Creativity, traditionally seen as a special gift of remarkable and exceptional personalities, is considered in Gestalt therapy to be a quality of spontaneous adaptation in interpersonal processes, as well as an important ingredient of healthy social living. This revolutionary concept of creativity is approached in the book from three aspects: the theoretical foundations, the healing relationship, and applications to certain social issues, such as the couple's relationship, treating psychosis and understanding children's suffering. The authors are among the most relevant contemporary Gestalt psychotherapists and researchers. Their contributions, solid representations of American and European reflections on the theme, bridge a divide between continents and reflect the productive discourse among schools of Gestalt therapy today. Edited by two experienced Gestalt psychotherapy trainers, this book is not only addressed to professionals, but also to all those who make art and curiosity about human nature an important aspect of their lives.

Der gestalttherapeutische Ansatz ist vor allem fur seine grosse Bandbreite an therapeutischen Interventionen bekannt. Kreativitat ist ein entscheidender Gradmesser fur Gesundheit, Wohlbefinden und Intelligenz. Sie geht mit der Fahigkeit einher, neue Losungen zu finden und fordert die Flexibilitat, die zur schopferischen Anpassung in kritischen Lebenssituationen notig ist. Die Gestalttherapie arbeitet mit dem Terminus "kreative Anpassung," um die Bedeutung dieser Fertigkeit fur die personliche wie berufliche Entfaltung herauszustreichen.

Das besondere Augenmerk des Buches gilt dem fruchtbaren Wechselspiel zwischen theoretischen Grundlagen und professioneller Praxis, den historischen und philosophischen Grundlagen, den Fallstudien und einigen speziellen Anwendungsbereichen. Ein reprasentativer Querschnitt amerikanischer und europaischer Theoretiker und Theoretikerinnen sucht den Graben zwischen den Kontinenten zu uberbrucken und spiegelt so den Diskurs zwischen den Stromungen der Gestalttherapie wider."

The time is ripe, more than fifty years after the publication of the magnum opus by Perls, Hefferline & Goodman, to publish a book on the topic of cre ativity in Gestalt therapy. The idea for this book was conceived in March 2001, on the island of Sicily, at the very first European Conference of Gestalt Therapy Writers of the European Association [or Gestalt Therapy. Our start ing point was an article on art and creativity in Gestalt therapy, which was presented there by one of the editors, and illuminated by a vision, held by the other editor, of bringing together colleagues from around the world to contribute to a qualified volume on the subject of creativity within the realm of Gestalt therapy. We wanted to continue the professional discourse inter nationally and capture the synergetic effects of experienced colleagues' re flections on various aspects of our chosen subject. Moreover, we intended to explore how the theoretical reflection of one's practice can inspire effective interventions and, vice versa, how the discussion of practical experiences can shape new theoretical directions. Hence, our aim in this book is to create a forum on the concept of creativ ity in Gestalt therapy.