Presenters: Charlie Bowman and Peter Cole

Description:

We aim to share our work with Gestalt therapists who are confronting the shared realities of working in a field increasingly shaped by authoritarianism, systemic trauma, and collective overwhelm. Drawing from contemporary Gestalt theory – including Gianni Francesetti’s concept of atmospheres and Miriam Taylor’s framing of trauma and crisis – we will explore how political crisis has infiltrated the therapeutic relationship for many of us and disrupted our embodied presence and relational contact. Rooted in Gestalt therapy’s activist tradition and dialogical stance, this presentation offers support for metabolizing crisis, restoring embodied contact, and reclaiming meaning – not only for clients, but for therapists and citizens alike.

Since we live and practice in the U.S., the focus of our writing has been on the impact of Trump and Trumpism on our work. However, in this presentation, we invite Gestalt therapists from all parts of the world to discuss not just Trump’s impact but also the social and political conditions that you are facing.

Biographies:

Charlie Bowman, MS, LCSW, has 40 years of experience as a helping professional and focuses on Gestalt therapy for adults, couples, and groups. He is a past president of IAAGT, the president and senior faculty at the Indianapolis Gestalt Institute, and a member of NYIGT. Charlie has trained and published extensively. In 2022, he received IAAGT’s Lifetime Achievement Award for contributions in Gestalt therapy.

Peter Cole, LCSW, is the co-director (along with Daisy Reese) of the Sierra Institute for Contemporary Gestalt Therapy in California and was an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry with the UC Davis School of Medicine for 30 years (now retired). He has also served on the board of IAAGT and as co-convener of the organization’s biennial international conference at Asilomar in 2016. Peter is the co-author of several books, including New Directions in Gestalt Group Therapy (2017); he also is the editor of The Relational Heart of Gestalt Therapy (2022) and has published numerous articles.