Goldststein, Koffka, Khler, Lewin and Wertheimer were scientists who, at the turn of the 20th century, founded the gestalt approach in psychology. Fritz Perls (1944) recognized the potential of the gestalt approach in psychotherapy and founded what is now the widespread system of gestalt therapy. Perls understanding of gestalt theory was broadened by Zinker with recognition of stages of development of each gestalt so that what is now termed the Cleveland cycle of experience was recognized. Ray Edwards has proposed two innovations. First, it is shown that completion and grounding of the gestalt cycle of events facilitates re-energization of depressed people. Second, attention to Gendlins felt-senses, aided by use of David Groves clean subset of language, facilitates freeing post-trauma patients from the effect of recurrent nightmares and/or fl ash-backs. The relevant felt-senses are termed proto-fi gures and are usually phenomena like butterfl ies in the stomach, lumps in the stomach or throat and/or clouds are hanging over me. This present book sets these innovations in full historical context and reveals the gestalt system to be scientific in character. Malcolm Parlett, Ph,D. First Editor of the British Gestalt Journal commented on an earlier version of this book This is a thought-provoking read, a quirky and vividly argued alternative version of gestalt therapy that challenges most of the assumptions of contemporary Gestalt psychotherapy and will send many a reader fl ying to a computer to type a rebuttal. But Ray Edwards book is defi nitely worth a look at, not least for its acerbic criticisms and references to our past traditions. I recommend the self-published manuscript by an impressive maverick octagenarian gestalt thinker with strong opinions, complete with its copious spelling errors and other forgiveable selfi ndulgences.

Sam feels low and fed up, but doesn't understand why he feels this way. His friends and teacher help him to understand that thoughts and feelings associated with bereavement can come and go for a long time, and can cause strong emotions. He is shown how to notice and share his feelings and to think about things he can do when he feels this way.

A historical saga that brings back the past for those who could still remember and for the young who may wish to know how things used to be in the years between 1922 and 1982. From the beginning in pre-war British-ruled Malaya, the story revolves around the life of a boy as he grows to manhood. It traces the migration of his family from Southern Thailand to Penang after his father passes away, his brief childhood living with his young widowed mother who subsequently remarried and thereafter his banishment as a youngster by his stepfather to war-torn Shanghai. On his return, he had to find a way to earn a living and there after, to survive the bloody days of the Japanese Occupation. Even after the surrender of the Japanese, there was the lawless post-war period, in which he saw opportunities to eventually emerge as a taikor (big brother) in Penang's chaotic underworld. Apart from opportunities, the post-war years also saw dangers, like the Emergency period when Communist insurgents tried to destabilise the country. Finally, a nation was born when Malaya became an independent sovereign state. And just as the new nation strived to build a future from its historical legacy, the taikor sought to break away from his past involvement in triad activities to build a new life for himself and his family.