Web site dell’EAGT:

www.eagt.org

EAGT - European Association for Gestalt Therapy

European Association for Gestalt Therapy

LOST IN TRANSFORMATION?

10th Conference of EAGT

9-12 September 2010

Berlin, Germany

“Lost in transformation?”

2010 is a year with several jubilees: It’s the 10th conference of EAGT, in the year of EAGT’s 25th anniversary. Already two good reasons to celebrate! But 2010 is also the year of the 100th birthday of Ralph Hefferline, the 20th dying day of Laura Perls and the 40th dying day of Fritz Perls, the 120th birthday of Kurt Lewin, the 140th birthday of Max Wertheimer.

But there are more reasons to have a conference to celebrate all these events, namely to look back to the roots and beginning of gestalt therapy in its concept, therapeutic and political impacts and to check out all the developments to contemporary gestalt therapy.

The question „Lost in transformation?” is provocative and will give good stimuli to discuss the limits of transforming concepts, mixing them with other concepts and integrating other developments in and outside gestalt therapy, based on progresses in sciences (i.e. emotion research, brain research) or connecting with different ways of spiritualism and transpersonal psychology (as it happened i.e. in Esalen, when Fritz left from there and Stanislav Grof increased his influence). „There is no end on integration”, okay till so far. But on what background do we integrate? How is it surrounded by social and political environments? What philosophical, ethical and political implication and which effect do such „integrations” cause on the image of humanity? I think it is a good moment to ask such questions, in order not to get lost in transformation. Gestalt therapy, developed by Fritz and Laura Perls, Paul Goodman and Ralph Hefferline had a clear identity and was part of the human potential movement in America. What has happened to the strength of the Humanistic therapies as the third force in psychotherapy, with the aim of re-humanizing society (and psychiatry)? Where are the limits between changing, integrating, growing and loosing identity?

I’m sure this conference topic will guarantee a lot of good and important presentations, panels, workshops and discussions. Join it, give your contribution, and go into the dialogue, and... let’s meet!

Berlin is a good place to have this conference. Fritz Perls was born in Berlin and lived 40 years in this town (1893-1933). It’s still underestimated how this period of his life, the contemporary spirit in this town, the social, cultural, philosophical and political background had enriched and influenced him, Laura and gestalt therapy. Let’s take this conference as chances to (re-)discover these roots and backgrounds of gestalt therapy.

I thank the German Association for Gestalt therapy (DVG) as organizers of this conference for all the work, risks and enthusiasm they put into this project, which projects like this also need.

I invite you all to come to Berlin and make this conference to a great success!

Peter Schulthess

President of EAGT

Application/Information: Deutsche Vereinigung für Gestalttherapie e.V. Grünberger Straße 14 • 10243 Berlin, Germany - Tel +49 - (0) 30 - 74 07 82 84 • Fax +49 - (0) 30 - 74 07 82 85

info@dvg-gestalt.de • www.dvg-gestalt.de - www.gestalt2010.eu - info@gestalt2010.eu

Meeting place: Hotel Estrel Berlin, Sonnenallee 225, 12057 Berlin, Germany - www.estrel.de

Payment by transfer to the conference account: Deutsche Bank Privat- und Geschäftskunden (PGK) AG

Kto.Nr: 691 6340 00

BLZ: 700 700 24

BIC: DEUT DE DBMUC