Gestalt Therapy - an Introduction
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Gestalt therapy is a psychotherapeutic approach that focuses on developing awareness of one's true self. It views humans holistically rather than as a sum of parts. The goal is to help clients become aware of what they are experiencing in the present moment through experiments designed by the therapist. Major principles include holism, phenomenology, figure formation process, and organismic self-regulation. The therapist aims to help clients address unfinished business from the past and overcome resistances to full contact in the present through awareness, acceptance, integration, and taking responsibility for their choices rather than trying to control others.
Gestalt Therapy - an Introduction
- 1. Gestalt Therapy – an outline Presented by: Abdul Rahim –1 Alok Kumar – 4 Siddhartha Sinha - 43
- 2. What is Gestalt? Gestalt: A configuration so unified as a whole that its properties cannot be derived from a simple summation of its parts. Gestalt Therapy: A psychotherapeutic approach that supports the process of developing awareness of the intrinsic nature of one's True Self.
- 3. Gestalt Max Wertheimer Law of prägnanz . We try to experience things in as good a gestalt way as possible. "good" can mean several things, such as regular, orderly, simplistic, symmetrical, etc
- 4. Gestalt - design Illustration square parallelogram diamond
- 5. Law of Figure-Ground Segregation Figures should stand out from the background in order to be seen.
- 6. Law of Closure Objects that are incomplete force the viewer to “fill in the gaps.”
- 7. Law of Symmetry Asymmetrical objects tend to force the viewer to search for symmetry.
- 8. Law of Good Continuation Viewers tend to continue shapes beyond their ending points.
- 10. Fritz Perls 1893 - 1970 Berlin-Jewish-lower middle class MD in Psychiatry After WWI-worked in hospital for Brain Damaged Soldiers-realized view humans as a whole rather than sum of discreet parts 1946-came to USA Married Laura Perls in 1930 Founded New York Institute of Gestalt Therapy
- 11. Gestalt Therapy Existential & Phenomenological ~ it is grounded in the client’s “here and now” Initial goal is for clients to gain awareness of what they are experiencing and doing now Promotes direct experiencing rather than the abstractness of talking about situations Rather than talk about a childhood trauma the client is encouraged to become the hurt child
- 12. Gestalt End Goal Our pressing needs need to be completed. This forms wholes / Gestalts, and is the one constant law of the world to maintain organism integrity
- 14. Therapist’s Goal in Gestalt Create experiments for client to assist their self-awareness of what they are doing and how they are doing it Awareness includes Insight Self-acceptance Knowledge of the environment Responsibility for choices
- 15. Major Principles of Gestalt Therapy Holism - interested in the whole person-emphasis on integration-thoughts, feelings, behaviors, body, & dreams. ORGANISM v OBJECT Phenomenology (Field Theory) -organism must be seen in its environment or its context as part of a constantly changing filed-relational, in flux, interrelated & in process Figure Formation Process - how individual organizes environment from moment to moment Organismic self-regulation - restore equilibrium or contribute to growth & change
- 16. The Now Our “power is in the present” Nothing exists except the “now” The past is gone and the future has not yet arrived For many people the power of the present is lost They may focus on their past mistakes or engage in endless resolutions and plans for the future
- 17. Unfinished Business Feelings about the past are unexpressed These feelings are associated with distinct memories and fantasies Feelings not fully experienced linger in the background and interfere with effective contact Result: Preoccupation, compulsive behavior, wariness oppressive energy and self-defeating behavior
- 18. Contact and Resistances to Contact RESISTANCE TO GESTALTEN ~ the defenses we develop to prevent us from experiencing the present full Five major channels of resistance: Introjection Retroflection Deflection Projection Confluence
- 19. Introjection-channel of resistance Introjection Tendency to uncritically accept others’ beliefs and standards without assimilating them to make them congruent with who we are Projection Disown aspects of self by assigning them to environment Deflection Process of distraction-keep difficult to sustain sense of contact with reality
- 20. Confluence-channel of resistance Retroflection Doing to myself instead of the other Confluence Fitting in-absence of conflict-belief all people feel & think same way High need for acceptance, approval Boundary disturbance Dis-ease
- 21. Awareness in Gestalt Therapy Gestalt therapy is not linked to any single therapeutic technique May borrow from other “schools” of psychology, provided use promotes awareness in the present moment, the realization of potential, and personal responsibility
- 22. Goal of Counseling Awareness, becoming Centered Re-own disowned parts Finish unfinished business Integrate polarities Acceptance of pain Contact Issues Boundary issues Giving up trying to control others Responsibility: Response –Able Rather than reactive
- 23. Thank You