The History, Theory and Community of Gestalt Therapy

This book tells the story of the community at the New York Institute for Gestalt Therapy (NYIGT) as it evolved in connection with the highly regarded theory it produced, examining some important turning points for the institute spanning the period from the early 1970s until 2020 and describing the more large-scale changes the community underwent.

Through chronologically ordered chapters, the history of the NYIGT is written in a documentary-style narrative complete with the voices of contemporary witnesses embedded into the storyline. The book explores the aggressiveness during community meetings that the institute was once known for, how the LGBTQIA community shaped the institute from the beginning, what changed when the institute began to be run democratically, its feminist revolution, as well as recent developments and the institute’s current group processes.

This historically rich work is essential reading for Gestalt therapists, other professionals interested in Gestalt approaches, and readers interested in the history of Gestalt therapy.