2024 Author: Harry Day | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 15:43
Contact interruption mechanisms in gestalt therapy.
(fusion, introjection, projection, retroflection, egotism).
“However, let us immediately clarify that Gestalt therapy, unlike some other approaches, it is not aimed at attack, victory or overcoming resistance, but rather
on their awareness by the client, so that they
more in line with the emerging situation"
(Lebedeva N. M., Ivanova E. A. 2004 - 127 p.)
I did not choose the topic of the article by chance. For a long time, the mechanisms of interrupting the contact were not given to me. I made notes on the topic throughout the year, often returned to them, re-read them. When I systematized the basic knowledge for myself, difficulties began with practical application. In the article, I tried to summarize as fully and concisely as possible information about the mechanisms of interruption and to analyze the classical concept of the mechanisms of interrupting contact in gestalt therapy, as well as its main provisions.
The contact interruption mechanism is a disturbed way of contact between the organism and the environment. And the identification of each interruption mechanism is important for psychotherapeutic work, and each mechanism requires a special approach to itself. (Ginger S., Ginger A. 1999)
The most common contact interruption mechanisms are: merger (confluence), introjection, projection, retroflection and egotism … (Perls F., Goodman P. 2001.)
Each mechanism corresponds to its own period in the contact cycle. So, merging occurs in prekontakte and is characterized by the fact that a person is not aware of his feelings, desires, or bodily sensations. After the figure is separated from the field that has saturated it energetically, in the contact phase, the contact is hampered by introjection and / or projection. At the next stage, the final contact, when the client avoids a direct way of satisfying his needs, we can talk about deflection or retroflection, if there is a reversal of excitement on himself. Egotism is implied at the stage of post-contact, if the new experience that was received in the previous phases is not assimilated into self and is rejected in favor of the existing one.
P. Goodman believes that before the focusing of excitement, merging occurs, when excitement has occurred - introjection, at the moment of meeting with the environment - projection, during conflict and destruction - retroflection, in the process of final contact - egotism. (Pogodin I. A. 2011)
N. M. Lebedeva and E. A. Ivanova write that indeed, some interruption mechanisms can be found in different parts of the cycle, but most often resistances are characteristic of certain cycles. (Lebedeva N. M., Ivanova E. A. 2004)
The defense mechanisms have several stages of development: adaptive - for better adaptation to the environment, neurotic - the defense mechanism "ossified", does not help to adapt and violates self-regulation and psychotherapeutic - the defense mechanism is manifested in the psychotherapeutic process or as a diagnostic tool (Demin L. D., Ralnikov I. A., 2005)
[/url] Irina Bulubash (Bulubash ID 2003) writes that interruption mechanisms can occur in the therapist while working with a client. The breakdown of contact occurs when the therapist does not have enough experience of recognition or skills in working with interruption mechanisms and he unconsciously supports the mechanisms for interrupting the client's contact. In another case, the therapist interrupts the contact in the usual, unconscious way for himself.
It should not be forgotten that "considering the mechanisms of interruption of contact is a method of studying the structure of an individual's neurotic behavior during a therapy session, and not a method of classifying them." (Bulyubash I. D. 2011 -170 p.)
For the sake of completeness, it is worth quoting F. Perls: “Although we believe that neurosis as a violation of the contact boundary is caused initially by the action of different mechanisms, it would be unrealistic to say that any particular neurotic behavior can be an example of only one of them. Nor can it be argued that every definite violation on the contact boundary, every imbalance in the field that unites the organism and the environment, creates a neurosis or testifies to a neurotic stereotype. (Perls F. 1996 -20 S.)
We can talk about a pathological fusion when a person does not feel the boundaries between himself and the environment. He is not aware of his needs, does not understand what he wants to do and how he does not do it. Does not distinguish between whole and parts. At the heart of psychosomatic diseases is a pathological fusion. (Perls. F. 1996). There is no difference between "I" and "not-I". Fusion does not make it possible to isolate the figure from the background in prekontakte and interferes with the accompanying arousal. (Robin J.-M. 1994). In conversation, a person often uses the pronoun "We".
There are two types of confluence (merging). The first type is that the signal does not stand out or gets lost before it becomes aware. The client is experiencing something, but cannot say that, the sensations are mixed, one is taken for another. The second type is merging with other people, there is no border between "I" and "you", other people's experiences are taken for their own.
They talk about introjection when a person lets in other people's attitudes and beliefs without "digesting". What the other says is definitely the first instance. (Lebedeva N. M., Ivanova E. A. 2004)
When a figure begins to emerge, the energy becomes more and more, excitement appears - the body gets the opportunity to contact with the environment. Introjection interrupts this opportunity when the "Ego" function falls out, the excitement becomes too disturbing and the person replaces his desires with the desires of another. (Robin J-M. 1994)
The process of accepting or rejecting what the environment can offer us is difficult, the proposed “was not digested” and was not assimilated. And this part of the environment becomes ours, being essentially alien. The introjector does not have the ability to develop, because all forces are spent on retaining alien elements in their system. With introjection, the border between oneself and the rest of the world shifts inward, almost nothing remains of a person. In speech it sounds like "I think", but it means "they think." (Perls. F. 1996)
And so a form appeared, excitement appeared, and another mechanism, opposite to introjection, appears - projection. What belongs to the subject is attributed to the environment. A person does not take responsibility for his emotions, sensations, experience and ascribes it to someone else, translates outside that for which he cannot be responsible himself. (Robin J.-M. 1994).
People rely in their lives on past experience - on projections, and the projection element does not always go as an interruption of contact. But if the projection has become a familiar mechanism, this is a disaster. In speech, projection sounds like a substitute for "I" for "you, they". Allocate a mirror projection, when others are credited with their thoughts, feelings, sensations that a person would like to have. The projection of catharsis is the ascribing to others that we do not recognize in ourselves. Additional projection - in order to justify our own feelings, especially those that we do not want to admit, we attribute them to others. (Lebedeva N. M., Ivanova E. A. -182-190 p.)
In projection, the border between oneself and the rest of the world shifts a little "in its favor", and this makes it possible to relieve oneself of responsibility, to deny that feelings or feelings belong to oneself, which are difficult to reconcile with, because they look unattractive or offensive to us. (Perls F., Goodman P. 2001)
Retroflection (this term originated in gestalt therapy, as opposed to projection and introjection) also destroys gestalt. This term refers to an experience that occurs as contact with the environment, but returns to the body itself. A person does not allow himself to show his feelings in relation to their true objects, and turns them against himself. (Robin J. -M., 1994)
The retroflector draws a clear line between itself and the environment - exactly in the middle of itself. The retroflector says: "I am ashamed of myself" - or: "I need to force myself to finish this essay." He makes an almost endless series of statements of this kind, all based on the astonishing notion that “himself” and “himself” are two different people. (Perls F., Goodman P. 2001)
They highlight mirror retroflection - what they would like to receive from others and catharsis - what they would like to do to others. (Lebedeva N. M., Ivanova E. A. 2004)
With egotism, a person sets a hopeless border with the environment. It is impossible to achieve spontaneity. Selfishness manifests itself through holding oneself at the moment when the opposite is required to achieve final contact. (Robin J.-M., 1994)
Egotism is seen as an artificial hypertrophy of the ego function, which leads to increased narcissism and the acceptance of personal responsibility, contributing to the development of autonomy. The person feels complete self-sufficiency and detachment. He guards his boundaries and cannot fully immerse himself in what is happening. (Lebedeva N. M., Ivanova E. A. 2004)
The therapist's job is to restore the client's ability to discriminate. The therapist helps the client to discover for himself what is or is not himself, what impedes development and what promotes, and then the client finds the right balance and the border of contact between himself and the rest of the world. (Perls F. 1996)
Literature:
Bulyubash I. D. Supervision in Gestalt Therapy: Contact Interruption Mechanisms and Supervisor Strategies. M.: Institute of Psychotherapy. 2003
Bulyubash ID Guide to gestalt therapy. Moscow: Psychotherapy, 2011
Ginger S., Ginger A. Gestalt - contact therapy / Transl. with fr. E. V. Prosvetina. - SPb.: Special Literature, 1999
Demin LD, Ralnikov IA.. Mental health and protective mechanisms of the individual. Typology, main types and functions of defense mechanisms. 2nd ed. - Barnaul: Alt. university, 2005
Lebedeva N. M., Ivanova E. A. Travel to Gestalt: theory and practice. - SPb.: Rech, 2004
Perls. F. Gestalt-Approach and Witness to Therapy / Transl. from English M. Papusha. - M., 1996.
Perls F., Goodman P. The theory of gestalt therapy. - M.: Institute of General Humanitarian Research, 2001
Pogodin I. A. Journal of Practical Psychology and Psychoanalysis. "The classical concept of the cycle of contact in the methodology of gestalt therapy" Year of publication and issue of the journal: 2011, №2
Robin J.-M. Gestalt therapy. Translated by I. Ya. Rosenthal. Jean-Marie Robine. La Gestalt-therapie. P.: Morisset, 1994;. - M.: Institute of General Humanitarian Research, 2007.
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