In retrospect, it seems wise that I chose to repress that lecture. At that time, I was struggling to integrate
what I had learned about group from colleagues at the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland and from staff persons I
had worked with at the National Training Laboratories. I was assimilating the powerful experiences in
groups and community that had occurred for me as a participant of the Arica Training Institute in San
Francisco. When I returned to Cleveland from the West Coast, I intentionally changed my style of leadership
from being a Gestalt "therapist" to being a teacher of process on an intrapersonal, interpersonal group level.
I had not abandoned individual work in a group, but expanding awareness of "what is" to include these
other dimensions. Having been socialised as a professional in a variety of types of groups I was trying to
integrate what appeared to be a number of differences, conflicts and polarities in relation to individuals and
systems. The more familiar I became with each polarity, the more I began to realise that I did not have to
make an either or choice. Having struggled with these dilemmas for several years, I now believe that I have
come to what is a serviceable integration of these polarities for me, which I trust will be of some service to
colleagues who are concerned with some of these same issues.