My Training at The GESTALT Centre

Philosophy:

Gestalt therapy was developed by Laura and Friedrich (‘Fritz’) Perls in the 1940s and 1950s, and is defined as ‘a distinctive method of counselling and therapy … which emphasises immediacy, experiencing and personal responsibility’ (Feltham and Dryden, 1993: 75). Gestalt therapy is guided by four theoretical pillars:

• Phenomenology

• Dialogical relationship

• Field theory

• Experimentation

Used holistically within therapy, these four pillars are interrelated and support each other.

Phenomenology

Gestalt therapy focuses on the here and now, the immediate experience of the client. While the past certainly affects how we perceive the world, the gestalt therapist wants to understand what is happening for the client in the moment. Thus, the therapist asks the client to describe their feelings rather than trying to analyse or interprate.  This method is known as ‘phenomenology’; it heightens awareness and relational depth.

Central to phenomenology is the idea each individual is the authority on their own experience. As well as gestalt therapy, phenomenology also underpins transactional analysis and person-centred counselling.

The basic ideas underlying phenomenology can be traced back to the Greek philosopher Plato, though the specific historical movement was developed in the first half of the 20th century by philosophers and thinkers such as:

• Edmund Husserl

• Martin Heidegger

• Maurice Merleau-Ponty

• Jean-Paul Sartre.

Dialogical Relationship

The therapeutic relationship needs a working alliance and a dialogic relationship. In Gestalt, the dialogical relationship is where the therapist is required to bring their whole self to the relational contact with the client. The counsellor must be fully present, understanding, validating and authentic. In so doing, they provide presence, confirmation, inclusion and open communication. The dialogical relationship requires the therapist to pay attention not only to their moment-to-moment contact with the client but also to their own internal process, being as authentic, attentive and present as possible.

Yontef and Jacobs (2005: 320) write:

Dialogue is the basis of the gestalt therapy relationship. In dialogue, the therapist practices inclusion, empathic engagement, and personal presence, e.g. self-disclosure. In the process of doing this, the therapist confirms the existence and potential of the patient, the therapist imagines the reality of the patient’s experience and in doing so confirms existence of the patient.

Field Theory

Field theory investigates interaction patterns between individual people and the ‘field’, i.e. the environment. Tudor and Merry (2006: 56) define ‘field theory’ as ‘the view, developed by Lewin (1952) and taken up particularly by gestalt therapy, that psychological relationships can only be understood in terms of their “field”.

Field theory underpins the holistic view of the client. There are three types of field:  experiential field, relational field and wider field, which are interconnected. The field will be in constant flux so the counsellor needs to keep a flexible focus on what is figural, as well as shuttling between the three fields, to understand how the client is making meaning of the experiences.

Experimentation

Gestalt therapy explores the person not only through what they say but also through how they act. People communicate in many ways, not just verbally; often much of this communication is unconscious. Gestalt experiments offer clients the chance to become involved in action-based exercises that heighten their awareness as they make contact with their environment. For example, the therapist may comment on repetitive physical patterns, facilitating the client to examine these and to decide whether or not they are helpful.

Because of its focus on action as well as talk, gestalt therapy is considered an experiential approach. Clients have the opportunity, through experiments, to try out new behaviours – first in the safety of the therapeutic relationship (even just through talking about them) and then (where appropriate) in the outside world. This can help clients to express themselves behaviourally.

Referenced 23/01/2023, 12:00, counsellingtutor.com: https://counsellingtutor.com/counselling-approaches/what-is-gestalt-therapy/the-four-pillars-of-gestalt-therapy/

Approach:

Perception is influenced by experience

No matter how much we try, we can never be entirely objective. Our perception is influenced by the environment we live in and experiences we go through. A Gestalt therapist will provide a safe, non-judgmental place for clients to share their own truth. 

• Context is important

When learning about their clients’ experiences, Gestalt therapists know that context matters just as much as action. They will help individuals not only become more aware of their experiences and perceptions, but also of the way they respond to these events. 

• Focusing on the present

Compared to other approaches, Gestalt therapy does not focus on the past, but the present. As the patient starts sharing their past experiences, the therapist will help bring them back into the present moment, to avoid holding too much onto the past or anxiously running to the future. 

• Increasing self-awareness

Awareness sits at the core of Gestalt therapy. Gestalt therapists often use experiential exercises to help increase self-awareness in patients. Role-playing, guided fantasy or imagery, using props to improve communication and deepen understanding; these are all practical exercises therapists use to help patients open up and share their thoughts, especially when traditional methods of communication become insufficient. 

Gestalt therapy can be adapted and used for multiple therapeutic approaches, including:

• Individual therapy

• Couples therapy 

• Family therapy

• Play therapy 

• Art therapy

Referenced 23/01/2023, 12:50, therapist.com: https://therapist.com/types-of-therapy/gestalt-therapy/