Gestalt therapy

By: Mark Anthony V. Salacup

Gestalt therapy refers to a form of psychotherapy that derives from the gestalt school of thought. It was developed in the late 1940s by Fritz Perls and is guided by the relational theory principle that every individual is a whole (mind, body and soul), and that they are best understood in relation to their current situation as he or she experiences it.

The approach combines this relational theory with

present state - focusing strongly on self-

awareness and the 'here and now' (what is

happening from one moment to the next). In

gestalt therapy, self-awareness is key to personal

growth and developing full potential. The

approach recognises that sometimes this self-

awareness can become blocked by negative

thought patterns and behaviour that can leave

people feeling dissatisfied and unhappy.

It is the aim of a gestalt therapist to promote a

non-judgemental self-awareness that enables

clients to develop a unique perspective on life. By

helping an individual to become more aware of

how they think, feel and act in the present

moment, gestalt therapy provides insight into

ways in which he or she can alleviate their

current issues and distress in order to aspire to

their maximum potential.

Key concepts of gestalt therapy

Gestalt therapy works through the

interconnection of key concepts. These

offer insight into the processes involved in

therapy sessions between the therapist and

client(s).

Person-centred awareness - Focusing on

the present, and imagining it divorced from

the future and past is considered essential.

The process follows an individual's

experience in a way that does not involve

seeking out the unconscious, but staying

with what is present and aware.

Respect - Clients, whether an individual,

group or family, are treated with profound

respect by a gestalt therapist. Providing a

balance of support and challenge is key to

helping those taking part to feel

comfortable about opening up and

acknowledging areas of resistance.

Emphasis on experience - The gestalt

approach focuses on experience in terms of

an individual's emotions, perceptions,

behaviours, body sensations, ideas and

memories. A therapist encourages the

client to 'experience' in all of these ways,

vividly in the here and now.

Creative experiment and discovery -

There is a range of experimental

methodology used by therapists to test

their client's experience. These involve

highly creative and flexible techniques

to help them open up and

acknowledge hidden feelings.

Social responsibility - The gestalt approach

recognises that humans have a social

responsibility for self and for others. It

demands respect for all people and

acknowledges that everyone is different.

Ultimately it encourages individuals to

adopt an egalitarian approach to social life.

Relationship - Relating is considered central to

human experience and gestalt therapy considers

individuals as 'whole' when they have a good

relationship with themselves and others around

them. The interpersonal relationship between the

individual and therapist that is developed and

nurtured in sessions is a key guiding process if

therapy.

How does gestalt

therapy work?

Fundamentally, gestalt therapy works by teaching clients

how to define what is truly being experienced rather than

what is merely an interpretation of the events. Those

undertaking gestalt therapy will explore all of their

thoughts, feelings, behaviours, beliefs and values to

develop awareness of how they present themselves and

respond to events in their environment. This gives them

the opportunity to identify choices, patterns of behaviour

and obstacles that are impacting their health and well-

being, and preventing them from reaching their full

potential.

The unfolding of this therapeutic process

will typically involve a range of expressive

techniques and creative experiments

developed collaboratively between

therapist and client. These will be

appropriate for the client and their specific

problems. Below are some of the most

common methods used:

Role-play

The 'open chair' technique

Dialogue

Discussing dreams

Attention to body language

Role- play

Role-play can help individuals to

experience different feelings and

emotions and better understand

how they present and organise

themselves.

The 'open chair' technique

The open chair technique involves two chairs and

role-play, and can give rise to emotional scenes.

The client sits opposite an empty chair and must

imagine someone (usually himself/herself or parts

of him or her) in it. They then communicate with

this imaginary being - asking questions and engaging

with what they represent. Next, they must switch

chairs so they are physically sitting in the once

empty chair.

The conversation continues, but the client has

reversed roles - speaking on behalf of the

imagined part of his or her problem. This

technique aims to enable participants to locate a

specific feeling or a side of their personalities

they had 'disowned' or tried to ignore. This helps

them to accept polarities and acknowledge that

conflicts exist in everyone.

Dialogue

A gestalt therapist will need to engage

the client in meaningful and authentic

dialogue in order to guide them into a

particular way of behaving or thinking.

This may move beyond simple discussion

to more creative forms of expression

such as dancing, singing or laughing.

Discussing dreams

Dreams play an important role in gestalt

therapy, as they can help individuals to

understand spontaneous aspects of

themselves. Fritz Perls frequently asked

clients to relive his or her dreams by playing

different objects and people in the dream.

During this they would be asked questions

like: "What are you aware of now?" to

sharpen self-awareness.

Attention to body language

Throughout therapy, a gestalt therapist will

concentrate on body language, which is considered

a subtle indicator of intense emotions. When

specific body language is noticed, the therapist may

ask the client to exaggerate these movements or

behaviours. This is thought to intensify the emotion

attached to the behaviour and highlight an inner

meaning. For example, a client may be showing

signs of clenched fists or frowning, to which the

therapist may ask something along the lines of:

"What are you saying with this movement?"

Who can benefit?

Ultimately, gestalt therapy is considered to help

individuals gain a better understanding of how

their emotional and physical needs are

connected. They will learn that being aware of

their internal self is key to understanding why

they react and behave in certain ways. This

journey of self-discovery makes the approach

beneficial for individuals who can be guarded

when it comes to their emotions, and find it

difficult to process why they feel and act the way

they do.

Gestalt therapy is considered particularly

valuable for helping to treat a wide range of

psychological issues - especially as it can be

applied as a long-term therapy or as a brief and

focused approach. It has been found effective for

managing tension, anxiety, addiction, post-

traumatic stress, depression and other

psychological problems that can prevent people

from living life to the full. Overall, people who

participate in gestalt therapy tend to feel more

self-confident, calm and at peace with

themselves.

Principles of Gestalt Therapy

At the core of gestalt therapy is the holistic view

that people are intricately linked to and

influenced by their environments and that all

people strive toward growth and balance. Gestalt

therapy is similar to person-centered therapy in

this way, as well as in its emphasis on the

therapist’s use of empathy, understanding,

and unconditional acceptance of the client to

enhance therapeutic outcomes.

According to gestalt therapy, context affects

experience, and a person cannot be fully

understood without understanding his or her

context. With this in mind, gestalt psychotherapy

recognizes that no one can be purely objective—

including therapists whose experiences and

perspectives are also influenced by their own

contexts—and practitioners accept the validity

and truth of their clients’ experiences. client to

enhance therapeutic outcomes.

Working with a Gestalt Therapist

Gestalt therapy sessions do not follow specific

guidelines, in fact, therapists are encouraged to

use creativity in their approaches, depending on

context and each person's personality. What is

consistent is the emphasis on direct contact

between therapist and client, direct experience

and experimentation, and the focus on the “what

and how”—what the client is doing and how he or

she is doing it—and the “here and now.”

Gestalt Therapy draws from all these

influences and traditions: Early Gestalt psychology (Wertheimer, Kohler, & Koffka)

Kurt Goldstein's "Organismic Psychology" (a gestalt-

physiological approach

Kurt Lewin's analysis of tension systems

Psychoanalysis from Freud to Fenichel

Somatically-oriented psychoanalysis (Reich); Alexander

technique, Feldenkreis

The neo-Freudian social analytic tradition (primarily Karen

Horney)

Carl Jung's Analytical Psychology, mediated through Otto

Rank

European Existentialism

Phenomenology

Theatre

Psychodrama

Modern Dance

Zen (and possibly Gurdjieff)

L. Ron Hubbard's Dianetics

and California counterculture of the late 1960s

and 1970s.

COMPARISON OF GESTALT THERAPY

WITH EARLY GESTALT PSYCHOLOGY

Doctrinaire Gestalt Psychologists who claim that Gestalt

Therapy is not "real Gestalt" are right and wrong. They are

right because it draws together many other influences

with the old Gestalt psychology. They are wrong because

the Gestalt view of reality genuinely is the centering point

that holds all the rest of the influences together. Gestalt

theory is extended into becoming a dynamic process of

personal growth and development, just as Goldstein

extended it into the physiological realm and Lewin

extended it into the social realm. We may note that were

it not for Perls and Gestalt Therapy, instead of being

alive, well, and influential today, Gestalt theory would be

a chapter in the history books and that would be the end

of it.

Thank you