Join the Library
There is a Navajo saying, “We keep the songs alive by singing them.” Your membership helps this song continue.
Two Young Women Reading Books, Suzuki Harunobu
Membership info
Access to the media and materials in Gestalt Practice Library and Resource Center's archive is multi-level:
- Public Access gives all visitors instant access to samples of what can be found in each "room" of the Library.
- Introductory Access offers access to a slightly expanded portfolio of media at no cost. It is intended for those who want to explore the Library beyond the public materials before becoming Members. After creating an account and agreeing to GPLRC’s use guidelines (below), Introductory Access users may view a curated selection of audio recordings, videos, and written materials in each room.
- Membership in GPLRC is $120/year. This gives you access to the ever-expanding members-only content in the Archive and participation in most events in the Living Library. Assorted recordings of guided practices are also available to members through the archive with an option to add a Practice-a-Day subscription coming soon. Use the sign up form below to become a Member.
Members and Introductory Access account holders will receive our newsletter - the best way to be informed of the latest happenings at GPLRC.
An archive is a place where materials are preserved. We preserve these materials as part of the historical and educational record. Inclusion in the archive does not mean that GPLRC endorses every view or method represented. We are making it available for review, trusting each person to engage—or not—according to their own interests. Some of these materials include moments of personal vulnerability, emotion, and strong expression. The explorations are often experimental and reflect the immediacy of the moment. We invite anyone viewing this material to do so with curiosity and equanimity, and to stay attentive to their own needs and limits. For these reasons, those considering membership are asked to read and agree to the guidelines below. The GPLRC is also a living library. Full membership includes participation in members-only programs and gatherings, as well as access to special courses.
Agreements: Self-Care, Self-Responsibility, & Conduct
Before you become a member, we would like you to read and agree to the following:
Personal exploration 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 read, 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
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.
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.
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 or other personal process 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.