Contact Forms: Confluence & Introjection
In my previous blog I discussed the Contact Cycle, mentioning how disturbances to the cycle can take different forms other than contact. These disturbances are called confluence, introjection, projection, retroflection, and deflection. Here, I'll discuss the specific contact forms of confluence and introjection, once again referencing Hanne Hostrup and her book, "Gestalt Therapy: An Introduction to the Basic Concepts of Gestalt Therapy". This book does an exceptional job ex
The Contact Cycle
Attuning to, following, and understanding "contact" is probably the most important figure for a gestalt therapist to track. Contact is considered a process, often described most basically as a cycle from no contact, to fore-contact, then full contact, and ending in post-contact. The language of gestalt, in general, does not assume "disfunction", instead it assumes there are important reasons for the ways we adapt. Hence, this cycle is considered a connect-and-withdrawal pr