Today, I attended a workshop event at the Humans of Gestalt conference, called Just Another Human Being (the metamorphosis of the psychotherapist).
I’d done some “self-gestalt” exercises in the past, but this experience actually involved real people, so it was new.
In this blog post, I will share my experience attending the event.
1. Intro
Radmila, the facilitator, started by asking the ~20 people on Zoom to voluntarily introduce themselves and share their current impressions.
There was this person on the call, let’s call him Gerhard. He (and many others after him) started talking about how he felt insecure and about how people usually wear masks. Initially, I’d planned to stay quiet for the event, hidden behind my camera, and observe what was happening. However, Gerhard was the trigger for me to participate.
I introduced myself as a second-year psychology student, not yet a therapist, sharing that I’ve read a lot of good literature (e.g. Gestalt Therapy Verbatim) but also admitting that “I don’t feel competent enough”. Despite my reservations, I was warmly welcomed, which encouraged me to engage more. I also shared that Gerhard’s openness had been the trigger for my decision to participate.
2. The formation of characters
Further, Radmila asked everybody to create their own “characters”. We were free to use our imagination. Everybody, more or less came up with an image of what their character is, and through discussion, Radmila tried to understand more about them. The main questions she was asking:
- Who are you now?
- Who, or where, do you want to be after the transformation?
This activity was surprisingly revealing, allowing us to examine our own aspirations and transformations in a creative, nonjudgmental space.
3. Pair on a story
At this point, everybody split into a breakout room for 20 minutes in couples. I was paired with Gerhard (thank you Zoom!), and the idea of this session was to tell our story, communicate it with the other party, and see what appears after that.
Let it be phenomenological, see what will appear.
We were encouraged to use any of the storytelling perspectives:
- First-person storytelling from the perspective of “I” allowed us to recount our own experiences.
- Second-person storytelling from “You/Them” where we projected onto the other person.
- Third-person storytelling as “he/she/it” offering a detached narrative.
- Fourth-person storytelling as the perspective of the “important other” bringing in a relational dimension.
Gerhard opted for the second-person perspective, exploring how external events, like U.S. elections, indirectly influence our lives and how we, by deciding which mask we will wear, adjust to such events. I chose the first-person perspective, positioning myself as an “explorer” who seeks to understand and gain enriching experiences.
In our discussion, Gerhard highlighted that luck plays a pivotal role in life, and he also shared how he thought my drive for exploration requires courage. I expressed a similar admiration for his approach, noting that it takes courage to stay humble and acknowledge the role of luck in shaping our paths.
Our conversation brought out some profound observations, to paraphrase some:
Gerhard: People seem busy, like ants. I truly value deep connections like this one, being present here and now.
Me: Yes. And I feel like it’s awareness that adds a deeper meaning to connections. Being here and now requires deliberate effort.
Despite our different starting points – me as an explorer, and Gerhard as someone navigating layers of “masks” – we discovered a common ground in our shared desire for authentic human connection.
One of the better feedback that I received recently:
Gerhard: You seem much more experienced than 2nd year student. You don’t introject (which is what Gestalt students learn in their second year); you seem integrated.
This mutual understanding aligned perfectly with the session’s theme, reminding us that, at our core, we are all united by the need to connect meaningfully.
4. Reflect
After the storytelling exercise, we rejoined the main group for a reflection. Rather than sharing the specific content of our stories, Radmila invited us to reflect on how we felt about the process.
This experience was more than just a workshop – it was an alchemical blend of introspection, shared humanity, and emotional connection. Each interaction allowed us to feel a sense of community, magic, and transformation unfolding in real time. – Participants
It was a beautifully crafted session that left me feeling enriched and connected to the collective journey of self-discovery.
bor0's reflective blog 