Fritz Perls

Born in 1893 in Berlin, Fritz Perls lived under crushing parental expectations. His father called him a "good-for-nothing." However, this early struggle later fueled his revolutionary ideas about self-acceptance and authenticity. The trauma shaped his entire philosophy.

1933: Hitler rises to power.  As a Jewish intellectual, Perls faced a devastating choice:  • Stay and face death • Flee and lose everything  He escaped to South Africa with his wife Laura, carrying only their ideas and determination.

After earning his medical degree in 1926, Perls trained under the giants of psychoanalysis.  But he grew frustrated with Freud's rigid methods.  He saw patients as whole beings, not just walking problems to be analyzed.  This radical view would change therapy forever.

In exile, Perls made a shocking discovery:  Most therapy was treating symptoms, not people.  He developed a revolutionary approach called Gestalt Therapy

In 1946, Perls moved to New York City. He established the first Gestalt Institute, teaching a radical new idea: You don't need to understand why you're struggling to heal. You need to fully experience where you are right now.  His most powerful tool was the "empty chair" technique: Patients would speak to an empty chair, imagining someone sitting there. This simple method revealed deep patterns and led to breakthrough insights. Modern therapists still use it today.

 Use the empty chair: When struggling with a relationship or decision: • Set up an empty chair • Speak to it as if the person/issue is there • Switch seats and respond • Notice insights that emerge Truth emerges through dialogue, even with yourself. 

Practice the "now" technique: Every hour, ask yourself: • What am I feeling right now? • What am I avoiding right now? • What do I want right now? This simple practice builds awareness and breaks patterns of anxiety about past/future.

Turn your "shoulds" into "wants": Replace "I should exercise" with "Do I want to exercise?" Replace "I should call them" with "Do I want to call them?" This shifts you from external pressure to internal motivation. Watch how it changes everything. . Stop explaining and start experiencing. 

Living in your head keeps you stuck. Notice when you're overthinking and bring attention to your body sensations. Your wisdom lies in direct experience, not endless analysis. 

Our dependency makes slaves out of us, especially if this dependency is a dependency of our self-esteem.  If you need encouragement, praise, pats on the back from everybody, then you make everybody your judge.  Fritz Perls   via Lorwen C Nagle, PhD @LORWEN108