My practice is Humanistic. However, there are many different approaches in that area. One of them that I lean on when putting together an integrative approach to help each individual therapy client uniquely is Gestalt therapy. This form of psychotherapy emphasizes the importance of the present moment and your subjective inner experience. Gestalt therapy methods are experiential and active, and Gestalt treatment overall is quite interactive.
Gestalt Therapy was developed by Fritz Perls, Laura Perls, and Paul Goodman in the 1940s and 1950s as a reaction to more traditional approaches of the day that focused on problems and neuroses that had their roots in an individual’s childhood. The term “gestalt” comes from the German word for “whole” or “pattern.” In this context, it refers to the idea that you should strive to understand yourself and your experiences as an integrated entity rather than a collection of separate parts.
Key Principles of Gestalt Therapy
The following are the tenets that gestalt therapy methods are based on.
Gestalt Therapy and the Here and Now
Gestalt treatment strongly emphasizes the present moment. I often encourage clients to focus on their current thoughts, feelings, and sensations rather than dwelling on past experiences beyond what is helpful or worrying too much about what they have no control over in the future.
Awareness and Responsibility
Central to Gestalt therapy is the concept of self-awareness. You will be encouraged to become more aware of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors as they occur, which can lead to greater self-understanding and personal growth. Gestalt therapy methods promote individual responsibility for thoughts, feelings, and actions. You will be encouraged to take ownership of your choices and the consequences of those choices.
Holism and Contact in Gestalt Therapy
As mentioned earlier, Gestalt therapy views individuals as holistic beings. It seeks to help you integrate and reconcile the various aspects of yourself, including your thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations. Then it looks at how you interact with their environment and others. We will explore how you contact the world around you and how these interactions impact your well-being.
The Figure-Ground Phenomenon
The figure-ground perception concept highlights the importance of distinguishing between the “figure” (the primary focus of attention) and the “ground” (the background or context). Understanding this distinction can help you gain insight into your perceptions and reactions. This becomes a key to the approach.
Uses for Gestalt Therapy
Gestalt therapy emphasizes the importance of understanding the whole person and their experiences in the present moment rather than focusing solely on past events. Here are some common ways I use Gestalt treatment:
Self-Exploration and Personal Growth
Gestalt therapy can help you deeply explore their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, promoting self-awareness and personal growth. It can help you identify and solve problems in your life, both personal and professional. It can even help you tap into your creative potential and express yourself more authentically through art, writing, or other creative outlets.
Gestalt Therapy and Emotional Regulation
This approach can assist you in identifying and managing your emotions more effectively, improving your emotional regulation and resilience. Addressing the sources of tension and anxiety in the present moment may be particularly helpful for coping with stress and anxiety.
Gestalt Therapy and Relationship Issues
Gestalt therapy can facilitate communication and help people better understand their relational dynamics. In the workplace, it can assist small groups in dealing with workplace challenges such as stress, conflict, and group dynamics.
Gestalt Treatment of Specific Diagnoses
Gestalt therapy can help individuals with mood disorders by exploring the root causes of their depressive symptoms and finding ways to improve their emotional well-being. It can also be used to process past traumatic experiences and assist individuals in coming to terms with their trauma. It can be used to help individuals confront and overcome phobias and irrational fears.
Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence
I use Gestalt therapy for those looking to boost their self-esteem and self-confidence by exploring their self-concept and self-perception.
Gestalt therapy is a versatile approach that can be adapted to various therapeutic needs and situations. We can use it together to help you become deeply self-aware, make meaningful changes in your life, and feel more content.
Gestalt Therapy Methods
Gestalt therapy is a highly experiential approach, and its techniques are tailored to my clients’ needs. It can be effective for those seeking personal growth, self-awareness, and improved relationships. However, it’s not for every client and every presenting concern, and thus, it is part of my integrative approach that may or may not be part of the services you and I choose.
Here are some common Gestalt therapy methods:
Gestalt Therapy Empty Chair Technique
This technique is used to help clients work through unresolved conflicts or unexpressed emotions. The client may imagine the person they have an issue with sitting in an empty chair and conversing with them. Like the empty chair technique, there is a two-chair technique, where you alternate between sitting in each chair to express different aspects of yourself or conflicting feelings.
Exaggeration and Amplification
This technique asks you to exaggerate or amplify certain behaviors or feelings to make them more noticeable and better understand them. I often use exaggeration and amplification in Gestalt therapy for couples.
Gestalt Therapy Topdog/Underdog Dialogue
In this technique, clients explore the internal conflict between their “Topdog” (critical, controlling self) and their “Underdog” (vulnerable, submissive self) to better understand and integrate these aspects of themselves. This technique is particularly helpful when people are going through a transition or face a decision or challenge they have mixed feelings about.
The Cycle of Experience
This model helps clients understand their internal processes by identifying the cycle of sensation, awareness, mobilization, action, and contact. You can learn to interrupt unproductive patterns and create more fulfilling responses. Learning to see this cycle in your life can be quite helpful, and I often give homework related to this technique.
Paradoxical Gestalt Therapy Methods
Gestalt therapy suggests that change can occur when individuals fully accept and embrace their current experience rather than trying to change it. Paradoxically, you may find the motivation and clarity you need to make positive changes after you accept things as they are
Some of these techniques may be given as tasks or exercises for clients to practice outside therapy sessions to enhance self-awareness and personal growth. Also, in general, I’ll encourage you to stay present in the moment outside of therapy, exploring current thoughts, feelings, and experiences rather than dwelling on the past or worrying about the future.
Conclusions and My Services
Gestalt therapy aims to help individuals develop greater self-awareness, improve their capacity for self-acceptance, and make meaningful changes in their lives. Gestalt therapy may not be a fit for everyone, or in some cases, I may choose one or two Gestalt therapy methods while mostly choosing another approach. We will go over all of this when we first meet. My integrative approach is designed to give input into what you feel will help.
Gestalt Treatment Example
The following is a gestalt treatment example from my practice. Of course, this specific example is fictitious, but it covers the usual gestalt therapy methods I might use. It is quite simple and general, but should give you an idea about how this approach works.
Maria, a 32-year-old woman, seeks therapy due to feelings of anxiety and dissatisfaction with her life. She feels stuck in her job and has difficulties enjoying her social relationships.
Gestalt Treatment Session Initial Steps
I start by setting the tone that we will be working here and now and looking for clues as to underlying challenges and barriers. I might ask Maria to take a moment at the beginning to notice how she feels in the room, both physically and mentally. She responds that she feels tense in her shoulders and has a lot on her mind. With prodding, she realizes that the tightness in her shoulders almost makes her feel like she is carrying a heavy load.
Gestalt Treatment Dialogs
I ask Maria, “If that tension could speak, what would it say?” She says, “It would probably say, ‘I’m tired and overwhelmed.'” I decided to use the empty chair technique. I say, “Imagine your tension is sitting in this empty chair. Talk to it as if it were a person. What would you say?” She says, “Why are you always here? Why can’t you go away?” I ask her to switch roles, “Be the tension and respond to Maria.” She says, “I’m here because you always push yourself too hard. You never take a break.”
Through this technique, Maria realizes she’s not giving herself enough time to rest. She’s always on the go, taking a toll on her.
Homework, Experiments, and Ending the Session
Maria is asked to explore what it would be like to take a break. She starts by setting aside 15 minutes daily to relax and do something she enjoys. I asked her how she felt now compared to when we started the session. She responded, “I feel a bit lighter and more hopeful. I see that I need to be kinder to myself.”
Key Gestalt Therapy Methods Used
– Present-Moment Awareness: Focusing on the client’s feelings and bodily sensations.
– Dialogic Process: Encouraging the client to dialogue with parts of themselves.
– Empty Chair Technique: Facilitating a conversation between clients and their internal conflicts.
– Experiments: Trying out new behaviors or ways of thinking during the session.
As you can see, gestalt therapy methods are highly experiential and dynamic, focusing on the “here and now” and encouraging clients to discover their own solutions through increased self-awareness. This approach is a cousin of Internal Family Systems methods, which can be used together.
I primarily use Gestalt treatment in individual sessions, though it also has some use with couples therapy and even small groups. It can also be used with a variety of my specialty services, including executive coaching and sports psychology. I apply it to a wide range of presenting issues, including personal growth, relationship problems, anxiety, depression, and more.
I’d be happy to answer any questions you have about my services or Gestalt Therapy. Contact me any time.
