Buddhist Psychology and Gestalt Therapy Integrated: Psychotherapy for the 21st Century
Eva Gold & Stephen Zahm
This groundbreaking book points the way to an expansive and comprehensive psychotherapy approach in its integration of Buddhist psychology and Gestalt therapy. The authors establish the essential convergences of Buddhist psychology and mindfulness with Gestalt therapy theory and method, and creatively explore the clinical implications of these and their relevance in psychotherapeutic work. These convergences, as well as the recognition of the two systems’ differences in focus and ultimate aims, then serve as the foundation for a Buddhist psychology informed Gestalt therapy (BPGT).
This innovative integration offers a new perspective while also maintaining the holistic integrity of each system. Here, the book lays out how Buddhist psychology’s universal view and Gestalt therapy’s focus on the individual and relational can work synergistically in addressing the fundamental ground of human suffering. Clinical vignettes throughout the book bring the concepts and methods to life, offering clear examples of how these can be implemented. This book’s heart, wisdom, and deeply relational holistic perspective on the therapeutic endeavor can offer psychotherapists of any stripe an enriched clinical understanding, and the “how to” for putting this understanding into practice.
This book offers an elegant and highly readable integration of Buddhist psychology and Gestalt therapy. Gold and Zahm’s Buddhist psychology informed Gestalt therapy (BPGT) model expands Gestalt therapy’s reach while remaining true to its basic principles. Elinor Greenberg, PhD, CGP. Author of Borderline, Narcissistic, and Schizoid Adaptations: The Pursuit of Love, Admiration, and Safety. Faculty of the New York Institute for Gestalt therapy, faculty of the Gestalt Center for Psychotherapy and Training, and an Associate Editor of Gestalt Review.
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About The Authors
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Authors Eva Gold, PsyD and Stephen Zahm, PhD are founding co-directors of Gestalt Therapy Training Center - Northwest, and have written extensively on Gestalt therapy theory and practice. Students of Buddhist psychology and Insight meditation practitioners for many years, they train and present nationally and internationally on the intersection of Buddhist psychology and Gestalt therapy.