds of attempts you have made to cope with it, etc. No reference list is necessary unless you include citations, in which case you should include a list...

 

PAPER 2. THE JOURNAL/WEB GESTALT HISTORY PAPER.

• PART 1: Gestalt History. This part of the paper is intended to emphasize the history of early gestalt psychology and/or contemporary work deriving from it, not gestalt therapy. You may do it partly from the notes on my website, but please consult at least one paper that you access from the Gestalt theoretical psychology page. I do not want to read just my own lecture notes regurgitated back at me.
• PART II: Gestalt Therapy. Browse through the International Gestalt Journal, the Gestalt Review, and online Gestalt Journals and archived articles, and/or any other Gestalt sources you find on the web or in the library, select a topic conected with Gestalt therapy, and write on it, with references to the sources that you have consulted, including urls. 

PAPER 3. THE ANALYTICAL PAPER. This paper is intended to show that you can apply concepts from Gestalt therapy (and perhaps also early Gestalt psychology) to understanding personal dynamics. Choose a defensive, protective, or coping process of interest to you, drawing from your readings, observations, and reflection related to observations this class. Alternative 1: Apply this process to the situation described in the first paper. (Alternative 2: Apply this process to any other psychological situation of interest or concern to you.How do the perspectives and concepts of Gestalt therapy (and, if you wish, any related perspectives with which you are acquainted) help you to understand this process? Please explicitly refer to at least three articles or chapters from the International Gestalt Journal, the Gestalt Review, Gestalt! or any other Gestalt journal, book, or online gestalt source which is relevant to the process you have chosen. Include a reference list, with page citations (including the texts.) Note: The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate your knowledge of the theories and working concepts of Gestalt therapy, and it will be evaluated in terms of how well you do that.

PAPER 4. THE DUALISM/POLARITY PAPER

Focus on some oppositional situation that exists either between different sides of yourself or in your thoughts and feelings toward some other person or group of persons. (In the latter case, it may be an actual antagonistic relationship or one that is oppositional only in terms of your own thoughts and feelings about the other person.) Apply what you have learned about Gestalt therapy in an attempt to A) describe, and B) illuminate the dynamics that are at work in that situation. Then 3) choose a gestalt-related process or processes of growth, awareness, transformation. That is, how can you get out of this conflict or dilemma? Tell how you could apply the process(es) you have selected to the situation(s) or dynamic(s) described in part A of this question. (The situation or dynamic you choose may or may not have any visible connection with what you wrote about in papers 1 and 3. In answering this question, for your theoretical base you may stay entirely within the Gestalt literature, or you may supplement it with related material from other approaches. In either case, include a reference list.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE PAPERS

Q: Should I proofread my papers? A: Always. And it's all right to cross out letters, words, or phrases and legibly write in changes.

Q: Do I need to do more than one draft? A: It almost always helps. Whether you NEED to depends on the quality of your first draft. (Note: Ernest Hemingway, one of the great writers of our time, once declared, "First drafts are sh*t.")

Q: How can I get a better grade? A: Turn in assignments on time, include the elements the assignment askes for, show that you've put real effort and thought into them, allow them to show that you are learning and assimilating the course material, and in class respond to the reading and ask questions.

Q: How do I know if I'm doing it right? A: If you're interested and involved, you are. If you're just going through the motions, you're not. Include citations and a reference list for all papers except the experiential one.

CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION OF PAPERS

Strive for clear,writing that makes its point well. Avoid empty verbiage (no "snow jobs," please). I like concise writing in which many points are made in little space. Start with your first substantive point, say what you have to say, and stop.Forget introductions and summations (unless they're very clever and your literary self insists I do like catchy leads and endings.).Exceeding the assigned lengths will not bring extra points, but take the space you need in order to say what you have to say. Find your own reconciliation of these elements. Please type. Please include a reference list at the end of each paper, in American Psychological Association format. References to online sources should include author, title, and url.)

• Whether you answer the question as posed
• Number of substantive points made. (A point for each, no extra points for repetition)
• Explicit reference to and use of ideas from reading assignments, lectures, movies, and websites
• Demonstrated thoughtfulness, insight, and understanding
• Inclusion of an example that shows clearly what you are talking about
• Specificity, as opposed to vagueness and ambiguity
• Is it clear and coherent?
• It's a plus if you use an outside source or sources (from library or the web) as well as text
• Apparent investment of time and effort
• Do I learn something from it myself?
• Do I enjoy reading it?

What do I consider a poor paper? One that parrots back material with no thoughtfulness. One that sounds just like everyone else's. One that puts me to sleep (yes, it happens.) One that goes on and on about your opinions regarding something with no data, observation, or explicit reasoning underlying them. One that was obviously tossed off very quickly with little care. One that's so vague that I can't tell whether you really have any clue what you're talking about. One that does not refer to specific items that you learned for this course.

Correctness of spelling, grammar, etc. are not taken into account in grading unless they make what you are saying unclear. If some of these are corrected on your paper, it is to help you improve your writing skills. Please pick up your final paper from the psychology work room or give me an envelope to mail it to you. I hate to make comments on papers and have them not picked up.

GRADING

IMPORTANT: THE NATURE OF WHAT YOU DO IN THE WORKING GROUP DOES NOT AFFECT YOUR GRADE. IT IS CRUCIAL THAT THE "PROCESS" ASPECT OF THE CLASS LEAVE YOU FREE TO BE COMPLETELY YOURSELF, WITHOUT CONCERN ABOUT ANY IMPLICATIONS OF YOUR BEHAVIOR FOR GRADING.

WEIGHTING Class contributions (discussion, attendance, etc.): 20%. Papers: 20% each. (not counting the takehome exam, which must be completed but will not be graded.

DISCUSSION: This is an experiential seminar. . (When you are out in the real world in a job, you will probably find that presentation skills are at least as important to you as writing skills, so this is meant to help you develop them.) Being prepared and making input in the discussion will be included in the grading. Time will be made for all who wish to speak. I recognize that some people can speak out easily in class and others have a harder time doing so. Therefore I often use a discussion format in which we go r around the circle, and each one of you simply reads out loud a brief passage that had an impact for you. I have found that even shy, quiet students are able to do this. It may be something you really liked, something you hated or disagreed with, or something you didn't quite understand.If you want to add a comment of your own, that's just fine, but not required. All I ask is that you read aloud. (Please mark several passages to choose from, in case someone else has already read one that you thought of reading.) Be prepared to read aloud every week. When you do, I will put a dot by your name on my roster, and this will contribute to your class participation evaluation at the end. Many dots, high. Few dots, low

Other questions, comments, and discussion are also encouraged. If you're shy about speaking out, please work on doing so more. If you tend to be a big talker, say your piece but also leave space for quieter students to speak out. If I bypass your waving hand and call on a quieter student, it's to try to involve everyone. Whispering back and forth during process work, discussions, and mini-lectures is a no-no. Pass notes instead (but not excessively). They're less disturbing.

MEANING OF GRADES

• A Outstanding
• A- Excellent
• B+ Very good
• B Good
• B- Somewhat less than good
• C+ Not so hot
• C Not quite not so hot
• C- The minimum acceptable for credit in the major
• D+, D, and D- Acceptable for credit toward the degree but not the major
• F Oops!

IMPORTANT: If you cannot finish the course, apply to the registrar for a "W" (Withdrawal.) This does not affect your GPA or carry negative implications. Or, if you have done most of the course, you can fill out a "Request for Incomplete" form, give it to me, and we will agree on what you need to do to finish (one year limit to complete this work). IF YOU DO NOT DO ONE OF THESE TWO THINGS, I AM REQUIRED BY THE UNIVERSITY TO GIVE YOU A "WU" (WITHDRAWAL UNAUTHORIZED) THAT TURNS INTO AN "F" AND COUNTS AS SUCH IN YOUR GPA.

OTHER COMMENTS: Remember that your grade reflects only your performance in this class, not your worth as a person. The grades reflect the overall quality of class members ' work, so that if many do good work, grades will be higher than if many do poor work. Please do help each other; it's not a zero-sum game. (On the other hand, I have zero tolerance for having someone write a paper for you. Don't tempt fate.) The class may be taken for a grade or CR/NC. It must be taken for a grade in order to be used for the major.

THE WEBSITE

The section of my site you will be using for this course is the Gestalt Page. On the home page is a copy of this syllabus so you can log onto it from anywhere, and also a "NEWS" link that you can check for late-breaking announcements or information regarding assignments, etc. If you miss a class, be sure to check the news link.

I have put three lectures on the history of Gestalt online. There are numerous links to online articles at other websites. There are also a few of my own Gestalt articles online, although I prefer that you emphasize writing by others