The Legacy of Nana Schnake: Gestalt Psychotherapy in the Global South

Journal title QUADERNI DI GESTALT
Author/s Joaquin Aedo Garay, Rafael Salgado
Publishing Year 2026 Issue 2025/2
Language Italian Pages 12 P. 87-98 File size 0 KB
DOI 10.3280/qg2025-2oa21469
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In this paper, the authors aim to share their experience with Adriana (“Nana”) Schnake, a person who has marked and continues to influence their lives, both as a therapist and as a trainer, instilling in them the phenomenological attitude considered to be at the heart of this therapeutic tradition. It is precisely on the basis of this experience that the authors articulate a narrative about this extraordinary woman, who, from the southern hemisphere, was able to reach the depths of human experience. They offer a glimpse into her being-in-the-world, her radicalism as a therapist, her trust in the field, and the development of her Gestalt-existential approach. Finally, they highlight her particular holistic approach to health and illness. The authors do not claim to offer an objective view of her legacy, nor to cover all its facets and the breadth of her contributions; rather, the aim is to share a story that contributes to and may stimulate further exploration of the originality of this Gestalt psychotherapy located in the southern hemisphere. The article was written a few kilometres from where Nana lived and founded her Anchimalén centre on the island of Chiloé.

Keywords: Gestalt psychotherapy;field perspective;holistic approach to health and illness;depression;phenomenology

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Joaquin Aedo Garay, Rafael Salgado, L'eredità di Nana Schnake: Psicoterapia della Gestalt al sud del mondo in "QUADERNI DI GESTALT" 2/2025, pp 87-98, DOI: 10.3280/qg2025-2oa21469