West and East Coasts : training in Gestalt therapy, between science and experience
Journal title QUADERNI DI GESTALT
Author/s Riccardo Zerbetto
Publishing Year 2011 Issue 2010/2
Language Italian Pages 12 P. 47-58 File size 1306 KB
DOI 10.3280/GEST2010-002004
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The article aims to explore the relationship between Gestalt theory and practice. The orientation of the West Coast, of which Fritz Perls was the embodiment in the last years of his life, seems to focus on the experiential aspect in the therapeutic practice while the orientation of the East Coast tends to rely more on theoretical assumptions, such as the theory of self and contact. Even though overcoming this contraposition is theoretically possible and indeed desirable, it would be futile to deny that this difference still exists in reality, even 40 years after the death of the father of Gestalt therapy. In this article, in particular, the author examines the concept of "atheorethical experientialism" developed by Claudio Naranjo in comparison with a revised edition of the theory of self as a membrane of the interaction between Organism/Environment developed by the writer.
Keywords: Non theoretical, Naranjo, West Coast, membrane-self, exsperiencialism
Riccardo Zerbetto, <i>West and East Coasts</i>: la formazione nella Gestalt terapia tra scienza ed esperienza in "QUADERNI DI GESTALT" 2/2010, pp 47-58, DOI: 10.3280/GEST2010-002004