Lesson 8: Gestalt Therapy

Gestalt therapy

• was developed primarily by Frederick S. (Fritz) Perls.

• It is an experiential, humanistic, and holistic approach that focuses on present-moment awareness.

• The goal is to help clients become more fully aware of what they are experiencing NOW, integrate disowned parts of the self, and complete 'unfinished business.'

Frederick S. (Fritz) Perls

Gestalt therapy was developed primarily by _____

Holism

The whole is DIFFERENT from (not just greater than) the sum of its parts; the person must be understood as a whole in their context

Field Theory

The organism/person cannot be understood in isolation; they must be seen in their environment or context

The Now / Present-Centeredness

Therapy focuses on the here-and-now; focusing on the past or future can be a way to avoid coming to terms with the present

Figure-Formation Process

The '____' is what is most salient or vivid in the person's awareness at any given moment; the 'ground' is the rest of experience

Paradoxical Theory of Change (Beisser)

Authentic change occurs when we are FULLY who we ARE — not when we try to become who we are NOT

Unfinished business

Feelings from the past (anger, guilt, grief, resentment) that were never fully expressed and continue to affect present functioning

Contact

The lifeblood of growth — interacting with the environment or others while RETAINING one's sense of individuality (not fusion or withdrawal)

Impasse (Stuck Point)

A point in therapy where external support is unavailable and the customary way of being no longer works; a critical growth opportunity

TopDog

The righteous, authoritarian, demanding part of the personality — the inner critical parent ('You should...')

Underdog

The passive, helpless, victim-like part that resists and deflects ('I can't... I'll try...')

Introjection

• Uncritically swallowing others' beliefs and standards without assimilating them into one's own identity.

• Example: 'I should always be strong' (absorbed from parents without questioning).

Projection

• Assigning one's own disowned feelings, thoughts, or qualities onto others.

• Example: 'My boss is controlling' (when the client may themselves be controlling).

Retroflection

Turning toward oneself what was originally directed toward the environment; turning feelings inward.

Example: self-criticism instead of expressing anger at another.

Confluence

Blurring of the differentiation between self and environment; enmeshment; loss of individual identity in relationships.

Example: Always agreeing with everyone

Deflection

Avoiding direct contact or real feelings through humor, vagueness, excessive talking, or changing the subject

Introjection, Projection, Retroflection, Confluence, Deflection

Five Contact Boundary Disturbances

Empty Chair Technique

Client holds a dialogue with a part of themselves, a significant other, or an unfinished situation as if that person/part were in an ____.

Used for Top Dog/Underdog dialogues or unfinished business.

Reversal Exercise

Client is asked to act out the OPPOSITE of how they usually behave or feel, to access hidden or disowned aspects.

Exaggeration Exercise

Client is asked to ____ a body movement, posture, or feeling to intensify awareness and break through avoidance.

Making the Rounds

In group therapy, a client addresses each group member with a statement or feeling, breaking through isolation or shyness.

Future Projection

Client acts out an anticipated future event in the PRESENT MOMENT to gain clarity and awareness.

I Language

Replacing 'it' language ('It is hard to trust') with 'I' language ('I have difficulty trusting') to promote ownership of feelings.

Staying with the Feeling

Therapist encourages client to remain with a feeling rather than avoid it to deepen awareness

Role of the Body

• Gestalt therapy pays special attention to body language, posture, breathing, and physical tension.

• These are seen as direct expressions of the client's emotional state.

• Therapists may ask clients to exaggerate physical gestures to increase awareness.

WHY; What and How

In Gestalt therapy, ask 'What are you experiencing right now?' — NOT 'Why do you feel that way?'

Gestalt avoids '___ questions. ____ and ___ questions are preferred

Working with Dreams

• Dreams are seen as projections of the self.

• The client is asked to play each part of the dream (people, objects, feelings) in the present tense to integrate disowned parts of the self.

• Dreams are NOT interpreted by the therapist.

Holistic

Gestalt is '____' because it values every aspect of the individual's experience equally: thoughts, feelings, body sensations, and dreams. It does not separate mind from body.

Limitations from a Diversity Perspective

• Focus on intense emotional expression can be difficult for clients from cultures that value emotional restraint

• The confrontational nature of some techniques may be inappropriate in collectivist cultures

Empty chair

Scenario: Client blames their boss for everything

Gestalt Response: Use ____ - ask client to roleplay being the boss; explores projection

It to I

Scenario: Client uses “It is hard to trust people”

Gestalt Response: Ask client to replace “it” with “i”; I have difficulty trusting people

Exaggerate

Scenario: Client’s fist is clenched

Gestalt Response: Ask client to ____ the clenching to increase bodily awareness

Deflection

Scenario: Client makes jokes to avoid pain

Gestalt response: Gently identify the ____; Invite the client to be direct with their feelings

Growth point

Scenario: Client feel stuck at an impasse

Gestalt Response: Accompany the client through the experience without rescuing them; The impasse is a _____

Self

Scenario: Client dreams about a locked room

Gestalt Response: Ask client to be the room, the door, the lock —- each element is a projected part of ___