My name is Simon Stafford-Townsend, and I practice gestalt psychotherapy in Bristol, UK.
Originally from Gravesend, a small industrial town in Kent, I went to University at York, spent some time servicing the democratic process in Taunton, County town of Somerset, and was brought to Bristol by meeting my wife. I adore this city, particularly the Montpelier area, which best seems to embody the rebellious spirit of gestalt.
I love good food, and good coffee with good people. I enjoy writing (good sign for a blogger), playing with concepts, playing with toys, and painting what I’m feeling. And I love love love practising gestalt therapy.
This blog is intended for:
- Anyone with an interest in gestalt or psychotherapy or both
- Gestalt therapists, plus all manner of practitioners (coaches, organisational consultants, etc) who identify their orientation to practice as gestalt
- Practitioners of psychotherapy, counselling, and allied healing professions generally
You’re welcome to comment on my posts. However, if you want to comment in private, then you can email me at simon@silvercatpsychotherapy.co.uk. You can also find me on twitter as @GestaltBristol.
I thank you for this opportunity to share ideas and experiences in that field, and your critical attitude towards many of this success driven coaching blogs sounds like my own view on them. I was very pleased and surprised to discover your blog, who has a very different sound.
I don’t know if you will enjoy my contribution as I am coming from the old bunch of ranting wild enthusiasts who have a different and critical approach to the drift, Gestalt and other originally society critical movements have made in the last decades towards organised franchise hierarchy structures to obtain the respect of organisations, we once used to question. Even in psychiatry we once tried a different way, and it makes me very angry and sad how medication has taken over, electroshocks has been refreshed , and therapy gets more and more seen as an individual repair function to fit back in a mad society, instead of making it clear, that we are not willing to provide this service, but help people to find out their true self and needs.
If you have the impression that my French temperament might not be what you expected for this blog, please feel free to tell it to me.It is your blog afterall, and I will respect that.
Bon courage mon ami!
I’m glad and grateful that you’ve taken the time to comment on some of my posts.
I welcome ranting wild enthusiasts, so rant away. Among the many things that attract me to Gestalt is its originally questioning attitude. Something that has really gone missing is the potentially revolutionary outlook of field theory. To describe behaviour as a function of a person in an environment is a huge idea.
If we truly took that idea on board as a society, we would radically change everything about how society functions, from schools to prisons to businesses to Government. Maybe our economic and environmental crises will give us the chance to make that case.
I think your ‘French temperament’ is one possible French temperament among many. I’m enjoying your temperament, so please, continue! I look forward to having interesting disagreements with you in the future.
Merci beaucoup!
I suppose you realised in between what kind of humanist troublemaker I am, haha! The kind of girl who used to hang around with bad boys like Laing&co, and co-created the green mouvement (but neglected green political carrierism!) amoungst few other things and thoughts.
Yeah, lets enjoy a bit of strong debates. I am all for it.
Might be fun!
By the way, feel warmly welcome in our humble farm in the middle of nowhere, if you come ones to France.
Plenty of chats here, but none in argent.
Merci. I hope to spend time developing my French and visiting France in the next few years, so may well make an appearance!