Gestalt therapy

Fritz Perls (1893 – 1970), the American neuro-psychologist who first used Gestalt therapy as a title of his book, was very interested in drama plying when he was young. He studied and worked by Max Reinhardt the notorious director of Deutsches Theater. He learned about self-realization, creativity, spontaneity, motivation, vocation and verbal communication of thoughts from him. Later, he graduated and started his carrier as psycho analytics (Freud’s school) and learned psychodrama from Moreno. They were with Pető of the same age.

The legacy of Perls is the Gestalt Therapy what underlines the self-regulation and self-control of the organism. Its principle that the personality is coherent, organized and one entire, total organism is which also functions as a whole where body and mind are not separate, where parts working together in good coordination and the processes are integrated. The organism and environment is an integral whole, thus the person has a very close connection to the environment. Interactions are crucial in any function. The aim of Gestalt therapy is to start a developmental process where the person takes actively part in his own development. Practically, “self healing” should happen with particular emphasis upon of creation of self –knowledge. Opposite to psychoanalysis, in Gestalt therapy the client does not have to know why he can not do something. The question “why” is not important. The approach is very emotional, highlights the self responsibility, a lot of times nonverbal, it encourages clients to avoid the “I can’t do it” sentence. The therapy is carried out in group setting where interactions of participants are fundamental. The communication between clients called “encounter”, it is very important the self-expression where participants can speak only in “I “or “we” version about their experience, reaction and emotion. “Here and now”.
They write short novels, play roles in created situations as it were drama class, where is very important the self-realization, creativity, spontaneity, motivation, vocation and verbal communication of thoughts, self-expression. Everybody should do and say what they want.

Notes

http://www.psychotherapybristol.co.uk/

http://www.gestalt.org/

M Hári, Összehasonlító Konduktív Pedagógia, MPANNI Budapest,1998

About the "fantasy football"

I had been waited for the "Fantasy Football" post of Andrew Sutton since we had a chat sarcasticly mentioning "international pizza makers" and "soccer world" in context of Conductive Education earlier this year in Birmingham. There, in B'ham, we discussed if CE was a Hungarian speciality. Why CE was Hungarian if it was at all. We seemed not to agree of judging that and we took those above mentioned metaphores to convince of each other.

I would never been able to put it so well, so literary what Andrew wrote about fantasy football, now in a bit different context, in his blog on 20 September.

Undeniably, the metaphore works.

However, I think football is deviate a bit from CE. Football fans, wherever they are, they mostly know about the roots of their beloved sport, and yet, they know about the rules, pretty often the differences between those rules as well. Is this refer to CE "fans", too? I think we have enough evidence to suggest to say: no!

Also, those games happily called slightly different: football, american football, rugby and so on, even if they all chasing the leather some air in it. If someone goes to watch rugby is not suprised that there are no goals nets on it.

CE is not in this good situation I think. There are tones of different approaches out there having the same name of the kid... and fans asking for the goals...

What do you think?

Faludy Györgyre emlékezni

Tudom nem sok köze van a konduktív pedagógiának Faludy Györgyhöz, így rövid magyarázatra szorulok. Engedtessék meg azonban, hogy olykor kicsit személyes dolgokkal is szinesítsem a blogot.
Ma lenne 98 éves. Örommel és boldogsággal gondolok rá.

Inner and Outer: towards the Whole

I wish to continue my little journey what hopefully takes us to Conductive Education at the end. I mentioned Plessner.
Helmuth Plessner known as a representative of philosophical anthropology in addition to Arnold Gehlen and Max Scheler – who actually was his opponent. Plessner distinguished the three forms of organization of life.
Plants: are openly organized, they have no central institutions. Animals: are centrally organized, they live from a heart out. Humans: are eccentric, they have reflexive relationship to their life, reflexive self awareness. He analyzes the organization of humans as a double aspect: body and bodyguard.
Why Plessner? Because I believe that his philosophy helped, led us (the thinkers of the 19th and 20th century) to find the way towards to the basis of modern thinking of human and thereby, the basis of modern thinking of education. He understood as a philosophical anthropologist the unity of inner and outer of human, he initiated phenomenology and he introduced - opposite to Scheler - that the person is not “value determined” being but a “value neutral” being which is going to be something (!) else during his/her actions, confrontation with the world. He explained that our self-interpretation as human being should be taken as “tabula rasa”, thus “open question”.

Additionally, I wish to draw attention to two other thinkers because they were contemporary, because they both were personal anthropologists and because I have personal attachment to them. In fact, I find very important Martin Buber’s interpreted thoughts in his “Ich und Du” ( I and Thou) where we can learn about the synthetic thesis of dialogical existence what is also basis of the transformative thinking. The other transformer is Victor Frankl, who as a Holocaust survivor introduced logotherapy which is a form of existential analysis, expresses positive thinking and changing for the patients.

Of course, I can not mention everybody who I should here (because it is still a blog), but we must understand the “Zietgeist” (German), the spirit of the time that also prevailed Andras Peto alongside many others to think towards “holism”.
This time was characterized by “an explosive development of science and technology. The era of automation and cybernetics had begun. The rise of nuclear and quantum physics led to radical revolutionary change. Biology, chemistry and medicine also began to make rapid progress. Revolutionary elements emerged in political thinking. Socialism, Marxism and also anarchism grew into sizeable movements. In a similar manner to the changes in science, a search also began in arts and literature for new forms of expression. Expressionism at this time represented a reaction to the old, outdated bourgeois norms and the naive belief in progress. The catastrophes brought about by the First World War, the destruction of humanity, were only too evident and too recent. Expressionists (for example painters/artists Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec, Munch and Otto Dix) were trying to create a new vision of the human being, one determined by social responsibility and compassion for others. Creative art was seen as evolving out of immediate inner experiencing and emotional dynamics.” (R. Wulf 1996)

Franz Brentano’s student Christian von Ehrenfels (1859 – 1932) elucidated the Gestalt philosophy. The whole is more than its parts together. He published “Über die Gestaltqualitaten” already in 1890 and his followers like Max von Wertheimer (1880-1943),Wolfgang Köhler (1887-1967) and Kurt Koffka (1886-1941) expressed that the relation of things is the important. To take things apart is worsen the dynamic sense of the whole. Especially Köhler pointed out that learning is not a passive, mechanic but a dinamic and active process. Furthermore, ’admiting’ plays a very important role of learning. Gestalt philosophy is a phylosophy what coused directly a therapy, namely Gestalt theraphy. Fritz Perls (1893 – 1970) and followers, neuro-psychologists stressed the united, coherent work of the body and underlined that the personality is also coherent. They strongly believed that results of measuring parts of the psyche did not inform us about the whole verity about the measured person.

About Gestalt therapy I shell open a short post later because it seems to have a lot of similarity with CE.

Notes

More information
about Plessner: www.de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmuth_Plessner
about Buber: http://www.mythosandlogos.com/?buber.html
about Frankl: www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/wiktor_frankl
about Gestalt: http://www.gestalt.org/

and other sources:

Hári M. Összehasonlító Konduktív Pedagógia, MPANNI, Budapest 1998

Schaffhauser F. A nevelés alanyi feltételei, Telosz Kiadó, Budapest, 2000

You Can Comment in Any Languages - Szolj hozza magyarul is!

Ismet magyarul. Nem kirekesztoleg a mas nyelven beszelok szamara, hanem inkabb felhivaskent, hogy aki esetleg magyarul sokkal jobban tud, mint mas nyeleveken :)) - ezzel special en igy vagyok- ne erezze magat gatolva. Szoljatok, szoljanak hozza barmelyik temahoz magyarul is.
A blogom gondolati, szakmai es nyelvi szabadsagot is elvez, senki sincs kirekesztve semmibol. Ajanlom mindenki figyelmebe a fordito gadgeteket a Googletol, van benne angolrol, nemetrol magyarra valtozat is!

Inner and Outer I

Freire says that teachers must undergo an “Easter experience”. They (teachers), therefore, must “reborn” to give their best to the teacher – learner, learner – teacher relationship in context of the teaching process. However, learners must die, too- “class suicide” and find a new level of consciousness. So,….both required a huge change and an enormous “forget about it and taking on board” transformation.

Being a conductive Education teacher or/and being involved in conductive education developing process in any ways, we all face dramatically to meet Freire’s elucidated ideas. It was not written but more then obvious that the journey from the level dysfunction to orthofunction is addressing the need of changing from the participants.
Susie was writing about the issue of how or how not CE takes place in different places, in her last. I should assume where participants are able to “die” and reborn, there is a great chance to have CE.

But I run forward! I will go back and;

I will think about an imagined way of getting from thoughts to real, from wider philosophy to psychology, education and neuroscience, neuropsychology, presumably towards better understand actions in conductive education. This is a short but very fast trip (because it is only a blog) which exists in my mind and what probably will make think others how nicely things can come on the same platform even if they never bumped into each other.

Inner and outer!

Those are essential in our everyday job as we will gain the shift of consciousness and during that, improve also the physical stand of our clients. Like every thought which turns to be later a practice, first emerge from philosophy.
Helmuth Plessner (1892, Wiesbaden - 1985, Göttingen) German philosopher credited with establishing European philosophical anthropology the study of the nature of individuals through their experiences. In his theory of existence based on a balance between an “inner” and an “outer” self, he differentiated humans from animals. When individuals transcend their outer self and realize their inner life, he believed, they are open to perceptions, experiences, and expressions that have a greater sociological and historical significance……….will be continued!

Paulo Freire

“I teach, deal both to change the world and to transform myself.”

(From my statement of being CE teacher)

The key concept-formation behind this sentence is transformation. Transformative action – in all directions. Interaction, dialogue, activity what is able to cause changes possibly towards a better quality of life.
Many “ideas” and many experiences take us to a level of thinking transformative.

Here - in my blog - I think to share some of those “ideas” what made me to think of challenge people with disabilities the way I do through Conductive Education. There is a lot of knowledge about different philosophical interest, educational approaches, methods in rehabilitation, etc. I have learnt and I still learn. They are mixing and living an independent life in my mind.
We can find authors who worked before, parallel and after András Pető, who expressed and fostered ways of changes in individual’s thinking, acting and which were meant to bring great difference in their quality of lives.
Today, I would like to mention Paulo Freire's work – not because it would be the most important thing to CE but because I have never heard about him during my training at the Peto Institute and I think he was such a pedagogue who put remarkable basics down in “transformative” education. Perhaps, it is going to be a good refreshing reading for those who already knew his work and maybe new for some of my colleagues as well.

Paulo Freire (1921 - 1997) was a Brazilian educationalist, has left a significant mark on thinking about progressive practice. His Pedagogy of the Oppressed is one of the most quoted educational texts (especially in Latin America, Africa and Asia). Freire was able to draw upon, and weave together, a number of strands of thinking about educational practice and “liberation”.
Four aspects of Paulo Freire's work have a particular significance for our purposes here.
“First, his emphasis on dialogue has struck a very strong chord with those concerned with popular and informal education. Given that informal education is a dialogical (or conversational) rather than a curricula form. Freire was able to take the discussion on several steps with his insistence that dialogue involves respect. It should not involve one person acting on another, but rather people working with each other.
Second, Paulo Freire was concerned with praxis - action that is informed (and linked to certain values). Dialogue wasn't just about deepening understanding - but was part of making a difference in the world. Dialogue in itself is a co-operative activity involving respect. The process is important and can be seen as enhancing community and building social capital and to leading us to act in ways that make for justice and human flourishing.”
“Third, Freire's attention to naming the world has been of great significance to those educators who have traditionally worked with those who do not have a voice, and who are oppressed. The idea of building‘pedagogy of the oppressed’ or a ‘pedagogy of hope’ and how this may be carried forward has formed a significant impetus to work. An important element of this was his concern with conscientization - developing consciousness, but consciousness that is understood to have the power to transform reality' (Taylor 1993: 52).”
Fourth, Paulo Freire's insistence on situating educational activity in the lived experience of participants has opened up a series of possibilities for the way informal educators can approach practice.”

Additional Source
www.infed.org/thinkers/et-freir.htm

Voice of Conductors

Just recently, I read about “the voice of conductors” in three different sites and all of them were considering - probably better to say mentioning - that conductors not giving enough appearance of their opinions, ideas on the “stage of CE”.

Let me to take up the thread and add some of my thoughts to this theme. I do not want to rescue conductors at all but I collected some reasons why they might not saying much.

First of all, I would separate right away the “lack of voice of conductors” issue to two big piles; namely for those who work in Hungary and those who work somewhere else abroad, out of Hungary. In fact, I think the problem is less manifested itself in Hungary since there are different forums where conductors are able to express their thoughts, ideas and also, many of them are responsible to take the lead of CE actions and/or to lead initiatives considerably serious way. They have the good possibility to work together in conductor groups to develop any problems…so; they can really keep in hands the profession itself.

Opposite of this, out of Hungary everything is different. On one hand, Conductive Education is very variably manifested in different countries. On the other hand, you are very lucky if you can find more than 4-5 conductors in the same place – often, in the same part of a country or through the whole country. The total responsibility of leading in any CE initiative or leading the professional moves of it is very unlikely in the hands of conductors. As a result of this of course conductors are less able to put serious effort to create their own voices. Pretty often their job, their carrier depends on the relationship to their leaders, co-workers, though they should totally consider what problems to raise and how to do it. Furthermore, we should honestly see the problem that the conductors’ working hours are often longer or/and they are overloaded abroad. Some of them are tired enough not to make any voice and they run home to look after their families after work. Additionally, many of the conductors are young professionals abroad moving from country to country and they definitely having language and assimilation problems, not to mention the confidence of any kind of professional appearance.

This reasoning list can be continued why we are lack of the voice of conductors and probably, dear reader, you will continue it as a comment. Please, be advised to do so.

After having collected and written these facts I do not feel like satisfied and relaxed on this case. Not at all. I must agree with those who actually raised the problem and I hope that conductors are going to be somewhat more active anywhere abroad in the future. I would advise to use the possibility of being anonymous for those who have a fear due to any reason and to express their ideas on the net.

Statement of Being Conductive Education Teacher

As I mentioned in my last note I think I started my blog in a very illogical time. Yes I did, because I had no time to introduce what I want actually in this E -site and why I started it.

Let’s start to describe it with why. – Well, it takes a lot of time (to sit down and write) what I definitely do not have however; it gives publicity to my thoughts related of Conductive Education. CE world is a small world therefore I think we have to share……so,… I wanted to share.

Before I started my blog, I was thinking hours, days, years what would be a great statement of being Conductive Ed Teacher and I was always formatting the text of it in my mind. During my holiday I have had enough time to sit down and write some of my former thoughts and add my present ones. I created a not finalised but current STATEMENT:

Statement of Being Conductive Education Teacher

I teach, deal both to change the world and to transform myself. Whether consulting with clients; parents, pupils, students, adolescents, adults or colleagues, friends, my goal is to help people think critically and take responsible action in personal, professional and civic life. I believe the aim of education should therefore be human development—the growth of the capacity to think and take action with ever-greater creativity and complexity.

To foster this development, I use a variety of active learning methods with one theme in common: All give practice at both reflecting on reasoning and experimenting with different ways of doing things. When clients participate, they often begin to move from thinking in polarities to taking context and circumstance into account, in this case testing how well they have understood others and themselves rather than assuming an idealized transparency.

Most people, especially disabled people, change their habits of thinking and acting only very slowly and gradually, in an often painful, iterative process of progress and regress—as demonstrated by much theory and research in learning and development. To support people as they encounter their challenges, I place great emphasis upon creating an environment of trust and empathy—in the classroom with clients and parents. Two ways to build such trust are to validate clients’ feelings as they are challenged, and to show them that I too face challenges and continue to learn from my mistakes.

One of my most fruitful teaching mistakes occurred when a client protested that the structured series of tasks of exercise was “unnatural, stupid, and we don’t need it.” At the time, I simply moved on, largely ignoring the protest, as I was a fresh conductor teacher, fearing my authority was being challenged. Upon later reflection, I realized I should have stopped and commented, “What a good point, active participating could feel very awkward, especially in CE. You also make me realize that I often assume that people should necessarily welcome new experiences like this. I should question that assumption.” I realized from this oversight that a “resistant” comment, instead of being avoided, could be highlighted directly, and thus provide an opportunity to model critical reflection and empathy for the struggles vital to learning.

What I find is often missing from conductor training is a focus on how to handle the unpredictability of events during classroom discussion. Having learned from the above incident, I responded differently in a subsequent situation in Munich, Germany. Some participants, when asked to share their opinions on a deeply personal issue, said they were not comfortable doing so publicly. This time, rather than either imploring or ignoring, I thanked them for saying so and asked how many others shared their concern. Finding a good split of opinions in the room, I described some of the aims and tasks then suggested we shift and use that very issue instead of my originally planned one, and people agreed. After acting like this, several participants remarked that my willingness to veer from my plan earned their trust, showing them I cared more about them than my method. I learned that such live group dynamics often provide the most teachable moments, as they allow the instructor to demonstrate a learning mode of self-examination.

I design assignments to tap intrinsic motivation and propel further inquiry. Those moments—when I discover how I have helped others but also find myself transformed and provoked to further thought and learning—are what sustain my endless fascination with teaching in CE. The dynamics make the process like an ongoing gardening experiment, where I am forced to modify my methods continuously, investigating just what different conditions are needed for different kinds of growing beings to flourish. Thankfully, the challenge never ends….

Holiday,

I am, we are (my family) back from a great holiday (spent in Hungary). Holiday! What we really needed, what we really worked for… and what brings – in mind and bodily- a great start for the next school year.

There was a time when we had 10 days a year holiday as Conductors (US). I do not wanna go there… and I do not want to hurt anybody or open any discussion but I think many people still do not get it in many places of the CE world that working as a Conductor is like working in a SEN school situation + bodily much more hard, and is a very stressful job where the workers really need REST. I liked US and enjoyed many things over there and I still miss so many things, but not the system of holidays… Actually, that was the reason I, we left that great country. I still feel sorry for those who I saw to work totally burned out and for those who born there and do not know anything about a healthy personal spiritual rest.