Open Seat is a practice where an individual is supported in using the tools of Gestalt Practice to contact their moment-to-moment experience. As part of this, students may explore sensations and emotions, face life situations, past and present, or develop their ability for self-expression and communication. Investigating dreams is a very engaging part of this approach. Whatever the content, open seat is an interactive form of meditation, and the goal is to become more present and in touch with ourselves and our world.
Open Seat sessions in the gestalt practice tradition may involve moments of vulnerability, pain, or cathartic emotion. Watching deep feeling can sometimes evoke deep feeling. In light of this, considering both the person in the film and the person watching, we ask you to adopt these guidelines as you view and listen to material in the library, especially Open Seat sessions.
Respect the process Participants have generously allowed their sessions to be filmed so these recordings could serve as learning tools. You are witnessing real human beings in real moments of their lives. Watch with curiosity rather than critique.
Consider the context
These sessions took place in a particular decade, within a specific social milieu, and sometimes as part of a long-term, ongoing group commitment. Because gestalt practice is an educational and community-based model in which people share roles, conventional therapeutic structures do not apply. Family members and friends often sit with one another in this process.
We may not know the full context of a given session, but we can remember that one exists. Holding that awareness can help us better understand what is happening and how it is unfolding.
Trade places If you were to allow others to watch a session of yours, what kind of attention would you want from them? What boundaries would you want them to hold? Offer that same quality of respect and care as you view these sessions and speak about them.
Take care of yourself If Open Seat work is new to you, stay attuned to your own experience as you watch. Notice your responses—emotional, physical, or energetic. How is your breathing? Do you feel resonance or discomfort? You may need to pause or stop viewing. Support yourself by following what you need. If strong feelings linger, reach out to someone who can listen and help you process your experience.