Conclusions on "Closing the Circle" We leave a very interesting article about gestalt therapy
Source: http://psicoesceptico.wordpress.com/2010/05/28/conclusiones-sobre-terapia-gestalt-cerrando-el-circulo/
First I want to thank all those who read the previous posts about gestalt therapy, especially those who left a comment. Some were favorable, others not so and I'm glad at least to wake the internal debate in people who have invested much of their lives to psychology. , Is the question itself is something beneficial and in fact required to anyone who is devoted to science. Psychology is a science, but most treat it as a philosophy or even worse, as pseudoscience or even sometimes esoteric and mystical tones. Others have told me that his opinion was not only devoted to criticize me a gestalt therapy, it was my duty to mention something constructive or positive to take his place. I'm sorry but I do not intend to promote therapies, is not the purpose of this medium. I like reading books and articles relevant to the subject, I always try to be updated and a pair of new publications. I believe in evidence-based approach to mental health and those who apply it to clinical therapy.
also criticizes me for not understanding what really is the gestalt therapy or that I was taught wrong. It is very easy to see that gestalt therapy is and what he proposes as an engine of change for Healing: Live in the present, be yourself, do what you do feel and do not think there are no past traumas are distortions of memory, close open circles with role playing methods taken from psychodrama. In other words, what is the gestalt is pretty easy, in fact it is simplistic, but I criticize that seek simple solutions and do not like the gestalt by great complexity.
No such complexity, there may be many terms and neologisms employed by Perls' Gestalt disciples trying to make sense to form a theoretical framework to their proposals.
ruminations Such concepts are only gleaned that often fall into fallacies post hoc ergo propter hoc as they try to validate existing theories without questioning its epistemological value. In other words, here are the theories of Fritz Perls, I will not question whether they are true, I will find a way to validate them, make them with some mental acrobatics.
The popularity of these methods in psychological circles in our region is the lack of promotion of a culture of scientific skepticism. That is the reason that is behind my analysis. There are some teachers who promote doubt, question and search information that supports or discredits the proposals that are bombarded daily with psychologists in training. I am grateful and I commend these people who are managed with professionalism and have an appreciation for science that underlies psychology. Unfortunately they are the minority, much touted magical thinking dismissing criticism and efforts to mediocre such as gestalt therapy, speech therapy, psychodrama, enneagrams, family constellations, NLP, hypnosis therapy, transactional analysis, laughter therapy, music therapy, aromatherapy, meditation transcendental quantum psychology and endless absurdities based not on scientific evidence but beliefs born of movement of the "human potential" of the 1960s. There is a reason why these theories and techniques are kept outside of psychology accepted by the best institutions and international psychological organizations. Sometimes a little leak in professional circles trying to revive its popularity, but sooner or later we are reminded it failed the test.
Finally, we should remember something that is extremely important. It has been proven many times by very good studies that when a person is faced with a problem, be it a mental disorder or problems of life, just talking about them makes you feel better. It is also recognized that most of these problems have spontaneous resolution, that is, without doing anything special will resolve themselves. Can go back and most of the diseases and difficulties arise in cycles with remission and exacerbation. One may think that it has "cured" a patient, but as we know if it is not simply an episode of remission, or that may have solved your problem without our help. As I say, just talking to someone we all feel better. It is something that is in our DNA, we are social organisms, have evolved to seek support and protection groups. Studies since long ago proved that a person in isolation, which is not present depression and social support will be more prone to aggression and violence. Those who have good social support of people to talk about their problems tend to be better protected to suffer abnormalities. A good psychologist understands this, it is applied and used to support his patient, but also knows it is a duty to go further and not be left alone to feel good. It is no use making a temporary feel good people. In that case comes out the same if you visit a psychologist, a priest or minister, a friend or friend, the sorcerer or shaman, to the gypsy or medium, astrologer or sobador. The difference is that a psychologist provides tools for the person to avoid relapse, which not only helps them "feel good", that anybody can do, also helps to "be fine."
gestalt therapy arose from the mind of a person who by their life experiences turned to psychoanalysis and yet used many of its principles. It is a therapy that promotes the exit of the head and use emotions, feelings, and that these alone are real. Doing what you do not care what others and others. Not wanting to see past traumas sealing your ears and shouting blah blah blah. Instilling be spontaneous and original screenplay but following the therapist and internalizing their beliefs as their own. The search for the true essence of man in the ridiculous and primitive emotions. We forget that what makes us human beings are not our emotions and feelings, that comes from the brain stem, comes from our most primitive brain. What makes us human is the prefrontal cortex, reasoning ability and abstract thinking. Gestalt therapy promotes the mistaken belief that the plunge dive into our emotions make us free. Perhaps this is beyond the surreal world of pure feelings make us feel good for a while, but sooner or later reality will touch us and we will realize that Peter Pan can not live forever in Neverland. It is proven that these two qualities of human beings, emotions and cognitions (thoughts) are in two different areas of the brain, but not isolated. There are two different things that can separate, evoke emotions while thinking thoughts evoke emotions.
For a long time demanding philosophical and religious beliefs to people who repress their emotions. No one could express the feeling and wanted to crush them with the sole use of reason. After mid-century, the humanist movement sought rescue our emotions. Now was it the feel and experience our emotions, because they are part of us. Unfortunately it became a movement to incorporate the feelings not denied before, but to replace everything with them. They turned the papers and no longer wanted to think, not think and just feel. These are the moments when it was thought that taking psychotropic drugs help open up our consciousness. A drug-altered state took no nothing useful or great revelations about things that exist only in the mind of man. We are now at a time when we understand that we can not separate the cognitive and emotional processes. You have to use both tools in harmony to achieve a progress in our science of psychology. This not only makes more sense and logic, but has been tested and no evidence in well conducted studies. If Fritz Perls lived in our time, with all the advances in neuroscience, would it change their techniques and approaches to therapy? I think not, because their view of what therapy should not come from the evidence, but their own traumas and needs attention.
