Creative License, Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 2003
The Art of Gestalt Therapy

The time is ripe, more than fifty years after the publication of the magnum opus by Perls, Hefferline & Goodman, to publish a book on the topic of cre­ ativity in Gestalt therapy. The idea for this book was conceived in March 2001, on the island of Sicily, at the very first European Conference of Gestalt Therapy Writers of the European Association [or Gestalt Therapy. Our start­ ing point was an article on art and creativity in Gestalt therapy, which was presented there by one of the editors, and illuminated by a vision, held by the other editor, of bringing together colleagues from around the world to contribute to a qualified volume on the subject of creativity within the realm of Gestalt therapy. We wanted to continue the professional discourse inter­ nationally and capture the synergetic effects of experienced colleagues' re­ flections on various aspects of our chosen subject. Moreover, we intended to explore how the theoretical reflection of one's practice can inspire effective interventions and, vice versa, how the discussion of practical experiences can shape new theoretical directions. Hence, our aim in this book is to create a forum on the concept of creativ­ ity in Gestalt therapy.

Authors’ Addresses.- I The Emergency of the Creative Field.- 1. Toward a Gestalt Therapeutic Concept for Promoting Creative Process.- 2. On the Other Side of the Moon: The Import of Implicit Knowledge for Gestalt Therapy.- 3. Therapeutic Meeting as Improvisational Co-Creation.- 4. Creative Abilities and the Art of Living Well.- 5. “Tiger! Tiger! Burning Bright” - Aesthetic Values as Clinical Values in Gestalt Therapy.- 6. The Neuroscience of Creativity: A Gestalt Perspective.- II The Challenge of Defining Creative Concepts.- 1. Therapy as an Aesthetic Issue: Creativity, Dreams, and Art in Gestalt Therapy.- 2. Creativity as Gestalt Therapy.- 3. The Weighty World of Nothingness: Salomo Friedlaender’s “Creative Indifference”.- 4. The Influence of Otto Rank’s Concept of Creative Will on Gestalt Therapy.- 5. Beauty and Creativity in Human Relationships.- 6. The Aesthetics of Commitment: What Gestalt Therapists Can Learn From Cezanne and Miles Davis.- 7. Contact and Creativity: The Gestalt Cycle in Context.- III Connecting Theory and Practice: Case Examples.- 1. Embodying Creativity, Developing Experience: The Therapy Process and Its Developmental Foundation.- 2. One Therapy Session: Dialogue and Co-Creation in Child Therapy.- 3. Memorable Moments in the Therapeutic Relationship.- IV A Taste of the Field in Practice.- 1. Creativity in Long-Term Intimate Relationships.- 2. Creativity in Family Therapy.- 3. Creative Processes in Gestalt Group Therapy.- 4. Creative Adjustment in Madness: A Gestalt Therapy Model for Seriously Disturbed Patients.- 5. The Psychoportrait: A Technique for Working Creatively in Psychiatric Institutions.- 6. Blocks to Creativity in Organizations.- Biographical Notes.

Comprehensive theoretical background for the concepts of art, creativity and aesthetics within the therapeutic relationship Theoretical guidelines for the creative professional practice of gestalt therapy Enables practitioners to tap into the rich resources of theory