Product Description

Being and Belonging Group, Intergroup and Gestalt Gaie Houston The ways in which people struggle to establish a sense of belonging; and their need to preserve their individuality, has long fascinated psychologists, therapists and group–workers. Over–valuing separateness may be at least as damaging as abandoning personal judgment to the dictates of the group. We all belong; yet many people are far less skilled at recognising and managing themselves as group members than at behaving as isolates. This highly original book brings new insights to this fundamental issue and examines the ways in which different theoretical interpretations of group processes may be integrated. The author gives an account of how the reality of belonging is dealt with during a residential group experience. The fictional participants talk for themselves but, at the same time, they also represent a range of theoretical perspectives. By means of this compelling dialogue, and commentary, the reader is guided through a series of crucial issues in the struggle to understand what happens when people attend to their experience in and between groups. This book is both a powerful drama and a handbook for all those working with groups as counsellors, therapists and facilitators. This book appears in The Wiley Series in Psychotherapy and Counselling Series Editors: Franz Epting, University of Florida, USA, Bonnie Strickland, University of Massachusetts, USA. and John Allen, University of Brighton, UK

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1919444 in Books
• Published on: 1993-08-23
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 234 pages

From the Back Cover
Being and Belonging Group, Intergroup and Gestalt Gaie Houston The ways in which people struggle to establish a sense of belonging; and their need to preserve their individuality, has long fascinated psychologists, therapists and group–workers. Over–valuing separateness may be at least as damaging as abandoning personal judgment to the dictates of the group. We all belong; yet many people are far less skilled at recognising and managing themselves as group members than at behaving as isolates. This highly original book brings new insights to this fundamental issue and examines the ways in which different theoretical interpretations of group processes may be integrated. The author gives an account of how the reality of belonging is dealt with during a residential group experience. The fictional participants talk for themselves but, at the same time, they also represent a range of theoretical perspectives. By means of this compelling dialogue, and commentary, the reader is guided through a series of crucial issues in the struggle to understand what happens when people attend to their experience in and between groups. This book is both a powerful drama and a handbook for all those working with groups as counsellors, therapists and facilitators. This book appears in The Wiley Series in Psychotherapy and Counselling Series Editors: Franz Epting, University of Florida, USA, Bonnie Strickland, University of Massachusetts, USA. and John Allen, University of Brighton, UK

About the Author
About the author Gaie Houston first studied group behaviour with National Training Laboratories in the States. She has worked as a consultant in many organisations, as well as teaching gestalt, unconscious group process and other group topics in a number of countries. She has written many plays which have been broadcast by the BBC, and has had three stage plays performed. She has written five books on aspects of group behaviour, including The Red Book of Gestalt, The Red Book of Groups, and Supervision and Counselling. She lives in London and Oxford, is married, and has two children.