Gestalt Coaching: Distinctive Features makes Gestalt principles, values, and philosophy accessible to coaches of all backgrounds and explains how to apply them in practice.
Peter Bluckert introduces 30 distinctive features of this approach, divided equally between theory and practice. The book provides concise but clear summaries of core concepts such as awareness and contact, the nature and power of unfinished situations, the Field perspective, the phenomenological approach, The Gestalt Cycle of Experience, and the nature of strategic and intimate interactions. Bluckert provides a set of practice guidelines and watch-outs for the Gestalt coach, information on training and development and several case examples to bring the approach to life. Gestalt Coaching reveals how this approach can be used in individual development, such as executive coaching, with groups and teams, and in wider social and political contexts.
With a focus on personal growth and development and enhancing co-operation, dialogue, and relationships, this book will be an invaluable tool for coaches of all backgrounds in practice and in training, academics and students of coaching, and anyone interested in learning more about how to apply Gestalt principles in their personal and professional life.
List of Tables and Figures Introduction Part 1. THEORY - Gestalt principles and key concepts 1. The emergence of a Gestalt coaching approach 2. The hallmarks of the Gestalt approach – Part 1 3. The hallmarks of the Gestalt approach – Part 2 4. Healthy self-regulation and creative adjustment 5. Figure and Ground 6. Staying with the ‘What is’ - the phenomenological approach in action 7. The Field perspective – the person in context 8. Context: balancing the strategic and intimate 9. The nature and power of unfinished situations 10. Awareness 11. Contact, and interruptions to contact 12. Ways we interrupt contact, and consequences – Part 1 13. Ways we interrupt contact, and consequences – Part 2 14. The Gestalt Cycle of Experience as an orienting framework SECTION 2. PRACTICE 15. Creating the conditions for deeper personal development and connection 16. The relational stance and dialogic attitude 17. Core principles in practice 18. Practitioner presence - the intentional use of self 19. Experimentation and improvisation in Gestalt coaching 20. Individual-focused Gestalt experiments 21. Experiments in group and team contexts 22. The unit of work as a team learning experiment 23. Structured approaches to awareness raising 24. Support, challenge and dealing with complexity 25. Gestalt-based vertical leadership development programmes 26. Resourcing the client: relational know-how for dialogue and deeper connection 27. Practice guidelines for the Gestalt coach - Part 1 28. Practice guidelines for the Gestalt coach - Part 2 29. Watch-outs for Gestalt coaches 30. The training and development of Gestalt coaches Notes Referencing
Biography
Peter Bluckert is founder and chairman of Courage and Spark, a UK-based vertical leadership development consultancy.
"This is an exceptional book. Newcomers to Gestalt often become somewhat bewildered by its complexity but Bluckert’s book provides a straightforward, thought provoking and practical account, of Gestalt, which is comprehensive whilst retaining the subtlety of the approach. It widens the horizons of Gestalt to include teams, organisations and engagement with broader social and political action. It will be required reading on the programmes I deliver. Congratulations. A real achievement." - Dr Geoff Pelham, coach, psychotherapist and educator
"Gestalt is a powerful and creative approach to human growth and development. In this book Bluckert has brought to life the core principles of Gestalt, their relevance and impact when coaching individuals and teams. An essential read for any coach or consultant wishing to deepen their practice and understanding of Gestalt." - Gaynor Sharp, organisational consultant and executive coach
"Psychologically rich, Bluckert’s new book is both captivating and highly informative revealing his in-depth understanding, practice and deep respect for the world of Gestalt. He conveys many of the profound Gestalt principles with clarity and elegance and manages to provide a compelling read whilst also providing a comprehensive overview of this significant field. A must read for coaches and all those in the helping professions who could not fail to be drawn into the power and excitement of working and indeed, living, this way." - Brigid Garvey, co-founder of True North Partnership, leadership development facilitator and executive coach
