Caring for our societies and communities Gabe Phillips Every Story is Us Caring for our societies and communities Gabe Phillips

Overview of Presentation The idea of community I am referring to is plural and includes all societies and their constituent communities. My focus is mostly global even though at times I will refer specifically to the GANZ community gathered here. Firstly, I will share an idea about the nature of our contemporary psychological distress. And illustrate how this distress is mirrored in our societies and communities. I will suggest that our familiar way of managing distress and difference has become the problem. Following from this I will offer a new way forward. Finally, I will overlay gestalt with the concerns of our time and see what it can offer. And to wrap up I will offer three suggestions for how we can care for our GANZ community.

Symptoms of the new Psycho-Social Madness Actions done to the body Performative enactments Lacking complexity in meaning making Disconnection from personal history Distrust of relationships

Excluding and Including Mindsets A Psycho-Social Political View

Views of Reality: Duality 1st Turning GT Particulars are separate and unrelated The whole is greater than the sum of the parts Hierarchical view one ultimate Supports fundamentalism and encourages practices of exclusion Realises the psychological dimension – ego development Care is individualised, transactional and scarce

Views of Reality: Non-Duality 1st Turning GT NON-DUALITY 2nd Turning GT Particulars are separate and unrelated Particulars are one and connected The whole is greater than the sum of the parts The whole and the parts are one Hierarchical view one ultimate an ultimate Supports fundamentalism and encourages practices of exclusion Supports unity (sameness) and encourages connectedness Realises the psychological dimension – ego development Realises the boundless dimension – unity and oneness Care is individualised, transactional and scarce Care is personal, expressive and infinite

Care as Unity and Inseparability

Views of Reality: Totality DUALITY 1st Turning GT NON-DUALITY 2nd Turning GT VIEW of TOTALITY 3rd Turning GT Particulars are separate and unrelated Particulars are one and connected Particulars are different and one The whole is greater than the sum of the parts The whole and the parts are one The whole is each part and each part is the whole Hierarchical view one ultimate an ultimate Non-hierarchical view no ultimate Supports fundamentalism and encourages practices of exclusion Supports unity (sameness) and encourages connectedness Supports irreducible difference and encourages practices of inclusion Realises the psychological dimension – ego development Realises the boundless dimension – unity and oneness Realises freedom - equalness and completeness Care is individualised, transactional and scarce Care is personal, expressive and infinite Care is space and multifaceted presence

Qualities of Care as Presence SPACIOUSNESSLOVENOURISHMENTACCEPTANCEVALUE CLARITYINTUITIONABSORPTIONALIVENESSTRUTHAUTH ENTICITYPLEASUREINTELLIGENCEIMPECCABILITYPURIT YFULFILLMENTCONTENTMENTSATISFACTIONSWEETNES SWARMTHSYNTHESISFRIENDLINESSEMPATHYCLARITYKI NDNESSDISCERNMENTDISCRIMINATIONSTEADFASTNES SCOMMITMENTPERSONALNESSHUMANNESSCONTACTG ENTLENESSSUBTLETYOPENNESSREFINEMENTHAPPINE SSENJOYMENTEXQUISITENESSCURIOSITYBALANCECOU RAGEJUSTICEGENEROSITYDETACHMENTOBJECTIVITYEX PANSIONPRECISIONEXISTENCECAPACITYDEPTHINDIVID UATIONPASSIONIDENTITYENERGETICATTUNEDBOLDVU LNERNABILITYGRATITUDEPOWER

Gestalt Origin Stories: Remembering Close your eyes, take a breath and reminisce with yourself about your Gestalt Origin Stories What experiences enduringly touched your heart in any of the following situations: Your therapy experience with your Gestalt therapist Your training experience with your Gestalt teachers Your therapist/practitioner experience with your clients

Expressions of Distress and Needed Experiences of Care Actions done to the body Performative enactments Lacking complexity in meaning making Disconnection from personal history Distrust of relationships Embodiment Awareness and inquiry Holism and inclusiveness Context and perspective Relationality, contact and dialogue

Features of Attuned Attending It privileges aware embodiment that is holistic and inclusive of all emergent experience. It encourages understanding that is inseparable from its context and perspective. It expresses relationality with an emphasis on contact, presence and dialogue.

A Twofold Challenge We must vacate the comfortable armchair of our traditional ways of practicing, and we must vacate the comfortable armchair of our conventional ways of perceiving. Bring the view of totality into the foreground and support its realisation personally and its expression communally.

Challenge 1: Learning for T0morrow We must develop a new curriculum for our young people and for gestalt therapists. It’s time to establish a dynamic, unfolding curriculum focussed on emotional intelligence, relationship and the intersubjective arts.

Challenge 2: Stay Engaged, Reach Out We must not GEXIT! It’s time for outreach within our own gestalt counselling, psychotherapy and other practitioner communities, and beyond.

Challenge 3: Create Learning C0mmunities We must not vacate the field as training providers. It’s time to redouble our passion and commitment to training and mentoring the next generation of gestalt therapists and tribal leaders.