Phenomenology as Curiosity in the Clay Field
“The end of all exploring
Will be to arrive where we have started
And know the place for the first time”
T.S.Elliot
The philosopher Edmund Husserl (1931) formulated phenomenology as a theoretical construct. His interest was to learn what the direct experience of the person is and what meaning they attach to their experience. Husserl recognised that reality is always played out in the present tense, not the past and not the future. That if access is gained to sensory input of a person’s original experience in the here and now, then we would be able to view that person’s subjective reality. By substituting ‘how’ and ‘what’ questions instead of ‘why’ questions he posited that we could avoid interpretation and explanation; rather to be open and aware of the given data and see the client as he is and ‘what is happening right now?’
The study of phenomenology has evolved from the theoretical construct of Husserl (1931) with more ongoing developments in both physical sciences and social sciences (Van De Reit, 2001). The phenomenology of today is a sensory based moment to moment process that is uniquely my own as I interact with and I am impacted by the wider field in the here and now. At the Clay Field this plays out in every session. This interest, curiosity and tracking of my client’s experience in the Clay Field in the here and now supports to deepen the awareness and experience of their reality. There are moments when as a therapist I silently retract, giving minimal encouragement to the client’s action patterns in the clay and as they explore the field.
At other times I notice where there is stuckness or avoidance and I will work with the client by being focused in the here and now with curiosity. I might probe “How is that?” to connect back into the clients emotional and psychological well-being.
This all takes place in the wider context of the client’s world. Understanding the impact of the wider social connections and the environment on how they perceive their experience is imperative. The client may say “the clay feels so hard?”, which is more of a reflection of their perception than the physical state of the material.
The consistent factor in this experience is curiosity. As a therapist I notice one of my favourite ways of communicating is using invitational language such as “I wonder what it would be like to push down, lift up, add water, feel inside, slow down?” - asking questions into the process of the client, rather than to the content (Joyce & Sills, 2014). This open curiosity supports the phenomenological process.
Clare Jerdan MA, Bac.Soc.Sci, AThR
Clinical memberships: PACFA, ANZACATA, GANZ
References
Husserl, E. (1931) Ideas: General Introduction to Pure Phenomenology, vol. 1. New York: Macmillan.
Joyce. P., & Sills, C. (2014). Skills in Gestalt Counselling and Psychotherapy.: Vol. Third Edition. SAGE, Publication s Ltd.
Van De REIT, V. (2001) Gestalt Therapy and the Phenomenological Method. Gestalt Review, 5 (3): 184-194.
MA, Bac.Soc.Sci, AThR
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