In October 1996, the NYIGT concluded “…that in order to best study where we are, what we have to say and where we are going, we must reexamine together our basic assumptions and as always apply these assumptions to ourselves as an Institute.” This review was a means of grounding our work in theory building and in teaching/learning.

Each year since then, we have renewed and/or modified that goal and built on our work of the year before. In 1996 and 1997, we reviewed basic nodal points such as field, figure/ground, contacting, self as process, and interruptions of contact. In subsequent years, we have explored how these ideas are used in Gestalt psychotherapy. We have also applied these ideas to the way we have structured our meetings and in our development of notions of Gestalt group psychotherapy.

The following papers have been presented at the Institute over these years. We are posting abstracts as we receive them. For full copies, please contact the authors.