Fritz Perls, the World Needs You More Than Ever

On March 14th, 1970 — fifty years ago — Fritz Perls, the man behind Gestalt Therapy, died. Few people reading this will know who he was, let alone the significant influence he had on the world of psychology. He was a complex and interesting man. He could be manipulative, grumpy, dismissive and harsh but also funny, insightful, sentimental and warm. His parting words to this world were: “Don’t tell me what to do!” He barked that to a nurse who demanded he get back into bed after surgery. He dangled his feet over the side of the bed in defiance and promptly died. That is classic Perls. Nobody told him what to do. His personality was not always agreeable, but he devoted his life to helping people live well in the “here and now” before modern mindfulness was even a thing. As I write this article my Gestalt Therapy diploma hangs above my desk. Completion date 2004. Even when I trained in Gestalt, there weren’t many schools teaching it. As a therapy it had fallen out of favor for more thinking therapies like CBT, which Perls would have rolled his eyes at. Even back in the sixties, he warned that too much was going through our thinking-computer, and because of that, we were losing the ability to be aware of our senses. To feel and be whole. Seventy years on, he’s more right than ever. I think the other reason Gestalt therapy fell out of favor is because it wasn’t a fad. Gestalt never promised a quick fix. Gestalt therapy is about growth, and...
Source: Psych Central - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Anxiety Parenting Psychology authoritarianism Blame bullying Comfort Zone Communication Control Facebook Fritz Perls Gestalt Therapy Mindfulness Present Moment social media Source Type: news