Gestalt was in the United States by Fritz Perls (with others). The reference book dates back to 1951.
Gestalt focuses on relating to oneself and the world “here and now”, in an authentic manner. It also emphasises everyone's responsiblity in expressing what they feel and in the way they behave.
In 1964, Fritz Perls introduces gestalt at Esalen, the humanistic psychology centre dedicated to humanistic psychology that had been founded two years before by Michael Murphy and Dick Price. Price starts experiencing and learning gestalt with Perls in 1966… until, by the end of 1969, Perls declares: ‘Dick, it's time for you to go out and teach and do your own groups.’
Price launches gestalt groups at Esalen. He does not consider it to be “therapy” (a word that Perls himself did not use any longer) and calls it ‘practice’. He will later declare: “ Fritz made a strong point of saying: 'I do not want to train a lot of little Fritzes.' I'm Dick and I'm not Fritz.”
Dick Price learned with Fritz Perls, Paul Rebillot with Price, and Tony Khabaz with Rebillot.
Dick Price
Fritz Perls
Gestalt from Perls to Khabaz, via Price et Rebillot
Fritz Perls taught gestalt to Dick Price; Price, to Paul Rebillot; Rebillot to Tony Khabaz.
Paul Rebillot
Gestalt according to Dick Price
by Dick Price
Gestalt as an art form
by Paul Rebillot