Judith Brown was born Judith Rose Winer in Nashua, New Hampshire, in 1929, and though her goal after graduating from the University of New Hampshire was to become an occupational therapist, marriage and children intervened until she met Fritz Perls, the man who originated “Gestalt therapy” with his wife, Laura Perls.
Judith had a dream of moving to Alaska after college, but she met George Brown, they were married, and they had four children. Per the times, Judith supported George through his education and career development and was a full-time mother. A job on the UC Santa Barbara education faculty for George in the early 1960s and a move to California led to the key meeting between Judith Brown and Fritz Perls.
George visited the Esalen Institute on the Big Sur coast to study Gestalt therapy one year, accompanied by Judith. There, she so impressed Dr. Perls that he invited her to join the workshop. This started Judith on a path of professional development that eventually included obtaining a PhD, becoming a licensed marriage and family therapist, and publishing three books. She and George became noted trainers in Gestalt therapy and traveled all over the world giving workshops.