Fritz Perls Albert Ellis PRESENTATION 3 Fritz Perls

Fritz Perls & Albert Ellis PRESENTATION 3

Fritz Perls (1893 -1970) �Born in Berlin �Studied medicine and became a doctor after WWI �Assisted Kurt Goldstein in his studies on braininjured soldiers �Developed an interest in psychoanalysis

Fritz Perls �He served as army psychiatrist from 1942 -1946 �Gestalt Therapy: Excitement and Growth in the Human Personality (1951) Co-authored Paul Goodman and Laura Perls Taught the core of Gestalt Therapy �Founded the first Gestalt institute in 1952 from his Manhattan apartment

Fritz Perls �Gestalt Therapy an existential/experiential form of psychotherapy that emphasizes personal responsibility, and that focuses upon the individual's experience in the present moment, therapistclient relationship, the environmental and social contexts of a person's life, and the self-regulating adjustments people make as a result of their overall situation 4 parts � phenomenological method � dialogical relationship � field-theoretical strategies � experimental freedom

Fritz Perls Phenomenological Method �Therapist works systematically to reduce the effect of bias through repeated observations and inquiry �Similar to the study of body language Dialogical Relationship �Forming a relationship with the client in order to make them feel welcome and trustful to therapist

Fritz Perls Field-Theoretical Strategies �The Therapist focuses on two strategies Phenomenological Ontological �These help someone become aware of their own character Experimental Freedom �Through experiments, therapist supports the client’s direct experience of something new, instead of merely talking about the possibility of something new

Fritz Perls �In 1963 he became interested in Zen and stayed at a monastery in Japan �In 1969 he built a house at Esalen and taught Dick Price who went on to develop Gestalt Practice The objective of the practice is to become more fully aware of the process of living within a unified field of body, mind, relationship, earth and spirit �He died of heart failure in 1970 in Chicago after a heart surgery

Albert Ellis (1913 -2007) �Born in Pittsburgh, PA �Hospitalized eight times between the ages of 5 and 7 �Parents offered little emotion support �Extreme fear of public speaking and speaking to women during his adolescence

Albert Ellis �Obtained in Ph. D in clinical psychology from Columbia University in 1947 �Very interested in theories of Sigmund Freud– especially psychoanalysis �Horney, Fromm, Adler, and Sullivan greatly influenced his thinking and development of psychological models �In 1953 he abandoned psychoanalysis and began a new approach called Rational Therapy

Albert Ellis Rational Emotive Therapy (RET) based on the premise that whenever we become upset, it is not the events taking place in our lives that upset us; it is the beliefs that we hold that cause us to become depressed, anxious, enraged, etc. Epictetus originally thought of this 2000 years earlier � "Men are disturbed not by events, but by the views which they take of them. “ the goal is to be happy, because that is what everyone wants to be

Albert Ellis Rational Emotive Therapy (RET) The ABC Model � A: something happens � B: you have a belief about the situation � C: you have an emotional response to the situation A doesn’t cause C---B causes C

Albert Ellis The 3 basic “Musts” 1. 2. 3. I must do well and win the approval of others for my performances or else I am no good. Other people must treat me considerately, fairly and kindly, and in exactly the way I want them to treat me. If they don't, they are no good and they deserve to be condemned and punished. I must get what I want, when I want it; and I must not get what I don't want. It's terrible if I don't get what I want, and I can't stand it.

Albert Ellis �Sex Without Guilt (1958) Known for its sexual liberal attitude Religious restriction on sexual expression are often needless and harmful to emotional health �Homosexuality: It’s Causes and Cure (1965) Saw homosexuality as something that could be cured �Sex and the Liberated Man (1976) Reversed his notion about homosexuality Homosexuality should not be treated because it is neither good or evil (except in religion)

Albert Ellis �Sex Without Guilt in the 21 st Century (2001) Updated version of Sex Without Guilt Dedicated a chapter on homosexuality giving them advice on how to improve their sexual love life His views of ethics were updated in this version �Declared himself atheist in the 2000 s �Until he fell in 2006, he worked at least 16 hours a day �Died at the age of 93 in 2007 from natural causes