Arnold R. Beisser (1925–91) was an American psychiatrist, author, and Gestalt therapist known for his contributions to psychotherapy and personal transformation. His work emphasized acceptance, resilience, and the paradoxical theory of change.
Born in New York, Beisser was a promising tennis player before polio left him paralyzed in 1950. Despite this, he pursued medicine and psychiatry, earning his M.D. from Stanford University. He became a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UCLA and a Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, receiving its Gold Achievement Award.
Beisser’s most influential work, Flying Without Wings (1989,) is a memoir reflecting on his journey with disability, emphasizing psychological growth and self-acceptance. He also wrote Madness in Sports and contributed over 100 articles, reviews, and book chapters on mental health and psychotherapy.
His Paradoxical Theory of Change (1970,) published in Gestalt Therapy Now, remains a foundational concept in Gestalt therapy, arguing that true change occurs when individuals fully accept their present state rather than striving to become something else.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Arnold Beisser
The tragic or the humorous is a matter of perspective.
—Arnold Beisser
Topics: Perspective
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