Resources
Violet Oaklander Videos
Violet Oaklander speaks in this 24 minute video, on the 5/3/20 “Just For Now” Zoom call, about her experiences with Gestalt Therapy, what Gestalt is all about, and how it forms an integral part of the Oaklander Model of therapy with children and adolescents.
Play Becomes Real: The Oaklander Approach to Gestalt Play and Art Therapy
Lecture Series by Peter Mortola, PhD
This is a series of lectures and demonstrations regarding the work of Dr. Violet Oaklander, a pioneer in the field of Gestalt play and art therapy. In these videos, I address the international reach and cross-cultural relevance of her work, make theoretical links to developmental, psychological and brain research, and show the impact this approach can have in practice with children, teens, and adults. In all, these videos reflect over 20 years of research, scholarship and practice in support of Dr. Oaklander’s work. Her two books, Window to our Children and Hidden Treasure, have been translated into 15 languages and continue to have an impact worldwide.
Peter Mortola is a Professor of Counseling and School Psychology at Lewis and Clark College’s Graduate School of Education and Counseling in Portland, Oregon, USA. He is the author of Windowframes: Learning the Art of Gestalt Play Therapy the Oaklander Way, among other books.
Play Becomes Real 1 – Introduction
This is my first in a series of lectures about the work of Dr. Violet Oaklander, a pioneer in the field of Gestalt play therapy. In this video, address the international reach of her work and some of the cross-culturally relevant aspects of her work.
Play Becomes Real 2 – First Steps
This is the second in a series of video lectures on the work of Dr. Violet Oaklander, a pioneer in the field of Gestalt play and art therapy. In this video I describe the structural form of her therapeutic experiences as well as showing how principles of Gestalt and projection underlie her approach.
Play Becomes Real 3 – Contact
This is my third in a series of lectures about the work of Dr. Violet Oaklander, pioneer in the field of Gestalt play and art therapy. In this video, I focus on the ways in which her practical work with clients is rooted in the theory and research regarding contact, self-regulation, and trauma-informed care. I also detail the five steps of Oaklander’s therapeutic process when working with clients.
Play Becomes Real 4 – Emotions
This is my fourth in a series of lectures about the work of Dr. Violet Oaklander, pioneer in the field of Gestalt play and art therapy. In this video, I focus on the role of emotions in self-regulation and in the contact/withdrawal cycle of experience. I also address Oaklander’s important framing of and working with aggressive energy and anger. I give an example of this work by reading and showing “The Bear Inside,” a children’s book that I wrote, with beautiful illustrations by Mark Molchan.
Play Becomes Real 5 – Play
This is the fifth in my series of lectures on the work of Dr. Violet Oaklander, pioneer in the field of Gestalt play and art therapy. In this video, I provide theoretical and practical support from research and brain science to underscore the value of play. I also focus on the supportive way that Oaklander helps her clients engage in and gain from play in the therapeutic process.