It may be said, at surface level, that this book is the fruit of an empirical research that was conducted for a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Professional Doctorate in Gestalt Psychotherapy (EAPTI‑GPTIM). However, at a deeper level, its story is linked intimately to Fr Paul Formosa’s own personal story. In the “Introduction,” he writes:
One word can summarise my story: relationships. When I look back at my first experiences within the family, my encounters with peers and educators at school, the turbulent relationships during adolescence, the mentorship and companionship during my studies, the richness of living in a community, the energising impact of my pastoral encounters and, finally, the deep connections during my preparation and therapeutic work, I understand that it is all about relationships. Throughout the journey that brings me to who I am now, both the relationships that nurtured me and those that challenged my development were, and still are, the makings of who I am. Looking closer at the different moments of this adventure, one essential element that made all the difference is the quality of the presence of other people in my life, and vice‑versa. The more I understand how I live my life, the more I realise that the way people are present in my life, the way I am present to them and to myself, makes me fully alive. This is the reason why, in this research, I wanted to focus on presence.
In this book, Edited by Fr Robert Falzon SDB, the author brings together in a harmonious way, his long experience in pastoral work as a Salesian with his experience as a warranted Gestalt psychotherapist. The book is addressed to all those wanting to be a meaningful presence to those around them. Although it was originally a doctoral thesis, the book seeks to limit itself neither to professionals in psychotherapy nor to Salesians. In fact, it goes an extra step to explain all jargon belonging to Gestalt or to the Salesian world, and does not take anything for granted. In this way, it is accessible to all. An important feature of the book (although it was already present in the thesis) is that it shows a two-way flow between Gestalt and Salesian education: both can be enriched by the other.
A Journey to the Soul is an important reading for Salesians today as it touches on the heart of Don Bosco’s uniqueness among the charisms in the church: “For you I study, for you I work, for you I live, for you I am ready even to give my life”. This is the type of presence that Paul Formosa writes of. Simultaneously, according to the time we are living in, which is not that of Don Bosco, just as the Church razes its bastions, this book moves beyond strictly Salesian spaces and reaches out – in a Salesian style - to all those who have education at heart.
As I read Paul’s text two words caught my attention, encounter and presence. They reminded me of a Venn diagram and I imagined the inner segment expanding as further similarities caught my attention. That is what this book does for all involved in anti-oppressive pedagogy and psychotherapy. The method used in exploring presence makes that point clear, and the evidence is persuasive. There are a number of ways of reflecting critically on both words and Paul shows how to do it.
Each encounter (and every form of presence) sustains events that can be fully realised within that encounter notably in focussed meetings. How alert are therapists and educators to such forces? Paul’s work not only opens this question but also points to genuine learning goals and learning challenges that query unexamined assumptions and presuppositions.
There is abundant food for thought in this book to strengthen and encourage those who know their way because they know themselves. – Fr Jack Finnegan SDB, in the Foreword.
The book contains 240 pages. It may be acquired by sending an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
