German psychiatrist, psychotherapist of Jewish origin. The founder of Gestalt therapy. In 1952 he established the Institute of Gestalt Therapy in New York, in 1954 in Cleveland, and by the end of the 1950s Gestalt therapy groups had been established throughout the country. Some of Perls’ ideas:
1) The principle of “here and now”. Perls showed that the past exists only in the present moment in the form of memories, emotions, and bodily sensations.
2) The body as a source of wisdom. Physical sensations, breathing, movement became tools for self-knowledge and healing.
3) The right to emotions. Anger, sadness, and fear have ceased to be shameful weaknesses and have become valuable sources of information about needs.
4) Responsibility as the basis for change. Perls debunked the myth of man as a victim of circumstances. He showed that everyone creates their own reality through their choices, even if they are unconscious.