GESTALTISM

A conceptual overview
Basis for Gestalt Psychology
The Moleculars The Molecular approach to psychology
reduces the conscious behavior to its
basic elements like values or attitudes

GESTALT PSYCHOLOGY

‘Gestalt’ in German means ‘form’ ,

Wilhelm Wundt Ivan Pavlov John Watson
‘pattern’ ,’configuration’
Driving Principle: Attributes of the whole
Vs.
are not deducible from analysis of its parts
in isolation
The Molars Origins in Austria and Germany

The Molar approach concentrates

on viewing the Mind , Body and Soul
Ernst Mach Immanuel Kant Christian Von Ehrenfels as a whole and profess that the sum
is different from its parts
Evolution of Gestaltism
Max Wertheimer Kurt Koffka Wolfgang Kohler Kurt Lewin
(1880-1943) (1886-1941) (1887-1967) (1890 -1947)
•Founded •Provided •Most prolific •Created terms
the journal definition promoter of like ‘Fields
of ‘Psychological for Gestalt Gestalt Theory’ and
Research’ psychology Psychology ‘Life Space’
in 1921 •Created and defined •Did research on •Proved that
•Presented six principles the word perception and physical manifestation of individuals had
of perceptual emphasized its Gestaltism propensity to remember
organization importance in Gestalt •Studied how chimps unfinished tasks more
•Discovered the phi- psychology solved problems than finished tasks
phenomena •‘ The whole is greater
•Introduced the idea of than the sum of its
Isomorphism parts’

Fritz & Laura Perls

•Founded the first Gestalt Institute in Manhattan in 1952
•The core of the Gestalt Therapy process is enhanced awareness of sensation, perception, bodily
feelings, emotion, and behavior, in the present moment
•Concept of Self + Environment + The Other
•Developed the Gestalt Prayer
Gestalt Principles

SIMILARITY CONTINUATION •They explain the concept of

‘Unified Whole’ with reference
to forms and perceptions

TOTALITY CLOSURE •Draw from theories of visual

Law of perception developed by
German psychologists in the
Pragnanz 1920s

•These theories attempt to

describe how people tend to
ISOMORPHISM PROXIMITY organize visual elements into
FIGURE groups or unified wholes when
& certain principles are applied
GROUND
Principle of Similarity

THEORETICAL BASIS APPLICATION IN GESTALTISM

•Similarity occurs when objects look like one another.

People often perceive them as a group or pattern
•Unity occurs because the triangular shapes at the ‘Self –Awareness and
bottom of the eagle symbol look similar to the shapes
that form the sunburst
detachment from past
•When similarity occurs, an object can be emphasized experiences’
if it is dissimilar to the others. This is called anomaly
•The figure on the far right becomes a focal point
because it is dissimilar to the other shapes
Principle of Continuation

THEORETICAL BASIS APPLICATION IN GESTALTISM

•Continuation occurs when the eye is compelled

to move through one object and continue to another
object. ‘Getting out of the web of
•Continuation occurs in the example above,
because the viewer's eye will naturally follow a line or
incidents and occurrences’
curve
•The smooth flowing crossbar of the "H" leads the eye
directly to the maple leaf.
Principle of Closure

THEORETICAL BASIS APPLICATION IN GESTALTISM

•Closure occurs when an object is incomplete or a

space is not completely enclosed
• If enough of the shape is indicated, people perceive ‘Over-analysing , seeing
the whole by filling in the missing information
•Although the panda above is not complete, enough is
untruths and hyper
present for the eye to complete the shape perception’
•When the viewer's perception completes a
shape, closure occurs
Principle of Proximity

THEORETICAL BASIS APPLICATION IN GESTALTISM

•Proximity occurs when elements are placed close

together. They tend to be perceived as a group
•The nine squares above are placed without proximity. ‘Chain of Events’
They are perceived as separate shapes
•When the squares are given close proximity, unity
occurs. While they continue to be separate shapes,
they are now perceived as one group
Principle of Figure & Ground

THEORETICAL BASIS APPLICATION IN GESTALTISM

•Figure is the one surrounding white/black space, the

space is also called as Ground
•The figure and ground relationships change as the ‘Different versions of same
eye perceives the form of a shade or the silhouette of
a face
experience , change of feelings
•The images use complex figure-ground relationships and self-awareness’
Principle of Isomorphism

THEORETICAL BASIS APPLICATION IN GESTALTISM

•Isomorphism is the idea that perception and the

underlying physiological representation are similar
because of related Gestalt qualities ‘A correlation exists between
•Isomorphism can also be described as the similarity
in the gestalt patterning of a stimulus and the activity
conscious experience
in the brain while perceiving the stimulus and cerebral activity’
Principle of Totality

THEORETICAL BASIS APPLICATION IN GESTALTISM

•The conscious experience must be considered

globally (by taking into account all the physical and
mental aspects of the individual simultaneously) ‘A phenomena is a starting
because the nature of the mind demands that each
component be considered as part of a system of
point and not be solely focused
dynamic relationships on sensory qualities’
The Law of Prägnanz
•Prägnanz is a German word that directly translates to mean "pithiness" and implies the ideas of salience,
conciseness and orderliness
•Also called the ‘Law of Good Gestalt’
•This law explains that elements of objects tend to be perceptually grouped together if they form a pattern
that is regular, simple, and orderly
•This law implies that as individuals perceive the world, they eliminate complexity and unfamiliarity so they
can observe a reality in its most simplistic form
• Eliminating extraneous stimuli helps the mind create meaning
•This meaning created by perception implies a global regularity, which is often mentally prioritized over
spatial relations
Concepts of Gestaltism

EMERGENCE REIFICATION

Reification is the constructive aspect of

Emergence is the process of complex pattern perception, by which the experienced
formation from simpler rules percept contains more explicit spatial
information than the sensory stimulus on
which it is based

MULTI-STABILITY INVARIANCE

It is the tendency of ambiguous perceptual Invariance is the property of perception

experiences to pop back and forth unstably whereby simple geometrical objects are
between two or more alternative recognized independent of rotation, color,
interpretations and scale;

Self Awareness + Here-Now Relationship

The approach recognizes that sometimes this self-awareness can become blocked by negative
thought patterns and behavior that can leave people feeling dissatisfied and unhappy
 What is Gestalt Therapy
• Experiential form of psychotherapy focusing on the here and now, and the I- Thou
relationship between the counsellor and counselee.
• It emphasizes personal responsibility, the environmental and social contexts of a
person's life, and the self-regulating adjustments one makes as a result of their overall
situation.
• The emphasis is on what is being done, thought, and felt at the present moment, rather
than on what was, might be, could be, or should have been
• Cognitive approach: includes perception and the meaning-making processes by which
experience forms.
• Interpersonal approach: relies on the contact between therapist and client.
• Multi-systemic approach: appreciates the larger picture which is the complex situation
involving multiple influences in a complex situation
• Paradoxical/Experiential approach: processes of Gestalt therapy are experimental,
involving action.
• Different from Gestalt Psychology and Gestalt Theoretical Psychoanalysis.
 What is Gestalt Therapy
• The idea in Gestalt therapy is that all of us have had to repress or suppress
aspects of ourselves because they were not accepted or supported.

• It is these aspects of ourselves or our feelings that end up in the background

and can become unfinished business.

• Gestalt therapy can help shed light on unfinished business by helping us to

focus our awareness on our feelings or lack of feelings moment to moment.

• Once we recognize our unfinished business, i.e. uncomfortable feelings, stuck

patterns of behavior, or ways in which we perceive ourselves and others that
are based on our experiences as opposed to reality, we are better equipped to
understand ourselves and to choose whether we want to make changes or not.
 The four pillars of Gestalt Therapy
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The Concept of Bi-Stable Personalities
TOP DOG UNDER DOG GESTALT THERAPY
Describes the part of Describes the part of Patients takes on
an individual which an individual which both of these roles.
makes demands makes excuses With the guidance of
based on the idea explaining why these the therapist, the
that the individual demands should not patients can come to
should adhere to be met. It is often the gain insight about
certain societal norms case that these themselves which can
and standards. These excuses act as help them have a
demands are often internal sabotage to healthier relationship
characterized by ensure that the with their
"shoulds" and demands are never environment and
"oughts" met drive self-awareness

Avoids the self-torture game that

people play with themselves in order
to avoid the anxiety that they
encounter in their environment and
bring them closer to here & now
 What do
you do?

What do
EMPHASIS OF GESTALT THERAPY you feel?
Principles
for creating
awareness
What do
What do
you
you want
expect?
What do
you
avoid?
Key concepts in the process:
• Person centered awareness: Stress on person’s experience and not the unconscious

• Respect: without judgment, analysis or interpretation while maintaining a sense of one's

detached, independent presence at the same time.

• Emphasis on Experience: The gestalt approach focuses on experience: individual's

emotions, perceptions, behaviors, body sensations, ideas and memories.

• Social Responsibility: recognizes that humans have a social responsibility for self and for
others. It demands respect for all people and acknowledges that everyone is different.

• Relationship : The interpersonal relationship between the individual and therapist that is
developed and nurtured in sessions is a key guiding process.
 METHODS FOR GESTALT THERAPY
THE 'OPEN CHAIR' TECHNIQUE
• The client sits opposite an empty chair and must imagine
someone (usually himself/herself or parts of him or her) in
it. They then communicate with this imaginary being -
asking questions and engaging with what they represent.
• Next, they must switch chairs so they are physically sitting
in the once empty chair.
• The conversation continues, but the client has reversed
roles- speaking on behalf of the imagined part of his/her
problem.
For example, the therapist may say, "Imagine your father in
this chair, see him vividly, and, now, talk to him about how
you felt when he was unfaithful to your mother“.
2) Mary Kay’s counselling by Fritz Perl
 DIALOGUE
A gestalt therapist will need to engage the client in
meaningful and authentic dialogue in order to guide
them into a particular way of behaving or thinking. This
may move beyond simple discussion to more creative
forms of expression such as dancing, singing or
laughing.
Attributes of Dialogue include:

Inclusion Presence
• Setting a course for • Therapist shares his/her
providing an environment. perspective with the
client.

Commitment Dialogue is lived

dialogue • Expanding the parameters
• Stress on contact and in order to embrace
interpersonal procedure. explanation of experience
in nonverbal way
 DISCUSSING DREAMS
Fritz Perls frequently asked clients to relive his or her dreams by playing different
objects and people in the dream. During this they would be asked questions like:
"What are you aware of now?" to sharpen self-awareness. Gestaltists believe that
dreams are spontaneous expressions of the self, that they represent unfinished
situations and contain existential messages about personal struggles
• For example, if the person dreamed or imaged being crouched into a corner,
the instruction might be, "Now be the corner." The person would first be
asked to get up, describe the scene, and reenact the actual crouching. Then
the person would be asked to step backward just a little and be the wall.
What does the wall say? What does it feel? What would it like to do?
Something will spontaneously come in answer.
in the above example, the person found himself kicking with his foot, kicking the
imagined himself crouching before him. There was a flood of feeling along with
the kicking. Yes, there was a lot of anger at himself, here, suddenly. Then, on
reversing and being himself again, he found a tearful, "Yes, I hide from out there,
but it's furious at me in here, and there's no place to go."
 ATTENTION TO BODY LANGUAGE
Concentration on body language works as a subtle indicator of intense
emotions. When specific body language is noticed, the therapist may ask the
client to exaggerate these movements or behaviors.
For example, a client may be showing signs of clenched fists or frowning, to
which the therapist may ask something along the lines of: "What are you
saying with this movement?"
 GESTALT AND THE OTHER THEORIES
FREUDIAN/ PSYCHO-
ANALYSIS
• This seeks to probe
the unconscious by way of
various techniques,
including dream
interpretation and free
association.
• In addition to dealing with
the defense
mechanisms used by an
overburdened ego, this
therapy
addresses fixations and
other issues by probing
deeply into clients' youth.
ERIC BERNE/
TRANSACTIONAL THEORY
• Based around a client’s
self-development, TA
provides a connection
between a client’s past
and how this influence’s
present decisions and
choices: SCRIPTS
• TA shifted the attention
from internal psychological
dynamics to the dynamics
contained in
people's interactions.
ROGERIAN MODEL/PERSON-
CENTRED THERAPY
• Offers a perspective that is
optimistic and provides a
basis for emphasis on
client-therapist
relationship.
• Facilitate client’s trust and
ability to be in the present
moment
 RATIONAL EMOTIVE BEHAVIOR
THERAPY
• REBT focuses on
resolving emotional and behavioral
problems and disturbances and
enabling people to lead happier
and more fulfilling lives
• REBT posits that disturbed
evaluations to a large degree occur
through over-generalization,
wherein people exaggerate and
globalize events or traits, usually
unwanted events or traits or
behavior, out of context, while
almost always ignoring the positive
events or traits or
behavior:IRRATIONAL BELIEFS
NEURO-LINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING
• The theory posits a connection
between the neurological
processes ("neuro"), language
("linguistic") and behavioral
patterns learned through
experience ("programming") and
that these can be changed to
achieve specific goals in life.
• Bandler and Grinder claim that the
skills of exceptional people can be
"modeled" using NLP methodology,
then those skills can be acquired by
anyone.
• Bandler and Grinder also claim that
NLP can treat problems such
as phobias, depression, habit
disorder, psychosomatic
illnesses, myopia, allergy, common
cold, and learning disorders, often
in a single session.
 STRENGTHS VS WEAKNESSES
• Gestalt therapy differs from many
other kinds of therapy in its
tendency to focus on what people
are feeling in the present.
• In theory, gestalt therapy was
meant to be more practical and
produce more immediate results in
a person’s current day-to-day
existence.
• Versatile and flexible in its
approach to therapy. It has many
techniques and may be applied to
different therapeutic issues.
• For Gestalt therapy to be effective,
the therapist must have a high level
of personal development
• Effectiveness of the confronting and
theatrical techniques of Gestalt
therapy is limited and has not been
well established.
• Lacks a strong theoretical base.
• Deals only with the here and now.
• Does not deal with diagnosis and
testing.
THE GESTALT PRAYER…
I do my thing, and you do your thing.
I am not in this world to live up to your
expectations
And you are not in this world to live up to
mine.
You are you, and I am I,
And if by chance we find each other, it's
beautiful.
If not, it can't be helped.