Gestalt Therapy
What is Gestalt Therapy?
Gestalt therapy is a humanistic method of psychotherapy, which was developed in the late 1940s by Fritz and Laura Pearls and thrived in New York City. The couple fled before World War II to escape the National Socialism which was spreading all over Europe.
Unlike most psychotherapy methods Gestalt therapy does not focus on modifying or changing behaviors. This therapy modality believes that we have the abilities of self- healing within us. However, sometimes we reach areas or issues in our lives where we feel stuck and need some support to bring back the creative changes that are necessary to further develop our potential.
This is when Gestalt therapy becomes a process of self- exploration. Rather than using interpretation, the Gestalt therapist meets the client in the current process and guides him/ her in active awareness work. Active awareness work can include imagination, body awareness or the empty chair method.
Rather than just talk- therapy, Gestalt therapy offers a sense of movement, aliveness and expression of energy through phenomenology. Phenomenology refers to the minute by minute process of awareness in the here and now.
In a sense, one does not only explore the problem and its causes, but one might also explore other aspects such as:
- How does this issue make my body feel?
- How is it represented in my life?
- How did this emotion or symptom help me in the past?
In that way we will find new, creative ways to deal with current problems.
The approach of Gestalt therapy over time activates unfinished business of the past and creates space to explore aspects of our self that have previously been too difficult or too painful to look at. The client also learns to see problems from a different perspective and find new creative ways of dealing with the problems or symptoms. Like a caterpillar that has learned to cope with the adversity with its cocoon, the client continues to develop after the therapy sessions. A powerful aspect of Gestalt therapy is that development continues also without the therapist in everyday life.
What is Gestalt Therapy?
Gestalt therapy is a humanistic method of psychotherapy, which was developed in the late 1940s by Fritz and Laura Pearls and thrived in New York City. The couple fled before World War II to escape the National Socialism which was spreading all over Europe.
Unlike most psychotherapy methods Gestalt therapy does not focus on modifying or changing behaviors. This therapy modality believes that we have the abilities of self- healing within us. However, sometimes we reach areas or issues in our lives where we feel stuck and need some support to bring back the creative changes that are necessary to further develop our potential.
This is when Gestalt therapy becomes a process of self- exploration. Rather than using interpretation, the Gestalt therapist meets the client in the current process and guides him/ her in active awareness work. Active awareness work can include imagination, body awareness or the empty chair method.
Rather than just talk- therapy, Gestalt therapy offers a sense of movement, aliveness and expression of energy through phenomenology. Phenomenology refers to the minute by minute process of awareness in the here and now.
In a sense, one does not only explore the problem and its causes, but one might also explore other aspects such as:
- How does this issue make my body feel?
- How is it represented in my life?
- How did this emotion or symptom help me in the past?
In that way we will find new, creative ways to deal with current problems.
The approach of Gestalt therapy over time activates unfinished business of the past and creates space to explore aspects of our self that have previously been too difficult or too painful to look at. The client also learns to see problems from a different perspective and find new creative ways of dealing with the problems or symptoms. Like a caterpillar that has learned to cope with the adversity with its cocoon, the client continues to develop after the therapy sessions. A powerful aspect of Gestalt therapy is that development continues also without the therapist in everyday life.