by Alan Cohen | Feb 21, 2022 | Mental Health Professionals
Author: Alan Cohen, LCSW, LP We are conscious beings. Our consciousness allows us to be aware of the world outside our skins, and our experience inside our skins. In Gestalt therapy terms, we are able to be in contact with the world that we live in, and are...
by Alan Cohen | Jun 5, 2018 | Mental Health Professionals
I recently gave an intensive therapy workshop for therapists who are in their postgraduate training. Much of the work moved to a focus on the experience of Presence as it reflected and effected the client’s self-in-life. The work was powerful and moving, and fluidly...
by Alan Cohen | Aug 25, 2017 | Mental Health Professionals
Cliché Layer is by far the most disrespected layer of the neurotic personality. It is so disrespected that Fritz Perls would call it the “chicken shit layer”. And as Gestalt therapists, we tend to turn our collective noses up when it comes to “chit chat”. But, it has...
by Alan Cohen | Jun 17, 2016 | Mental Health Professionals
It has long been understood that any value, quality, or attribute exists in relation to its opposite. So, “up” has meaning in relation to “down”, “poor” has meaning in relation to “wealthy”, “dry” has meaning in relation to “wet”, and so on. The ancient symbol of the...
by Alan Cohen | May 3, 2016 | Spiritual/Philosophical
Presence has become a focus of much recent writing in the field of psychotherapy, and in Gestalt therapy in particular. But, much of the writing is vague regarding what exactly “presence” refers to. It is my impression that there is confusion between two different...