NGV and The Relational Center: Collaborative Journal Issue

Collaborative Journal Issue

There is a growing movement towards more explicit discussion of social justice issues in
Gestalt literature. The Relational Center is collaborating with New Gestalt Voices to
contribute to the discourse and support this movement. Gestalt theory has always been
firmly rooted in the activist tradition of Paul Goodman and we believe Gestalt is uniquely
situated to be a resource for subcultures and social movements to find support and healing.

To further this movement, we need to increase authorship by marginalized identities. If we want greater diversity among Gestalt practitioners, they need to see themselves in the literature. Gestalt, both as a collection of discourses and as a community of practitioners, needs to meet the present moment. This can be achieved via better representation of diversity in authorship and the discussion of marginalized experiences in Gestalt literature and training materials.

We are striving to bring more explicit application of Gestalt theory and practice to the variety of social issues happening globally—of which there are many. This will look different for different communities. The needs of Black Lives Matter activists in Minneapolis, MN, USA are not the same as the needs of Ukrainians trying to survive Russia’s invasion. Even something as universal as climate change has varying impacts region by region.

Goals for this collaborative journal issue:

1. Diversifying Gestalt authorship to include more marginalized identities and perspectives.
2. Adapt Gestalt theories and practices to be more relevant and applicable to a wider audience.
3. Building bridges and mending splits.

We are looking for submissions that relate to any of the following:

• What does it mean to be an activist Gestalt therapist?
• What can Gestalt bring to the current global challenges, political polarization, and social schisms?
• How can Gestalt address trauma from sociopolitical injustice, including intergenerational and collective trauma.
• How can we adapt Gestalt theory and practice to be more relevant and applicable for marginalised and oppressed individuals, families and communities?
• General areas of interest include:

o War, colonialism, oppression, and the global spread of fascism
o White supremacy, racism, and colorism
o Sexism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, and other gender-related struggles
o Power, privilege, oppression, and marginalization
o Capitalism, wealth disparity, and mass exploitation
o Migration, immigration, refugees, and asylum

o Climate change and other threats to our global ecology
o Policing and law enforcement
o Accessibility and inclusion
o Access to high quality medical and social services
o Disability issues, policy, and justice

Publishing timeline:

• Call for article proposals sent out December 2022
• Proposals must be received no later than the end of June 2023
• Drafts of articles, based on approved proposals, submitted by end August 2023
• Review and feedback of article drafts will be given by end Sept 2023
• Finalized articles/revisions submitted by the end of Dec 2023
• Journal published in Jan 2024

Journal editors:

• John Gillespie (john@newgestaltvoices.org)
• Chloja Chabor (chloja@newgestaltvoices.org)
• Penny Timmons (penny@relationalcenter.org)
• Dan Fink (dan@relationalcenter.org)

Editorial steering committee:

We are currently building a committee that will review all submitted proposals and help us keep the content of this journal in alignment with the goals, topic areas, and social justice values that are guiding this issue.

How to submit proposals:

• Write a 1-2 page proposal for your chapter
• Send it to either half of the editorial team:
  o New Gestalt Voices (editor@newgestaltvoices.org)
  o The Relational Center (publishing@relationalcenter.org)
• Questions, comments, suggestions, or if you would like to talk about writing for this
  issue, please contact any of the editors.