1. GESTALT THERAPY
FRITZ AND LAURA PERLS

2. THE GESTALT PRAYER
I DO MY THING, AND YOU DO YOUR THING. I AM NOT IN THIS WORLD TO LIVE UP TO YOUR EXPECTATIONS. AND YOU ARE NOT IN THIS WORLD TO LIVE UP TO MINE. YOU ARE YOU, I AM I, AND IF BY CHANCE WE FIND EACH OTHER, IT’S BEAUTIFUL. IF NOT, IT CAN’T BE HELPED. -F.S. PERLS

3. BASIC ASSUMPTIONS PEOPLE MUST FIND THEIR OWN WAY
CHOICES AND RESPONSE-ABILITY (MATURITY)
AN EMPHASIS ON THE HERE AND NOW
WHAT AND HOW VS WHY
FINISHING UNFINISHED BUSINESS
FOCUS ON FEELINGS IN CONJUCTION WITH THINKING AND BEHAVING * ANTI-INTELLECTUAL

4. ASSUMPTIONS A FOCUS ON NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION (CONGRUENCY)
THE WHOLE IS GREATER THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS (HOLISM)
PEOPLE HAVE PROBLEMS (DIS-EASE) WHEN THEY HAVE A LACK OF SELF-AWARENESS AND/OR SELF-RESPONSIBILITY

5. ASSUMPTIONS
PEOPLE HAVE PROBLEMS WHEN THEY ARE SOCIALLY WITHDRAWN, HAVE UNFINISHED BUSINESS, DISOWN THEIR NEEDS (NOT COMPLETING GESTALT), AND DICHOTOMIZE (POLARITIES)

6. ASSESSMENT AND DIAGNOSIS
DOWNPLAY ASSESSMENT & DIAGNOSIS
HURTS THE RELATIONSHIP
ENABLES THE PERSON TO NOT HAVE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR SELF

7. GOALS AND PROCEDURES INTERNAL LOCUS OF CONTROL
INTEGRATION OF FEELINGS WITH THOUGHTS AND BEHAVIORS
SELF-AWARENESS
FOCUSING ON NONVERBALS
AUTHENTICITY VS “PHONINESS”
WORKING THROUGH IMPASSE * UNFINISHED BUSINESESS
LIVING IN THE PRESENT

8. EXPERENTIAL ORIENTED (EXPERIMENTS/EXCERCISES)
QUESTIONS TO STATEMENTS
“I” STATEMENTS VERSUS “YOU” OR “IT” STATEMENTS
“CAN’T” TO “ WON’T”
“…AND I TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT.”
EMPTY CHAIR
ROLEPLAY OR DIALOGUES
PSYCHODRAMA