Portland Gestalt Therapy Institute

Living in the Here and Now

The Portland Gestalt Therapy Institute (PGTI) has offered training in the Pacific Northwest since 1992. We are dedicated to advancing the humanistic philosophies and practices of Gestalt therapy and support participants in developing their own personal style and in integrating previous training into their present work. Our program focuses on contemporary relational perspectives in Gestalt therapy.

What is Relational Gestalt Therapy?

The name Relational Gestalt Therapy is generally used to refer to the practice of Gestalt therapy with a particular emphasis on aspects of Gestalt theory which have been part of the ground of Gestalt since the 1950's, but have only recently (roughly since the 1980's) occupied a central role in our theoretical discussions.

It is not a separate therapeutic system, but rather a set of perspectives heavily influenced by a focus on the nuances of emotional process in the therapeutic relationship, including attention to the quality of moment-to-moment contact in the therapist/client interaction as well as enduring relational themes throughout the course of the therapeutic work.

A considerable degree of importance is given to contextual factors that shape human experience, including cultural, socioeconomic, and environmental conditions that define the horizons of each person's experience. In a relational emphasis, dialogue takes on an even greater role in the effort the Gestalt therapist makes to meet the client.

Through dialogue, the therapist acknowledges his or her own
perspective, openly identifying the values, prejudices, and biases that have already predetermined the questions that must be addressed in the relational encounter in order to further understand the client's ultimate concerns.

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© 2005 Portland Gestalt Therapy Institute