Autism for Gestalt Therapists

Autistic patients often report that psychotherapy is unhelpful and at times harmful. The need for skilled and effective psychotherapy is clear, as suicide is the leading cause of death for autistic adults without co-occurring intellectual disability, occurring at a rate nine times higher than the general population (Hirvikoski, 2016). Gestalt Therapy’s focus on awareness, without trying to fix or change, is well matched to the needs of autistic patients, yet still requires additional training on autism (Narzisi, 2023). Understanding the common attributes and vast diversity of autistic people is a cultural competence that is often overlooked in psychotherapy and psychotherapy training. As Gestalt Therapists, learning about autism can enrich our ground and support us in better serving the autistic patients we work with. In this workshop, Jen will draw from her clinical and personal experiences, the lived experiences of others, and current research. The workshop will begin with education on autism and autistic ways of experiencing the world, then move into the topic of practicing Gestalt Therapy with autistic patients. Workshop participants will explore principles of Gestalt Therapy including dialogue, field theory, and phenomenology, and how the process of therapy may have aesthetic differences when working with an autistic patient.

Learning Objectives:

Participants completing this workshop will be able to....

1. Describe 1 aspect of Autistic neurology that differs from Allistic (non-autistic) neurology;

2. Identify 2 examples of common Autistic communication and/or relational traits;

3. Describe Autistic masking;

4. Define Autistic burnout;

5. Discuss how Autistic burnout differs from depression;

6. Identify countertransference that you have experienced or may experience when working with Autistic clients; and

7. Identify how Autistic differences may affect the process of Gestalt Therapy.