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.