Gestalt therapy is a type of therapy that emphasizes self-responsibility and self-

awareness. The techniques are based on the idea that the best learning occurs in the

moment and experientially. This happens in the here and now. At its core, Gestalt

Therapy works to interrupt the emotional blocks that are interfering with your self

awareness in the moment.

Gestalt therapy was introduced by Fritz and Laura Perls in the 1940's. In

particular, their emphasis on the power relationship between client and therapist. They

believed in the importance of staying in the present moment therapy. This was far

ahead of their time compared to other therapies popular at the time. The main themes

of gestalt therapy is is self-awareness, the idea that the process is important, you are

responsible for your life, the larger purpose of therapy is to encourage personal growth,

and that the therapist must show up for the therapy to be successful as well. The

therapy relies on the relationship between the therapist and client. A therapist shows up

when he or she invites you, the client, to be honest about what happens in the

interactions between the two of you as well as whatever comes up in the moment. The

therapist is put into a potentially vulnerable position, which involves authentically

experiencing you and your pain.

Fritz Perls took approaches from a wide variety of humanistic psychological and

philosophical disciplines at the time, integrating them into a therapeutic approach based

on the idea of a complete wholeness of an organism. It places mind and body as an

integrated whole. The objective of this therapy is, to help the person to obtain a greater
 independence, which is seen as freedom and responsibility, in their actions, and the

ability to face up to the blockages that prevent them from further development.

Here is an example dialogue of how this might work:

Therapist: Hello, what are you here for today?

Client: I am having issues with my current partner. We are not connecting very well.

Therapist: Tell me about what that looks like right now. What are your interactions like

currently?

Client: Well, we have been sleeping in different beds and barely even make eye contact.

We seem to be doing our own thing right now.

Therapist: What does that feel like when you say that out loud?

Client: It feels really sad. I feel like there is a huge wall between us. I can’t reach him.

Therapist: We are going to do something right now. I want you to pretend he is sitting

right here in this empty chair. What would you say to him?
Client: Okay. It is hard to think of what to say. I am picturing him sitting there but I can’t

seem to find the words.

Therapist: Okay, let’s pause. What are you feeling and what are you aware of right now?

Client: I notice I’m very tense and am having a hard time even looking at the chair.

Therapist: Notice what you are doing with your right hand. It is clenched and holding your

torso.

Client: I didn’t even notice I was doing that.

Therapist: Try exaggerating what you are doing with your right hand and notice what you

become aware of.

Client: It feels like my body is protecting me. Like I am not open. Like I am ready to fight

and be defensive. This is before any dialogue can even happen. I am already closed off

before I even give myself a chance to be open to him.

Therapist: Exactly. What does that feel like to realize how your own body and energy

affects the dialogue with your partner?

Client: I feel like I have been blaming him for the distance and feeling really hurt by it. I

am seeing that I actually have been really closed off myself. How can I expect him to be

open when I am not myself?

Therapist: That is a really powerful awareness you just had. I see you taking

responsibility for your energy and in effect, your relationship to your partner. This is really

powerful to witness.

In the above example, the connection between how the client is talking about their issue

is brought to surface. It's not that the problem with your partner isn't important, it's just that

changing how you connect to others isn't going to happen unless you work on the feelings

directly. The therapist helps bring awareness to the current moment for the client and the

client gains this awareness. The client is challenged to understand his/her role in the

dynamics of their life. It encourages responsibility. It is because the brain learns through

experience and the therapeutic relationship is a fantastic learning experience. The

therapist's role is to just be there with you while you experience this rise in awareness.
 References

Corey, C. (2005). Theory and practice of counseling & psychotherapy. (7th ed.).

Belmont,

CA: Thomson Learning.

Perls, F. (1973) The Gestalt Approach & Eye Witness to Therapy. New York, NY:

Bantam

Books.