Publication details
A Safe Place for Katie : A Gestalt Therapy Perspective on Her Suicidal Experience
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| Year of publication | 2022 |
| Type | Chapter of a book |
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| Description | Gestalt psychotherapy is a process-based phenomenological-existential therapy defined by the three foundations or “pillars” of field theory, phenomenology and dialogue. This chapter presents Gestalt therapy’s understanding of suicide risk and how a Gestalt psychotherapist can work with a suicidal client guided by these three foundational concepts. Based on Katie’s diary, we describe the process of maintaining an I-Thou attitude between the psychotherapist and the client, and the phenomenological exploration of Katie’s suicidal tendencies within a safe structure of a psychotherapy session. We present the general strategy of supporting integration and grounding (i.e., glue rather than solvent), the significance of skillful balancing the “life-death” polarity and broadening the range of cognitive, emotional, behavioral, relational options available to Katie. We also propose a way of working with Katie’s borderline tendencies and post-traumatic experiences as well as look at our own experience as Gestalt psychotherapists facing a suffering client. |