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Date: | Tue, 4 Feb 1997 13:29:56 -0800 |
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The following is a message sent to the AAGT email discussion list, and
forwarded with the author's permission to Gstalt-L. Those who find this
point Bob makes about confluence/identification interesting might also like
to consult a dialogue going on at present at Behavior OnLine's forum on
Gestalt Therapy, the thread beginning with "projective identification."
(http://www.behavior.net/mhn/bolforum/message/23)
-Phil
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I read the interview the P. Brownell did with Leslie Greenberg and found it
interesting. There is one point that I would like to comment on. Greenberg
states that when he was first into Gestalt therapyin the late 60s, that there
was little or no emphasis on empathy by Perls. I would agree with his (Greenbe
rg's) view. Now Greenberg and others are more interested in developing
empathy in Gestalt therapy.
There are good reasons to be cautiousand to be aware of empathy in Gestalt
therapy and the main reason is Confluence. Therapists, trainers, and trainees
who over-emphasize empathy may lose completely their own awareness and any
sense of boundary. In other words, they become confluent with their client.
The aware therapist will understand this and will utilize the experience in
the session.
A recent supervisory session I had with a graduate student comes to mind. The
client was a female college student who had been sexually abused by her father.
As I viewed the session, the therapist, attempting to be empathic, lost her sen
se of boundary and became even more outraged than the client. The session lost
focus and ended shortly. The next week, the client who did not lack ego
strength, told the therapist that the session before had not been helpful and
that she wanted a different therapist, someone who had their own issues resolve
d. I understand that this is an extreme case. However it does serve my point.
Empathy without awareness can lead to confluence.
I am not against empathy! Since Gestalt therapy had become more dialogic, than
ks to Gary Yontef and others, we recognize the value of empathy.
And I must state my personal bias against using "Gestalt" without "therapy."
Isadore From is still watching!
Bob Harman
**************************
Robert Harman
Director, Counseling and Testing Center, U of Central Florida
<[log in to unmask]>
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