On Presence: The Consultant as a Learning Model

This seminal chapter appears in Edwin C. Nevis's (1987) book, Organizational Consulting: A Gestalt Approach. At the start of the chapter, Nevis states categorically that “the role of the interventionist is to provide a presence that is otherwise lacking in the client system” (69). He argues that presence is central to the Gestalt approach and key to appreciating the inherent educational model. In particular, he argues that the intervener's task is to embody and exude a way of being that demonstrates core values, healthy functioning, and what it might mean to be helpful.