Gestalt Therapy Essay - 1631 Words

Theory Overview Founder and developer of Gestalt Therapy, Fritz Perls MD, PhD, was born in 1893 to a Jewish family and passed away in 1970. Perls became inspired to start Gestalt therapy after his experiences with soldiers in World War I that were dealing with side effects due to being gassed. With the help of his wife, Laura Posner Perls, PhD, a strong foundation for Gestalt therapy was created. They wanted a therapy that stressed the importance of humans as a whole rather than as a sum of discretely functioning parts (Corey, 2013, p.193). Gestalt Therapy is a psychotherapeutic approach that focuses on the client’s level of awareness in connection to the world, others in their world and past experiences. Powered by several main†¦show more content†¦Since this process is always vulnerable to interruption and distorting forces, therapy is called upon to restore lost connections between moments of experience. (p. 16). Gestalt therapy primarily focuses on the current situation but looks at the circumstances and past influences. This allows for a stronger focus on the current emotions and feelings. The client gains the ability to understand and become fully aware of what is being experienced rather than just interpreting the experience, helping them discover patterns in their behavior that can be positively changed. Strategies and Techniques The techniques utilized by Gestalt therapist, tap into the clients ability to communicate conflicts they are having. These techniques consist of the empty chair technique, past experiences in the here-and-now, analyzing dreams, and the use of questions. The empty chair technique puts the client in a role-play that has the client speak to an imaginary person that is someone in their life located in the empty chair. The client sits opposite off the empty chair playing both roles. This helps address conflicts or relationship issues for the client; to stimulate thinking and to highlight emotions and attitude (Tillett, 1984). Using past experiences with the here-and-now mentality help clients who are dealing with unresolved conflicts. It has the client do reenactments, transforming the issues into present-tense and bringing them to the now. They are bringing aboutShow MoreRelatedTheory of Gestalt Therapy2388 Words   |  10 PagesTheory of Gestalt Therapy â€Å"What is Gestalt Therapy?† This is a question that has divided therapists for decades. Although Gestalt Therapy is based on a set of techniques, it is ultimately the therapist own defined style that makes it unique – from the theatrical techniques of Fritz Perls to the one-on-one approach of Jim Simken. According to G.M. Yontef (Awareness, Dialogue and Process Pg 203), Gestalt Therapy is: 1. a bringing about of awareness 2. it is based on the I and Thou contactRead MoreGestalt Therapy with Children and a Comparative Therapy3937 Words   |  16 PagesIntroduction Gestalt therapy, which was founded by Fritz and Laura Perls in the 1940s, teaches the therapists and their clients the phenomenological awareness method, where feeling, perceiving and acting are differentiated from interpreting and rearranging the pre-existing attitudes. Gestalt therapists and clients’ dialogue, thus communicating their phenomenological perspectives, and their differences in perceptions form the basis and focus of experimentation and continued dialogue. The desiredRead MoreGestalt Therapy2369 Words   |  10 PagesQuotation GESTALT THERAPY Psychology 460 Counseling and Interviewing Sheila K. 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This therapy method is an influential preference compared to the two chief therapeutic methods, psychoanalysis and behavioral therapy. This therapy combines theRead MoreGestalt Therapy Essay2774 Words   |  12 PagesGestalt Therapy I. Summary and Integration of Major Concepts Founded by Frederick (Fritz) and Laura Perls in the 1940s, Gestalt therapy is a phenomenological -- existential methodology which emphasizes experience and experimentation. Gestalt is a German term that means a complete pattern or configuration (p. 112). Though there are many modalities and styles in Gestalt therapy, it is holistic in its approach uniting mind, body, and feeling (p. 112). Some concepts at the core