Discussion 1:
Review the “Linda” case vignette located in the Module Four Resources.
Linda agrees to work with you for several months, and you will be using Gestalt procedures with her.
At some point you might work with Linda’s feelings of anger and hurt toward her boyfriend. What Gestalt techniques can you think of to help her explore these feelings? What techniques could you use to work with her feelings of guilt over not having lived up to her parents’ high expectations? What other Gestalt approaches might you use (with what expected outcomes) to explore with Linda her other feelings associated with being pregnant?
As you proceed with Linda, what importance will you place on her nonverbal communication? Can you think of examples of how Linda’s body messages might contradict her words?
Please include in your answer some of the following “gestalt” terminology: “why” questions, awareness, catastrophic expectations, dream work, empty chair technique, exaggeration exercise, figure-formation process, here-and-now experiencing, impasse or “stuck point,” integration of polarities, internal dialogue exercise, introjection, making the rounds, playing the projection, projection screen, resistances to contact, reversal technique, staying with the feeling, the “now ethos,” the dialogue experiment, the rehearsal experiment.
Discussion 2:
Select a dysfunctional family from a movie, television show, book, or other common media.
Focus on one of the characters and answer the following questions:
If you were to counsel this person from a systemic perspective, would you be inclined to work with his or her entire family? Why or why not?
What are the themes that interest you the most in this case? Why?
How would you proceed as a family therapist in an initial session if you saw the entire family? What issues would you want to discuss with this family at the first meeting?
If you believed in the value of seeing the family as a unit for one or more sessions, how might you go about getting the entire family to come in? Assume that all agreed to attend one session. What would be your focus, and what would you most want to achieve in this family session?
What are the key dynamics of the family as a system? What does the family atmosphere seem like?
Do you see any aspects of yourself in this case? Can you identify with any of the family members? How do you think this similarity or dissimilarity would help or hinder you in working with this family?
