Gestalt Therapy

During the first joint AAGT/EAGT Conference in Taormina (september 22-25, 2016), on the topic “The Aesthetic of Otherness in a Desensitized World”, Donna Orange offered a plenary key word titled “My Other’s Keeper. Resources for the Ethical Turn in Psychotherapy”. She spoke of the importance for the therapists to be at the ethical service of others, while being connected to their “finitude” in front of the “infinite” other’s suffering.
Three senior Gestalt psychotherapists commented on Donna’s speech: Dan Bloom, Lynne Jacobs and Margherita Spagnuolo Lobb. The whole panel is published in the book edited by Spagnuolo Lobb M., Bloom D., Roubal J., Zeleskov Djoric J., Cannavò M., La Rosa R., Tosi S., Pinna V. (2018). The Aesthetic of Otherness: meeting at the boundary in a desensitized world, Proceedings. Siracusa (Italy): Istituto di Gestalt
HCC Italy Publ. Co. (www.gestaltitaly.com). It’s available in free access or printed format in this link https://www.gestaltitaly.com/taormina-conference-proceedings/
What follows is Margherita Spagnuolo Lobb’s comment: she connects Donna’s speech with some relevant points for the development of Gestalt psychotherapy in contemporary society.

Gestalt Therapy has been influenced by a rich variety of approaches and concepts such as Gestalt Psychology, psychoanalysis, phenomenology, and several remarkable individuals along the way (Sinay, 1998). This text will attempt to outline some of the main series of events and contributions which helped me gather a clearer understanding of the roots and process that is Gestalt Therapy’s history.

About life and work of the Flemish Gestalt psychotherapist Georges Wollants, his intellectual background (Utrecht school, Netherlands; Leeuwen school, Belium), his close relationship to Gestalt psychology (Gestalt theory of the Berlin School) and his contributions to a Gestalt psychology based Gestalt therapy.

Über Leben und Werk des flämischen Gestalttherapeuten Georges Wollants, seinen geistigen Hintergrund (der niederländischen
Utrecht-Schule und der belgischen Leuven-Schule), seine enge Beziehung zur Gestaltpsychologie (Gestalttheorie der Berliner Schule) und seine Beiträge zu einer gestaltpsychologisch ausgerichteten Gestalttherapie.

In this dialogue, Donna Orange, Bernd Bocian and Margherita Spagnuolo
Loob explore the meaning of concepts such as experience and  comprehension for Gestalt psychotherapy and psychoanalysis. Their points of view converge on the importance of the phenomenological glance, which have shortened the distances between Gestalt therapy and psychoanalysis, while maintaining substantial differences. The authors underline the influence of Gestalt psychotherapy in Donna’s work, like in the session that took place during the conference. The authors also focus on how these two approaches have changed greatly to meet the needs of today’s patients and society, emphasizing the need for continuous updating.

RESUMO A etiologia do câncer é compreendida multifatorialmente e os aspectos psicossociais, tais como as possíveis características predisponentes da personalidade, raramente são considerados em pesquisa. Este trabalho objetivou analisar a relação entre o estilo de contato Retroflexão da Abordagem Gestáltica como um possível predisponente do câncer de mama. A configuração metodológica consistiu na (1) realização de estudos bibliográficos que correlacionou o estilo de contato retrofletor e os Cinco Grandes Fatores da personalidade e, (2) entrevistas junto a mulheres diagnosticadas com câncer de mama. No que se refere a relação da retroflexão com o modelo dos Cinco Grandes Fatores, a retroflexão foi correlata ao fator neuroticismo e consciensiosidade. Os resultados da coleta de dados evidenciaram o uso de estilos retroflexivos nas participantes. Entretanto, não foi possível afirmar que o estilo retrofletor atua como precipitante no desenvolvimento do câncer de mama. Palavras-chave: Predisponentes do câncer de mama; Retroflexão; Os Cinco Grandes Fatores. ABSTRACT The etiology of cancer is understood multifactorially and psychosocial aspects, such as the possible predisposing characteristics of the personality are rarely considered in research. This work aimed to analyze the relationship between the contact style Retroflection of the Gestalt Approach as a possible predisposer of breast cancer. The methodological configuration consisted of (1) the accomplishment of bibliographic studies that correlated the style of retroflection contact and the Five Great Factors of personality and (2) interviews with women diagnosed with breast cancer. Regarding the relationship of retroflection with the model of the Five Large Factors, retroflection was correlated to the neuroticism and conscientiousness factors. Regarding the results of the data collection, these evidenced the use of retroflection styles in the participants. However, it was not