Gestalt therapy emerged in opposition to the then-popular school of psychoanalysis developed by Sigmund Freud. The founder of this approach, German psychiatrist Fritz Perls, views a person as an integral system. Within this system, the brain and body, physiology and psyche are inseparable and constantly influence each other.
From the Gestalt perspective, each of us is a system similar to a clock, where all the gears in the form of our thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations continuously turn and interact with each other.
It is important for a person to see and accept themselves as a whole, as all parts of their organism and psyche are a unified entity. Thus, all their desires and emotions can be noticed, acknowledged, and satisfied. In childhood, we might have heard phrases from parents or caregivers such as "Don't cry" or "Don't act like that." Without explaining why the child should behave in a certain way, adults could impose taboos on our true feelings and desires. Parts of our psyche may have been suppressed or forbidden from an early age.
With the help of Gestalt therapy, a person can reclaim those suppressed parts of their personality and restore a sense of wholeness.
This approach teaches individuals to focus on the present moment and be aware of themselves within it, whether it’s a sudden feeling of sadness or a surge of shame. Step by step, a person can become aware of their needs, thoughts, and characteristics, and then integrate these different aspects of their personality into a cohesive whole.
Gestalt Therapy is a method to help clients notice and become aware of internal processes, and gradually restore a holistic sense of self
The Alphabet of Gestalt: Key Words for Understanding the Approach
Gestalt
"Gestalt" is the key word for understanding this approach. In German, Gestalt translates to "whole, complete, formed image." In therapy, it refers to an unfinished situation that prevents achieving wholeness. Because a person has not expressed their feelings about this situation, it continues to loom over them like a storm cloud.
For example, after leaving a hated job, you may still feel anger, resentment, or disappointment that you never expressed to your boss. Psychotherapy can help you process these unfinished feelings and "close" such gestalts.
Here and Now
Unresolved gestalts continue to affect you and your perception of life. To identify them, the therapist draws your attention to what is happening "here and now." They may ask questions like "What are you feeling?" or "What are you thinking about right now?" By processing unfinished situations, the client achieves a more holistic perception of themselves and the present moment.
Awareness
The state of awareness is understanding what is happening inside and outside the body. The main goal of Gestalt psychology practice is to expand awareness in everything the client does. Expressing your experiences with the support of a psychotherapist helps you better understand and live through any situation. As a result, a person's behavior changes as their awareness develops.
To enhance awareness, the Gestalt therapist will pay attention to the client's body language, voice, and breathing. Emotions and feelings often manifest in the body, indicating our deeper needs.
Responsibility
Through the Gestalt method, the client understands what it means to take responsibility for their actions. Responsibility allows them to make independent decisions and become more self-reliant.
Contact and Contact Interruption. Features of the Gestalt Method
A person can satisfy their needs through contact with their environment. The manner and effectiveness of this interaction determine whether they can fulfill their needs.
The Gestalt approach suggests that there are several stages in the cycle of this contact:
Pre-contact
Recognition of the need through sensations
“I want a dog.”
Contacting
Seeking ways to satisfy this need in the environment
“I will go to the shelter and look at different dogs.”
Full Contact
Meeting the need and satisfying it
“I chose a dog and brought it home.”
Post-contact
Satisfaction from fulfillment and withdrawal from contact
“I am happy that I now have a dog, and I got what I wanted.”
Contact is interrupted when we cannot satisfy our need: a person does not recognize their desires and feelings or feels nothing at all. Contact disruption occurs when the client’s psyche triggers defense mechanisms or contact interruption mechanisms. Then, the person begins to go in circles with their problems: their gestalt is not closed, and the need is unfulfilled.
Here are some ways a person can interrupt contact:
- Deflection: Avoiding direct contact with the environment or emotions, often by changing the subject or using humor.
- Projection: Attributing one’s own unacceptable thoughts or feelings to others.
- Retroflection: Turning feelings back on oneself instead of directing them toward the environment.
- Confluence: Blurring the boundaries between oneself and the environment, losing a sense of individual identity.
- Introjection: Accepting others' beliefs and standards without questioning them.
Understanding and addressing these interruptions can help restore the natural flow of the contact cycle, allowing a person to meet their needs effectively and achieve a sense of wholeness.
Here are ways how a person can interrupt Contact
A Gestalt therapist helps the client notice how they interrupt contact to develop more effective behavior patterns and complete the contact cycle. This way, the client can learn to independently satisfy their unmet needs, recognize what they want, and understand how to achieve it.
Through Gestalt methods, the client forms new behavior patterns to improve contact with their environment and their own needs.
How a Gestalt Session Works
The main goal of Gestalt therapy is to help individuals achieve wholeness and learn to meet their needs. To do this, the psychotherapist works with aspects of the personality that hinder the client from reaching their goals. The Gestalt therapist observes your body language, and together you analyze what you feel during the process. This helps you experience emotions rather than suppress them and become more attentive to yourself.
A course of Gestalt therapy to address initial requests and find wholeness may take from several months to 1-2 years. Minor ongoing issues can be addressed within a few sessions.
To achieve the desired results, psychotherapists use various Gestalt methods. Feeling safe with a Gestalt therapist allows the client to express themselves more freely than they usually do in reality. The therapist, in turn, notices and analyzes what the client feels during exercises. The "empty chair" technique is an excellent example from Gestalt therapy.
"Empty Chair" Technique
→ The client imagines an important person sitting on an empty chair opposite them.
→ They can talk to this person or sincerely express their feelings while the therapist moderates the conversation.
→The client becomes aware of their emotions and can express previously suppressed thoughts and feelings.
How Gestalt Differs from Other Approaches and Who It Is Suitable For
In the Gestalt approach, psychotherapists focus more on the client's emotions and experiences rather than on the logic and rational understanding of their behavior. This is the main difference between Gestalt and, for example, CBT (cognitive-behavioral therapy). Gestalt is suitable for those who struggle to understand their emotions and desires. Body language is also very important in this approach, making it often used to explore psychosomatic issues.
Gestalt therapy offers a new perspective on one's relationship with themselves and the world around them. Through therapy, one can learn to cope with conditions such as:
Difficulty in communicating with others
Problems with personal boundaries and self-esteem
Apathy and loss of meaning
Difficulty recognizing and expressing emotions
Gestalt therapy also has methods for identifying the causes of anxiety or depressive states. However, it is not intended for working with severe mental disorders.
