ABSTRACT
Gestalt therapy’s emphasis on contact can lead to misunderstandings, with a devaluing of resistance. Contact and resistance are part of the same continuum and both can be supports depending upon the situation. We are always in contact but we moderate the level of our contact through our ability to creatively adjust. Resistances can be seen as ways of self supporting and always need to be viewed in the context of the person’s situation. I do not want to be in full contact in an environment that is toxic. Likewise a surgeon will need to diminish her level of contact with her patient – open-heart surgery is best performed whilst minimizing emotional engagement! Resistance to contact has its place. The gestalt psychologist Kurt Koffka gave a fine example of the value of resistance (Miller, 2003). He told the story of an outstanding German weightlifting team who were far superior to any other team at the time and were fully expected to make a clean sweep of the medals at the world championships. Leading up to these championships they were lifting far more than any of their rivals. The championships were held in a new sports centre in Switzerland and the team failed miserably. When a gestalt psychologist explored the situation it transpired that prior to the championships the weightlifting team had always been able to focus on an opposing wall and power against this ‘fix’. In the new arena the light was such that a glare made the opposing wall appear to disappear. They had nothing to lift against, nothing to use as a resistance. This is also an example of how the field we are standing in profoundly affects the individual.
