We Have Contact!

Making contact with ourselves, others and things is in essence what we do all the time. In Gestalt theory the self is really inseparable from the environment. One really cannot "be" without the other, they are co-defined. In this light self leadership embarks on an interesting turn? "I" am really a relationship, not an entity outside of the outside!

Below is a crucial model from Gestalt thinking The Cycle of Contact/Experience and whilst there are a few versions of this model they all depict a flow from sensation to awareness to mobilising energy and excitement to action to contact to satisfaction and then withdrawal. There is the fantastic term "the fertile void" the space we return to (sleep for example) where we rest, and wait for the next emergent figure of interest, the next sensation to name and label and notice.

Blocks or interruptions in the cycle can be noticed where for example we always act yet are never satisfied, it's never enough! We may be brimming with feeling and energy yet we can't "assert" ourselves in the environment to make meaningful contact.

It's a great tool to have in mind when I listen to people and clients talk about their situation and unpack their experience, very often the next stage of the healthy cycle needs ushering in....."have you noticed how well you did that?" a polite nudge towards allowing self-satifying celebration of effort!

The cycle can depict life time cycles and also micro-cycles that happen within other cycles. I just finished my lunch and feel satiated and rested whilst my mind set to work on designing this blog!

So enjoy perusing this model I think it's one you can't go far wrong with.




What do you feel like doing? What's the sensation? Can you recognise it? What does your body want to do? What action does the energy inspire? What will be the result of acting on this? When you get into bed at the end of the day will you look back with satisfaction on "finished business?"

Dan