GESTALT THERAPY
INTRODUCTION
-Remember the Gestalt Prayer for a peaceful start……
Gestalt theory holds that the analysis of parts can never provide an understanding of
the whole. In a therapeutic setting, this approach opposes the notion that human
beings can be understood entirely through a rational, mechanistic, scientific process.
The proponents of Gestalt therapy insist that the experiential world of a client can be
understood only through that individual's direct experience and description. Gestalt
therapists seek to help their clients gain awareness of themselves and the world.
Discomfort arises from leaving elements and experiences of the psyche incomplete--
primarily past relationships and intrapsychic conflicts that are unresolved, which Perls
calls "unfinished business" (Perls, 1969).
According to Gestalt theory
The organism should be seen as a whole (physical behavior is an important
component, as is a client's mental and emotional life).
Being in the "here and now" (i.e., being aware of present experience) is of
primary importance.
How is more important than why (i.e., causes are not as important as results).
The individual's inner experience is central.
For Gestalt therapists the "power is in the present" (Polster and Polster, 1973).
This means that the "now" is the only place where awareness, responsibility, and
change can occur. Therefore, the process of therapy is to help the client make
contact with the present moment.
It emphasizes that an individual should focus on his/her present emotions and
behaviour. Gestalt therapists do not talk about a patient’s past experience. The
patient is encouraged to pay attention to his/her immediate needs and desires
and focus on how to meet them.
GOALS OF THIS THERPAY
A focus of developing awareness is that of clients’ awareness of their own realities. In
order to do this, clients must first accept responsibility for choosing their present
situations. Language plays a big part in accepting responsibility.
The client may attempt to use avoidance responses or project individual traits onto
other people or external causes, for example “She makes me so angry”; “It’s his fault”.
Both avoidance responses and projection of traits attempt to displace ownership and
responsibility onto an external cause.
Another goal of Gestalt Therapy is that therapists should work to create an “I-thou”
relationship with clients in which both the therapist and client are present in the here-
and-now rather than focusing on the past or future (Seligman, 2006).
Also, an understanding of the whole of the client’s experience is required by the
therapist. This involves considering the client’s verbal and non-verbal communication.
In fact, the nonverbal communication is seen to provide more information about the
real essence of the person.
Thus, an important function of the Gestalt Therapist is paying attention to the client’s
body language such as the client’s posture, movements, gestures, voice, and
hesitations as the body language is considered to be reflective of what the client is
going through at that point in time.
THERAPIST’S ROLE
The role of the Gestalt counselor is
to create an atmosphere that promotes a client's exploration of what is
needed in order to grow. Polster and Polster (1973) indicate that the gestalt counselors
must be exciting,energetic and fully human. Involvement occurs in the now which is
a continuing process.
There are several rules that Gestalt counselors follow in helping clients become more a
ware of the now:
· The principle of now: always using the present tense
· I and Thou: always addressing someone directly instead if talking about him or her to
the
counselor.
· The use of I: substituting the word I for it, especially when talking about the body.
· The use of an awareness continuum: Focusing on how and what rather than why
· The convention of questions: asking clients to convert questions into statements
· Gestalt counselors do not use standardized assessment instruments, such as psycholo
gical tests, nor
do they diagnose their clients according DSM-IV classification standard
TECHNIQUES MAJORLY USED
Empty chair technique
The empty chair technique is used to explore a patient’s relationship with himself or
other people in his life. It is a “role playing” technique. The patient is asked to sit in a
chair and an empty chair is placed in front of him/her. He/She is instructed to imagine
that a person that is significant to him/her is sitting in the empty chair. The patient is
asked to have a discussion with the “person” sitting in the empty chair. The patient may
have to move between the two chairs so that he/she can play the role of both parties.
This is a powerful technique for resolving unconscious conflicts by bringing them to the
here and now and by developing new insights.
Topdog vs. underdog
This is a game that an individual play to avoid the anxiety that he encounters in his
environment. Top dogs are those factors which the individual has desire to meet
because of social norms and standards. For example, a person might say “I should be
on time” or “I should study hard and get good grades”. Underdogs are the opposite of
top dogs. They are excuses that the individual uses to explain why those demands
should not be met.
Making the rounds
In this exercise the patient is asked to go to each person in the group and talk to them.
It helps when the patient talks to others, defends himself, confronts others and
discloses himself. Every round has its own theme. The patient may be given the task to
go to each member and say to them “I take the responsibility for…………..”. He can
confess to his weaknesses if he wants to.
Reversal technique
The reversal technique involves asking the patient to do something they have never
done before or do something that is completely out of character.
Exaggeration exercise
In this exercise, the therapist exaggerates the behaviours, gestures or some other traits
of the patient or asks him to exaggerate himself to make him aware of his true feelings.
Gestalt Approach to Dream Work
The patient is asked to write down his dream with full details, enlisting every person in
the dream, event, weather, mood, and every possible detail. Each detail is assumed to
be the patient’s projection of self. The patient is asked to prepare a script of
conversations between different characters in his dream.
THE BENEFITS OF GESTALT THERAPY
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. It can also provide support and a safe space for
individuals going through times of personal difficulty.
Strengths
1. There is empirical research to support Gestalt Therapy and its techniques
(Corsini & Wedding, 2000).
2. Gestalt Therapy is equal to or greater than other therapies in treating various
disorders, Gestalt Therapy has a beneficial impact with personality disorders, and
the effects of therapy are stable.
3. Works with the past by making it relevant to the present (Corey, 2005).
4. Versatile and flexible in its approach to therapy. It has many techniques and may
be applied to different therapeutic issues.
Weaknesses
1. For Gestalt Therapy to be effective, the therapist must have a high level of
personal development (Corey, 2005).
2. Effectiveness of the confronting and theatrical techniques of Gestalt Therapy is
limited and has not been well established.
3. It has been considered to be a self-centred approach which is concerned with
just individual development.
4. Potential danger for therapists to abuse the power they have with clients (Corey,
2005).
5. Lacks a strong theoretical base.
6. Deals only with the here and now.
7. Does not deal with diagnosis and testing.ƒ
The ability to complete the healing that exists after
wounding takes time, courage and commitment. It is
likely that the relationship will change, to be relaxed
within a relationship allows each individual to grow,
become closer and intimate. The session in gestalt
couples therapy focuses on the contact in the
relationship. Blame and fault are not to the forefront,
the ability to move forward and solve dif ficulties in
the relationship is the primary process.
- Counsellor Richard Dennison.
