Fritz Perls
Also known as Friedrich Salomon Perls
German-born psychiatrist who co-founded Gestalt therapy with Laura Perls and Paul Goodman.
At a glance
Roles
Main ideas
Here and now, The Gestalt prayer
See all 2Criticism
Conduct toward women, Hit-and-run therapy, Name only
See all 3Books to start with
Ego, Hunger and Aggression, Gestalt Therapy: Excitement and Growth in the Human Personality, Gestalt Therapy Verbatim …
See all 4Connections
Sigmund Freud, Ego, Hunger and Aggression: A Revision of Freud's Theory and Method and 4 others
See all 6
Also on this page: Key facts · Links · Sources · Related pages
- Fritz Perls was a German-born psychiatrist and psychoanalyst.
- With Laura Perls and Paul Goodman he founded Gestalt therapy.
- From 1963 he led workshops at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California.
- His personal conduct and workshop style have been strongly criticised.
Why it matters
- Chair work and here-and-now focus, now used in EFT and schema therapy, trace back to him.
Key facts
- Born
- 8 Jul 1893, Berlin1
- Died
- 14 Mar 1970, Chicago1
- Known for
- Co-founding Gestalt therapy; the Gestalt prayer1
- Training
- Medicine, neuropsychiatry; assistant to Kurt Goldstein; analysed under Wilhelm Reich1
- Career
- South Africa 1934–1946; New York; Esalen Institute workshops from 19631
- Spouse
- Laura Perls, married 19301
Roles
Main ideas
-
Here and now2
Present experience in the room matters more than explanations of the past.
-
The Gestalt prayer1
"I am not in this world to live up to your expectations", from Gestalt Therapy Verbatim (1969).
Criticism
-
Conduct toward women1
Jeffrey Masson called him sexist and abusive toward women, citing Perls's own account of hitting a woman in a group.
-
Hit-and-run therapy2
Isadore From criticised some of his brief workshops as "hit-and-run" therapy.
-
Name only1
Mary Henle argued Gestalt therapy shared little with Gestalt psychology beyond the surface.
Books to start with
The line under a date fills as it gets older: empty when new, full at 2 years.
-
Written in South Africa with contributions from Laura Perls, who got too little credit for them.
-
Gestalt Therapy: Excitement and Growth in the Human Personality1
The founding text, with Ralph Hefferline and Paul Goodman.
-
The source of the Gestalt prayer.
-
His autobiography.
Connections
Related
Links
Sources
Last checked against its sources today
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The line under a date fills as time passes: empty when new, then one equal share each for a day, a week, a month and a year. For episodes and other items it is full at 2 years; for "last checked", at a year. A striped line means the date is known only to the month or year.