What is Gestalt Psychotherapy?

Hooray! If you’re reading this, you’re just a nerdy as I am and I can tell we are going to get along perfectly.  It also indicates to me that your interested in what sort of support I would provide to you – another tick!

I looooove Gestalt psychotherapy.  I love it so much that I travelled from Cairns to Brisbane every month for four years to complete my Masters.  It was a really tough financially in my second year when I got serious in life and bought a property…I spent some time researching other types of therapy I could study that were closer to me – but nothing else compared.  So, I buckled down, became a hermit so I could save money and I finished it.  Gestalt psychotherapy is one of my great loves.

 Gestalt psychotherapy has been applied to a wide range of therapeutic settings, including individual therapy, couples therapy, group therapy, organizational development, community development and family therapy.

You can’t know about Gestalt without knowing it’s historical roots so here we go….find somewhere comfy to sit and let’s talk all things Gestalt!

The Historical Roots of Gestalt Psychotherapy

Gestalt Psychotherapy is a psychotherapy practice which originated from Germany.  In the 1930’s Fritz Perls, and his wife, Laura Perls began to develop the approach which was later formalized with John Goodman with the publication of the seminal text, Gestalt Therapy: Excitement and Growth in the Human Personality.  

The authors observed the postwar years of the mid-20th century as being saturated with consumerism, mass industrialization and rigid anti-communism. They saw the danger of how classic analytical forms of psychotherapy could become a tool for conformism and social passivity.  Rather, the Founders had a vision in which psychotherapy would restore its place as a primary agent for human freedom, social progressivism and a new potential for deeper passion, meaning and human satisfaction.  

Now, what’s not to love about that!!?

 What is Gestalt Psychotherapy?

Gestalt Psychotherapy is a holistic, humanistic therapy that believes that people are born with the resources and abilities to lead a rewarding and creative life and to have meaningful and fulfilling relationships with others.  

Gestalt Psychotherapy is dynamic, powerful and life changing. 

We make sense of the world by interacting with our environment, selecting, interpreting and organizing whole pictures of what is happening.  We then base our behavior or actions on this organized picture.  This process often occurs automatically without any conscious awareness such as driving a vehicle as an experienced driver. Or it can sometimes occur more consciously where we are interpreting, evaluating, making decisions and taking action with awareness such as driving a vehicle as a learner driver. 

 As we grow throughout childhood, and sometimes in our adult life, our experiences can sometimes be too overwhelming, or perhaps our emotional needs are not being met for example.  So, rather than feeling the enormity of the situation because we don’t quite yet have the support to feel it, or to receive the emotional support we seek, we adjust to the situation by creatively managing it.  In Gestalt Psychotherapy, these adjustments are called, creative adjustments.  At times, these creative adjustments are completely out of our awareness and yet can still be influencing our lives significantly if they become a fixed way of being and responding to the world.  In Gestalt Psychotherapy, we support you to bring more awareness into how you are doing your life in the here-and-now.  As you increase your awareness of how you are doing your life, you will begin to understand why you do life this particular way. With this awareness and understanding, you are able to more fully love and accept yourself as you are now and you can then begin to make changes in your life as you desire.

 Core Principles of Gestalt Psychotherapy

Relational

Fundamentally, Gestalt Psychotherapy is premised in the relational.  That means that the relationship between the client and the therapist is pivotal.  Once a relationship has developed between the client and therapist, the therapeutic relationship becomes a safe container, in which you have the opportunity to deconstruct tightly integrated behaviors (for example, creative adjustments) that have become very much unconscious or conscious but we feel we are powerless to change.   Through the therapeutic relationship you increase awareness of how you do life, access greater meaning and knowledge of self to allow you to enjoy greater freedom and joy.

Holism and Integration

Gestalt psychotherapy views individuals as interconnected wholes, as such I consider all aspects of mind, body, emotion, past and present circumstances, spiritual, cultural, economic and political influences as potentially relevant. It recognizes the importance of integrating these different aspects of self to achieve a sense of wholeness and authenticity. By exploring and integrating conflicting or disowned parts of oneself, individuals can experience a greater sense of coherence and self-acceptance.

Here and Now

Gestalt Psychotherapy is phenomenological.  Put simply, phenomenology is a method where both the client and the therapist investigate the client’s subjective meaning and experience as it is, in the here-and-now.  In other words, as a therapist, I stay as close to your experience as possible, without interpretation, to support you to explore and increase awareness of how you make meaning and sense of the world.  

One way of increasing awareness is through the exploration of your physical experience or bodily awareness.  Bodily awareness is when we are able to notice things about our body which may include for example, the pace of our breath or if we hold our breath at different times, how our muscles may tense, how we hold our body in time and space to name a few.  Bodily awareness supports you to move closer to the direct experience of a situation, rather than a perceived experience and is a powerful way to let go of unhelpful patterns of thoughts and behaviour. 

Experiential

Gestalt Psychotherapy is experiential and, with your consent, we might experiment, within the safe container of the therapeutic relationship, with different ways of being in the world.  This could be as simple as asking you to say something louder, slower, quieter for example or using your breath in different ways.  Using experiments is a profound way of uncovering unconscious patterns which can lead to some “ah ha” moments and experiencing a different way of being in this world.

Contact and Awareness

Gestalt psychotherapy emphasizes the concept of "contact" - the process of engaging and relating to oneself, others, and the environment. It encourages individuals to develop awareness of their contact styles, including how they make connections, establish boundaries, and interact with others. By increasing awareness of their patterns of contact, individuals can make conscious choices and create more fulfilling relationships.

Personal Responsibility and Support

Gestalt therapy places a strong emphasis on personal responsibility and self-empowerment. It encourages individuals to take ownership of their choices, actions, and feelings. By assuming responsibility for their experiences and decisions, individuals can enhance their autonomy, self-esteem, and capacity for change. Gestalt psychotherapists also believe non-judgemental and non-directive support is essential for individuals to create meaningful change in their lives.

Gestalt Psychotherapy in Practice

So what does all of this look and feel like when you’re sitting with me?

In gestalt psychotherapy, the therapeutic process is collaborative, and the therapist acts as a facilitator of growth and self-discovery. The therapist creates a safe and non-judgmental space for the client to explore their thoughts, emotions, and experiences. Various experiential techniques are utilized to support the client's exploration and promote awareness.

1. Experiments and Techniques

Gestalt psychotherapists employ a range of experiential techniques to help clients gain insight and create meaningful change. These techniques include role-playing, empty-chair dialogues, two-chair work, visualisation work, and body awareness exercises. Through these experiential experiments, clients can access deeper emotions, resolve conflicts, and integrate fragmented aspects of themselves.

2. Dialogue and Awareness

The therapist engages in a dialogue with the client, actively listening and reflecting their experiences. The therapist helps the client develop awareness of their nonverbal cues, body sensations, and patterns of behavior.

3. Unfinished Business

Gestalt therapy recognizes that unresolved past experiences can influence the present. The concept of "unfinished business" refers to unexpressed emotions, unresolved conflicts, or incomplete experiences that continue to impact an individual's life. The therapist supports the client in exploring and completing these unfinished gestalts, allowing for emotional healing and integration.

4. Awareness of Gestalt Formation

Gestalt therapy focuses on the process of how individuals form gestalts or meaningful wholes. The therapist helps the client recognize their patterns of perception, projection, and introjection – how they organize their experiences and make meaning of the world. By increasing awareness of these processes, individuals can gain clarity, challenge limiting beliefs, and create new possibilities for growth.

Gestalt psychotherapy offers a rich and dynamic approach to therapy, emphasizing the present moment experience, personal responsibility, and self-awareness. Through its core principles of the here and now, holism and integration, contact and awareness, and personal responsibility, gestalt psychotherapy provides a framework for exploring and transforming one's thoughts, emotions, and relationships. With the use of experiential techniques, dialogue, and awareness, clients can gain insight, resolve unfinished business, and develop a deeper understanding of themselves.  Whether applied in individual, couples, organizational development or group therapy, gestalt psychotherapy offers a powerful approach to personal growth, healing, and self-discovery. By embracing the present moment and taking responsibility for their experiences, individuals can create meaningful change, foster authentic connections, and live more fulfilling lives.