University of the Philippines Diliman College of Social Science and Philosophy Department of Psychology
The Human Potential Development Journal
Psychology 202 Human Potential Development 2nd Semester AY 18-19
Here and Now: The Human Potential Development Journal This is made by the Psychology 202: Human Potential Development class of AY 2018-2019.
All rights reserved. 2019
CONTENT THE POWER OF AWARENESS Noel Favor Jr.
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HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGY: PERCEPTION AND THE SHOULDS Alexandra Nicole V. Torres
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UNFINISHED BUSINESS Leonasyl Aliki D. Diaz
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Right HERE, Right NOW Maria Carmelita S. Rigo
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BODY AWARENESS AS A FORM OF SELF-CARE IN GESTALT Danielle Marie A. Parreño
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THE POWER OF
AWARENESS Noel Favor Jr.
I personally want to become the best person that I can be, but I feel like at this stage of my life and career, I am already confined on a specific routine in which I feel that everything that happens around me is always the same. I wake up in the morning, take a bath, commute to work, discuss things with my officemates, perform the tasks for the day, and go home to rest and do other personal activities before going to sleep. 4
In relationships, I always feel that everything has become stable leading to my personal belief that to maintain that, always be passive in everything and only react based on what I talk about with them. Before I came to this seminar, I personally believe in myself that I am already good, but I never felt so wrong, and I realized that it’s because I am not really taking too much attention on my awareness.
Awareness refers to a state of being conscious depending on the level of a person’s perception and interpretation of his or her environment with the use of the senses. If I will look at it, the concept is basic life necessity. Every day, I always perceive a lot of things, but the question that the seminar gave to me is that am I really acknowledging the presence of all the stimulus that I receive in detail? Or am I just being selective on what I perceive for me to retain that belief that everything is normal? Honestly, the seminar made me realize that I am more like the latter, that even though all my senses work just fine, my awareness is limited because I am stuck with my own fantasy of being stable.
“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.” Lao Tzu 5
I was not fully focusing on the current situation that served as a blindside of myself which for me is the reason why I feel like I am not improving anymore for the past year. Am I already a master of my profession? Am I really at the peak of myself as of this moment? My role at the office as a Project Manager involves a lot of change implementation with the use of fixed frameworks that guides me as I do my job. But whenever I do my responsibilities, am I being more aware of what impact does the change will do on the organization that I work at? Am I taking being more aware of the current situation of the organization and be able to assess if they are ready to undergo such change? This seminar made me realize that I might just not be totally aware of the things that I need to be aware of hindering me to perform at my best in what I do. I tend to know a lot of things about how to manage change and handle projects but I find it interesting to know that a big key in determining that mastery in what I do is not to learn more strategies, but to be more aware and sensitive on
the things that I am handling and most importantly is to be more aware on myself, my strengths and weakness, my tendencies and habits, in order for me to be more effective in making decisions. Mastery involves awareness, thus unlocking one’s potential starts by being aware of oneself, the environment, and the relationship and position of oneself in the environment. Studies show that those who try improving awareness are the ones who have a better sense of workplace wellbeing, job satisfaction and even job performance (Shonin, Van Gordon, Dunn, Singh, & Griffiths, 2014). The reasons are due to a perceptual shift on how a person sees his or her task, and that it makes the individual more connected on his or her personal goals as well as the organizational goals of his or her employer at the same time. This was further supported by a different study in which further awareness of what a person is doing in relation to how it affects others will lead to task significance which mediates the relationship between awareness, job satisfaction and job 6
performance (Raub & Blunschi, 2014). So, with those being said, is proper awareness of things the key to unlock one’s potential? For me, it’s a yes.
Mastery involves awareness, thus unlocking one’s potential starts by being aware of oneself, the environment, and the relationship and position of oneself in the environment.
References Shonin, E., Gordon, W. V., Dunn, T. J., Singh, N. N., & Griffiths, M. D. (2014). Meditation Awareness Training (MAT) for Work-related Wellbeing and Job Performance: A Randomised Controlled Trial. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 12(6), 806-823. doi:10.1007/s11469-014-95132 Raub, S., & Blunschi, S. (2013). The Power of Meaningful Work. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 55(1), 10-18. doi:10.1177/19389655134983 00
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I am happy, because I am aware of who I am, I am deliberate in my choices, I let go of the shoulds, and I do not let my perceptions get the best of me.
HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGY: PERCEPTION AND THE SHOULDS Alexandra Nicole V. Torres
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Humanistic Psychology, as a resistance to Psychoanalysis and Behaviorism, came about in the 1950s as a “Third Force” that recognized the qualities of human potential (2019). Its main conviction was to highlight the mind of a “healthy” human being (Buhler, 1971). Thus, according to Buhler (1971), one of its basic theoretic concepts, setting it apart from other schools of Psychology, is the study of a person as a whole. Thus, a central tenet would be the development of selfawareness, personal freedom, and choice (2019). Perception and the Phenomenological Approach This basic theoretical concept, backed up by the aforementioned central tenet, was emphasized in our class. On our first day during the 3day workshop, we were slowly introduced to the concept of awareness by experiencing it first hand, and later on
dissecting what influences our awareness and consequently our experiences—perception.
Perception was clearly depicted through our exercise on removing our perceptive meanings, and focusing on phenomenological realities on an artwork we created in class. Instead of saying that there’s an alien and a mountain beside it, I had to breakdown the details phenomenologically (e.g. there is an oval with two black ovals inside it). This was meant to show us how there are objective phenomena around us, but once it is processed by our minds, it is automatically colored by our perceptions. Our perceptions add meaning to everything that happens to and around us. Thus, this implies that we can never assume, because we come from different backgrounds, diverse experiences, and even values. In life, we create meaning that can never be purely objective. With ourselves, we can’t expect people to know what we want or how we feel. We’re the only ones who truly know ourselves, and thus it is something we can discover on our own. 9
This is also what sets Human Potential Development (HPD) from other approaches in Psychology. HPD is never prescriptive. HPD will not tell you the problem in your life, but rather facilitate your discovery of it. This is contrary to the popular underpinnings of other psychological approaches, where psychologists assume to be experts of the lives of others, therefore diagnosing problems and proposing solutions to those problems. On the other hand, HPD, in the exact words of Hans Lenhard, does not “create problems when there is none.” Even in a counselling setting, patients need not be forced to open up, because, “a person who wants to open up will open up.”
classmate volunteering me to share about my artwork. Mr. Lenhard then reminded her that she just assumed that I would agree to it, without confirming this with me first. Thus, I would say that after this workshop, I became more aware of the assumptions I make, and I become more deliberate in my decisions and actions. Perception and the Shoulds Through perception, it is easier to understand why there are “shoulds.” It is through shoulds that we make quicker judgments of others and
In practice, I now will be more careful when I make decisions, especially in relation to others. In class, this was also a constant point being driven. We were asked what we wanted to learn, and when we reacted to our classmates, we had to ask first if they were okay with or not. We couldn’t assume even with the seemingly insignificant things. In one instance, I remember a 10
decisions for ourselves. However, it is also through shoulds that we forget the “I.” It is through shoulds that we disregard the whole that is greater than the sums of its parts because we only see one aspect of reality, and we fill the rest with our perception. This spoke deeply to me, because I have always seen myself as an outlier. Without me knowing it, I personally have been subscribing to HPD for a while now. I was always the type to be happy regardless of what people say I should or shouldn’t be. This is a challenge in a world that does not quite respect the beauty of idiosyncrasies, but I told myself
that more often than not, what others say don’t matter. In the workplace, for example, I am often branded as a rebellious person, simply because I am from UP. Their perception of a UP graduate colored their judgment of me, even before getting to know me. I was told that I should be more submissive, I should listen more, I should be more meek. I would get negative feedback even from my own boss based on his perception, not on my performance at work. However, I know now more than ever that it simply because people fail to recognize that we are not the same. What works for one person will not necessarily work for another, even in the same group or cultural background. More than that, shoulds make us less empathic. Instead of putting ourselves in the shoes of others, we interpret the situation of another from our perspective. We disregard the capacity of others to make decisions, thus making them handicapped and unable to be aware of the “I.” I realized that the more we allow ourselves to become tossed to and fro by the shoulds, the less we are able to 11
tap into our awareness and discover on our own what is best for us. This, I believe, is a cultural problem in the Philippines. In addition to being collectivist, we were taught that a form of respect is to never question, and to simply obey. We were taught to always obey our parents, the church, and higher authority, and doing otherwise is a sign of disrespect. Thus, we became dependent on the shoulds, and have difficulty identifying what we truly want. Lastly, the shoulds handicap us further from exercising our personal freedom and choice. When we pursue a should given to us by the people around us, we rob ourselves of the opportunity to discover what works most for us. I can say this with conviction because I believe that this has been the secret to my contentment and happiness. I am happy,
because I am aware of who I am, I am deliberate in my choices, I let go of the shoulds, and I do not let my perceptions get the best of me. Perception colors awareness, awareness colors decisions, so I make it a point to always trace things back to perception. Reference https://msp.edu/about/explor e-msp/humanistic-psychology/ Buhler, C. (1971). Basic theoretical concepts of humanistic psychology. American Psychologist, 26(4), 378–386. doi:10.1037/ h0032049
The fact that we live our lives using such a low percentage of our potentialities is because we’re not willing to accept ourselves as we are. Fritz Perls 12
UNFINISHED BUSINESS Leonasyl Aliki D. Diaz
Unacknowledged feelings create unnecessary emotional remains from the past that disturbs the present awareness. Human Potential Development (HPD) is much needed for individuals to discover their true self and to take responsibility for it on all aspects. Personal development is the process of striving to be the best and to reach and realize our full potential. Promoting the idea that
humans can experience an exceptional quality of life filled with happiness, creativity and fulfillment, one can strive to reach their potential. In the process of developing ourselves, we strive to express our talents and abilities for our own enrichment and for the benefit of others. According to NelsonJones (2010), Gestalt therapy is needed for people who are in existential crisis that needs to learn to take responsibility for their existences. We cannot move forward if we have our burdens in the past. Gestalt therapy can help us focus on the self-awareness of our feel13
ings that were either suppress or repress in the past. Closure is one of the principles that determine perceptual organization. Because feelings are not fully experienced in awareness, it lingers in the background and carried into the present life that may interfere oneself or others.
Unfinished business persists until the person faces and deals with the unexpressed feelings (Corey, 2013). Unfinished business has been conceptualized as a construct that taps into cognitive processes that involve appraising the relationship with lacking of closure or resolution. The effects of the unfinished business show up within the
body. One cognitive process that may affect the person’s daily activity is overthinking. This may also be related to unfinished business of thinking about the past that were not resolved up to the present. Overthinking leads us to complicated things on thinking about what will happen in the future. We do not usually think of what is happening now and we always look forward to what will happen next. The here and
now concept further elaborates one’s awareness. There is no room for extra musing on things not needed for a task at the moment. Mindful practice of being alive in the world and present in the here and now is essential in dealing with unfinished business. During the therapy, the client is encouraged to bring out hidden feelings with what we call “empty chair technique”. It is done when the client sits 14
opposite an open or empty chair and then mentally places into that chair someone significant, who has caused them pain or trouble. The client then tells the person in the empty chair what they have been unable to express before. As result, we believe to experience life more fully and with greater appreciation than we may have otherwise. In a study conducted by Greenburg and Malcolm (2002), resolving unfinished business to clients using emotion-focused therapy and experiential therapy with gestalt empty chair dialogues were utilized in their study. Results suggested that empty chair dialogues can be better predictor of outcome than the working alliance. Also, in a similar study, unfinished business and the severity of distress were both associated with poor bereavement outcomes (Klingspon et.al., 2015). Distress regarding unfinished business may be manifested by general distress, distress related to psychiatric issues, or distress related to personality trait. In clinical practice, developing tools for unfinished business to assess and to have an intervention bearing on the clinical problem
is important to improve on the bereavement outcomes. Regret is frequently discussed in the bereavement literature and represents one possible response to the perception of unfinished business. While we can never change the past, resolving our unfinished business can improve our wellbeing, lightens the load in our hearts and minds, improves our relationships, gives us new understandings, and enhances our appreciation for our life.
Lose your mind and come to your senses. Fritz Perls Personal Reflection Art is everywhere. Sometimes, we often disregard the beauty of it. Simplicity (Prägnanz) is beauty. In its most general sense, that the perceptual field and objects within it will take on the simplest structure. As a collectivist country, it is hard to be the one who is responsible of everything that is happening in our daily life. I had a hard time on describing “Iâ€? myself. I may say I had the best three (3) days of my life, not just by existing, but also by living my life to the fullest. Although, it was too 15
confrontational and uncomfortable for an ordinary Filipino. In an article by Dr. Johnson (2012), he compared the usage of You vs. I statements. It can be accomplished by reflective listening, empathy, and unconditional positive regard for the client. There are three (3) essential components to fully express oneself: (1) behavior, (2) feelings & (3) effect of the behavior on you. It is unusual to use the ‘I’ when we are pertaining to other person. ‘I’ statement means not blaming other people for his or her happiness or misfortunes in life. Blaming is the act of claiming that it is someone’s fault. I statement is nonblameful to others but to oneself. What happened to you is all because of you. This is the electronic version of the symbol of my life in one of our activities during the
workshop. I interpreted it as an imperfect circle with rainbow colors on it that represents the wheel of life. Sometimes, my life is at the topmost part and sometimes, I am at the bottom part of my wheel. Life is not perfect but beautiful in our own ways. I put my initials at the middle of my wheel because I know that whatever I do, I am the one who controls my life. I am I. You are You. As Fritz Perls said, “I am not in this world to live up to the world’s expectation on me.” There was a memorable moment for me on the third day of this workshop. We were often asked on what interests us or what we want to know or do. One of my classmates was saying she wants to open gestalt the HPD way. I did not comply and told her that I just want to observe them 16
doing it. The main reason why I did not comply is because when you open a gestalt, you have to close it as well like an open wound that needs to be given proper medication. I, personally, don’t like leaving an open wound and just wait for a time to heal it. The person who has that ‘open wound’ must volunteer on when and how to heal his/her wound. The responsibility of opening up is on his/her decision not by the pressure given by the environment. Fortunately, we witnessed the HPD approach thru the phenomenological way of describing our artworks. References Corey, G. (2013). Counseling and Psychotherapy. Philippines: CENGAGE Learning Greenberg, L.S. & Malcolm, W. (2002). Resolving Unfinished Business: Relating Process to Outcome. Journal of Consulting
and Clinical Psychology, 70, 2, 406-416. Johnson, J. A. (2012). Are ‘I’ Statements Better than ‘You’ Statements? Psychology Today. Retrieved from https:// www. psychologytoday.com/us/blog/ cui-bono/201211/are-i-state ments-better-you-statements Klingspon, K.L, Holland, J.M., Neimeyer, R.A., & Lichtenthal, W.G. (2015). Unfinished Business in Bereavement. Death Studies, 39: 387-398 Nelson-Jones, R. (2010). Six Key Approaches to Counselling and Therapy. SAGE: Retrieved from https://books.google.com.ph/b ooks?hl=en&lr=&id=4nF5u3k RIQC&oi=fnd&pg=PA142&dq=g estalt&ots=UcTeWJ76R3&sig=e 8sQ8umu4a5iX7itK7UdJ6rKyjk &redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=ges talt&f=false
Mindful practice of being alive in the world and present in the here and now is essential in dealing with unfinished business. 17
Right HERE, Right NOW Maria Carmelita S. Rigo I am not yesterday, I am not tomorrow, I am who I am today, the here and the now.
Sigmund Freud in his time assumed that the understanding of one’s past is critical in freeing the patient from the past, and Karen Horney, on the other hand, worked within the framework of psychoanalysis with some modifications, but still anchoring on making the unconscious conscious to find the cure (Nelson and Groman, 1974).
Fritz Perls believed otherwise. The concept of the here and the now is about presentcenteredness. According to Nelson and Groman (1974), this concept arose from the influence of psychoanalysis, encounter groups, and existentialism. Fritz Perls, the man responsible for the development of Gestalt therapy, later on acknowledged that the concept of here and now was 18
similar to the Oriental existential philosophies of Zen and Taoism. Zen Buddhism, Taoism, and the Now Like the concept of the Here and Now, Zen focuses on the “immediacy of experience, spontaneity, and unity” (Nelson and Groman, 1974). Zen is about awareness of the reality and not about the explanations or interpretations that go with the reality. Therefore, Zen is “awareness” and the “Now” (Nelson and Groman, 1974). This was the first concept introduced to us in class. Literature also tells us that Zen Buddhism and Taoism have
similarities. The Taoist approaches life allowing behavior to flow spontaneously and free from force or stress, like the phenomenon of the water. Here and the Now in Therapy “The moment you resist with an old image of yourself, you will not change”. These were the words from our professor that struck me on our second day of the workshop. That day, I posted a status on my Facebook account that says, “Let go of the past you. Your life is about the here and the now.” Like most things in life, this is easier said than done. According to Gestalt Psychology, we get a large amount of 19
unstructured individual data from the environment called the parts and these are structured by us, the perceivers, into wholes subjectively. It is suggested that the multiple data we collect are based on 3 different sources; our needs, appetites, and impulses (Wagner-Moore, 2004). Greenberg and Rice (1997) as cited in Wagner-Moore (2004) said that lack of awareness may block a need, making the work of Gestalt therapy focus on “increasing awareness to bring about change” (Wagner-Moore, 2004). Present-centeredness on one’s life experiences and needs, therefore, is the key to bring changes in our lives and not merely delving into our past. The cycle that people go through are awareness, excitement, action and contact (Wagner-Moore, 2004). Miller (1994) as cited in Wagner-Moore (2004) defined contact as the interaction between a person and its environment. A healthy cycle means being aware of what’s happening, getting excited because of internal/external stimuli, which will lead people to “action tendency”, and can lead to the
satisfaction of a need and fulfilled contact with the environment (Greenberg and Rice, 1997, as cited in WagnerMoore, 2004). When there is disturbance in our awareness, we may feel lost. Interruptions at the first stage or at any stage may be the reason for our anxieties or failure to connect our self with the environment. This is the reason why Gestalt Psychology uses presentcenteredness or the here and the now, to make people aware of what they are presently experiencing, as well as increasing people’s awareness and make them act upon these impulses. Related to the concept of the here and now is the technique used in Gestalt therapy, which is called the empty chair. The empty chair allows the person to be aware of its present experience and go through selfdiscovery, not subject to the therapist’s interpretation. The therapist’s role is to guide the individual along the way and help him/her face his/her own experiences or aspect of experiences. Through the empty chair technique, we allow the individual to look at the 20
experience with his or her own perspectives and understand their own emotions. Research suggests that people go through transformations during therapy by experiencing the chair and the other chair (Wagner-Moore, 2004). By doing the empty chair technique, we focus on the here and the now, and allow ourselves to confront our “other” self in the process with goal of being more empowered with heightened awareness, and be able to find the “cure” through self-discovery.
asked how to get to Chocolate Kiss, a famous restaurant. Rather than answering him directly, there were comments about how it gets crowded during lunch time and that securing a table might be a challenge. Hans went anyway. After lunch, Hans shared that there were less people at the restaurant and they were able to secure a table right away. This was another proof that a couple of us were not living in the moment and were imagining a future.
Personal Reflection
Why is it hard for us to focus on the now? Is it to escape, because life will be easier if we are to blame the past or the future that never happened? Sometimes I ask myself, why do I get anxious? Why do I worry? Why am I unhappy living at the moment?
“What is your awareness?” That was the first question on our first day. Seems easy to answer. However, it took a while before we answered the question correctly. A couple of us in the class answered this question by stating why and how we got to class. Simply put, we were attaching meanings to the question. We were talking about the past and not about the here and the now. On our third day, Hans also
Going through the workshop made me pause and reflect. I am all of those things because I am not living in the present, this is something that I am fully aware of, yet feel 21
powerless in doing something about it. I constantly find myself thinking about the things that happened in the past, mistakes I have done in the past, joyful experiences I’ve had from the past, and the act of clinging on to it is making me a prisoner of the past. At the same time, I feel worried about what the future holds for me. Will the decisions I make today be worth it for tomorrow. The list goes one. Why am I unhappy? Because I allow myself to be. As Fritz Perls said, “Anxiety is the gap between now and later”. I know for a fact that having gone through the workshop will not “cure” me right away and that the way to a more satisfying life is to increase my awareness and practice living in the moment. This is one of the reasons why I enjoy doing yoga. For someone who has so much energy like me, doing yoga can be quite a challenge. It’s hard to tame my mind from thinking and control my body from doing unnecessary movements. When I started doing yoga, I learned to listen to my body and be aware of the present. I learned to be still and stay in touched with the moment. What I like about Human
Potential Development is how it empowers the person. Learning by doing, doing by learning. Through the workshop, I got to remind myself that no one else is responsible for my happiness but myself. Through Humanistic Psychology, I was reminded of my full potential and the blessings and possibilities that are within my reach. I am not helpless, I am not hopeless, I can improve my way of life and quality of relationships, so long as I stay present in the moment, and live in the here and the now.
Anxiety is the gap between Now and Later… Fritz Perls References Nelson, W. M., III, & Groman, W. D. (1974). The meaning of here-now, there-then in gestalt therapy. The American Journal of Psychoanalysis,34(4), 337346. doi:10.1007/bf01254129 Wagner-Moore, L. E. (2004). Gestalt Therapy: Past, Present, Theory, and Research. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training,41(2), 180-189. doi:10.1037/00333204.41.2.180 22
BODY AWARENESS AS A FORM OF SELF-CARE IN GESTALT Danielle Marie A. Parreño
“You don’t have to listen to what the person says: listen to the sounds... The sounds tell you everything. ...What we say is mostly either lies or bullshit. But the voice is there, the gesture, the posture, the facial expression, the psychosomatic language.”
- Fritz Perls (1969) A sensation at the lower portion of my back. That was all it took for me to follow the urge of my body at that moment. Sitting in silence among unfamiliar faces, I hesitated whether I should make the move. I, together with my peers, was waiting for the
three-day workshop to start inside the Human-Potential Development room in the Department of Psychology. noticed that most of my peers gravitated together at the center of the room, while others propped their pillows at the opposite ends of the room. I, not wanting to be left out, sat a 23
space behind the group of people sitting in the middle of the room. I sat on my pillow and straightened my back against an invisible support, wary that it was not the ideal position for someone like me who has scoliosis. I wondered how long will I be able to hold that position. Before I could answer that, the workshop facilitator walked in and sat on the floor and asked us a question. I remember him asking, “How are you?” How do I answer that question? All I know was that my back was already aching, but I am unsure whether I should stand up. I felt it was inappropriate and rude to just stand up and move to the wall. I would not like all eyes inside the room to be on me. Do I raise my hand to ask permission? Feelings of anxiety were bubbling inside of me as I was faced with these thoughts. I felt the sensation again. It was that uncomfortable feeling from the tingling sensation that gave me the courage to move. So I responded to the facilitator’s question, voiced out what I was feeling at the moment, and moved.
How powerful such decision was when I did not and should not consider what others should be thinking when attending to my needs at the present. This was perhaps the most powerful lesson that I had in the threeday workshop. In Gestalt, there is a significant emphasis on appreciating, acknowledging, and being fully aware of the present moment - of the here and now.
“Staying with the feeling at the present especially if it is uncomfortable or painful marks willingness to endure such feeling in order to grow .” (Corey, 2013 ) Fritz Perls, one of the main proponents of the Gestalt approach in therapy, has even defined anxiety as the tension that one feels between the now and later and is addressed by much thinking, planning, and rehearsal in order to protect the self from the unknown (Perls, 1969b). Furthermore, staying with the feeling at the present 24
especially if it is uncomfortable or painful marks willingness to endure such feeling in order to grow (Corey, 2013). When I pointed my concern at that moment in the workshop and when I had finally moved to the walls where it could now support my aching back, the facilitator had mentioned that being uncomfortable at that moment meant that I was aware. There was body awareness. As a clinical psychologist-intraining, I have had the opportunity to join a Mindfulness-Based CognitiveBehavioral Therapy (MBCT) workshop. It was there that I became more acquainted with the concept of body awareness but in the context of cognitivebehavioral therapy, which works on a somewhat different framework than that of gestalt therapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is an approach that operates on the notion that cognitive processes are determinants to behavior, while
the approach of gestalt therapy is to stay and be fully aware of the present in order to fully understand one’s relationship with his or her environment (Corey, 2013; Brownell, 2010; Barlow, 1983). Just the same, both of these frameworks overlap on being comfortable and accepting “what is� (Gold, 2009, as cited in Brownell, 2010, p. 6). There have been studies that examined whether body awareness as an intervention is helpful in different kinds of illnesses. In the systematic review and meta-analysis by Courtois, Cools, and 25
and Calsius (2015), they examined how effective is such intervention in patients who were experiencing chronic pain and other psychosomatic conditions. These patients were also experiencing anxiety and depression due to their medical conditions. The research revealed that body awareness has an overall positive effect and has an important role in addressing anxiety and depression in this particular population. In addition to this, mind-body medicine is a concept present in the field of medicine wherein it demonstrates interconnectedness among the physical, chemical, mental, and spiritual aspects in one’s life (Shealy, 2011). Body awareness is integrated into this concept such as when dealing with posttraumatic stress disorder, which is an anxiety disorder with physical symptoms such as body aches and pains, as well as fatigue (Shealy, 2011). Gestalt therapy is used as one of the techniques in mind-body medicine, which further emphasizes the significant contribution of gestalt in terms of awareness at the present.
listening to what my body needed at the moment was a form of taking care of myself. One does not have to be a student of clinical psychology in order to practice the valuable skills from gestalt since becoming aware of what the body needs can be practiced by anyone. If all other aspects of gestalt may be daunting to try at first, body awareness is not at least in my humble opinion. Perhaps the difficulty that I encountered was the next steps after the body awareness. There must be something that should and could be done, but I was
But more than anything else, 26
hampered by these shoulds and what-ifs as I was thinking about my situation during the workshop. These fantasies of mine were at first impeding my actions, but I learned that it was liberating to act in accordance with your own needs. When I realized at that moment that nothing would happen to the backache that I was feeling if I do not do anything about it, only I have that capability to change my position at that moment and even in my life. Guided by this experience, what better way to encourage others like my future clients and patients to start taking care of themselves is by encouraging them to listen to what their body is saying. Because more than the words, it is the language present in the body – the actions, sensations, and all other forms of psychosomatic language – that can point at times what is significant in taking care of yourself in the here and now.
References Barlow, A.R. (1983). The Derivation of a Psychological Theory: Gestalt Therapy (Doctoral Dissertation). University of Wollongong. Retrieved from https://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/vie wcontent.cgi?referer=https://w ww.google.com/&httpsredir=1& article=2685&context=theses. Brownell, P. (2010). Gestalt Therapy: A Guide to Contemporary Practice. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company, LLC.
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Corey, G. (2013). Counselling and Psychotherapy: Theory and Practice (2nd ed.). PH: Cengage Learning Asia Pte Ltd. Courtois, I., Cools, F., & Calsius, J. (2015). Effectiveness of body awareness interventions in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Bodywork & Movement Therapies, 19, 35-56. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jb mt.2014.04.003 1360-8592 Perls, F.S. (1972). Gestalt Therapy Verbatim (1969a). New York: Bantam Books. Perls, F.S. (1972). In and out the garbage pail (1969b). New York: Bantam Book Shealy, C.N. (2011). Mind-Body Therapies and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. In Lennard, T., Walkowski, S.A., Singla, A.K., & Vivian, D. (Eds)., Pain Procedures in Clinical Practice (Third Edition), 223-229. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Inc.
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I do my thing and you do your thing. I am not in this world to live up to your expectations, And you are not in this world to live up to mine. You are you, and I am I, and if by chance we find each other, it's beautiful. If not, it can't be helped. (Fritz Perls, 1969)
PSYCHOLOGY 202 Human Potential Development
