Gestalt Therapy is the original 'present centred' therapy. It focuses on the here and now. Gestalt is a German word meaning whole. The role of the Gestalt Therapist is to facilitate bringing into awareness 'cut off' or 'dis-owned' (outside our awareness) parts of ourselves thereby making us 'whole'. It is these parts of ourselves remaining outside our awareness that often cause the most problems in our lives, leading to repeated patterns of negative behaviour or making the same mistakes over and over.
When doing therapy, Gestalt Therapists dont get so caught up in the details or content of an event or experience but are more interested in the client's experience of that event and more so, how it is in this moment recounting it to the therapist.
Gestalt Therapists will frequently ask things like "How is that for you" or "How does that make you feel" (that's where those cliches come from!). By exploring more deeply and really 'sharpening' the clients experience of events and then opening to the possibity of parallels in other areas in their life, the event is not just a recounting of 'what happened' but becomes a vehicle and opportunity for self discovery and growth.
In Gestalt Therapy the relationship between the therapist and the client is central with both being on an equal footing in the relationship as opposed to many other therapy models that heavily weight the therapist with the balance of power. In this role the therapist has the freedom to share more of themselves and partake in a 'dialog' with the client rather than sitting blankly, giving little or no response or directing and advising the client.
'Experiments' are sometimes used to facilitate awareness and for this reason Gestalt is often referred to as an experiential therapy. 'The empty chair' is an experimental technique that is often used by Gestaltists in helping people work through 'unfinished business'.
Another reason why Gestalt Therapy is particularly popular now is that it was one of the first psychotherapies to recognise that the body is holder of all our life experience and that the mind and body are not separate. For instance anxiety is often primarily felt in our bodies with symptoms such as a racing heart, rapid breathing and sweaty palms. Our mannerisms or the way that we hold our body also maybe a prompt to the therapist for further exploration about what might be happening outside our awareness. Gestalt Therapy is now being accepted as particularly suited to trauma therapy where the client may not have the capacity to engage in intense cognitive work because of intrusive or over riding physical symptoms of trauma.
Gestalt Therapy does not try to change the client but to facilitate growth and awareness of the disowned parts and explore with the client who they truly are.
Armed with greater self awareness we have the opportunity to make choices about our thoughts, our relationships and how we live our lives. The paradox being that when we accept who we truly are without hiding any parts of ourselves from ourselves, we are in a greater position to change what is not working for us.
To find out more about Gestalt Therapy check out the Links section at
www.catesimpsoncounselling.com
When doing therapy, Gestalt Therapists dont get so caught up in the details or content of an event or experience but are more interested in the client's experience of that event and more so, how it is in this moment recounting it to the therapist.
Gestalt Therapists will frequently ask things like "How is that for you" or "How does that make you feel" (that's where those cliches come from!). By exploring more deeply and really 'sharpening' the clients experience of events and then opening to the possibity of parallels in other areas in their life, the event is not just a recounting of 'what happened' but becomes a vehicle and opportunity for self discovery and growth.
In Gestalt Therapy the relationship between the therapist and the client is central with both being on an equal footing in the relationship as opposed to many other therapy models that heavily weight the therapist with the balance of power. In this role the therapist has the freedom to share more of themselves and partake in a 'dialog' with the client rather than sitting blankly, giving little or no response or directing and advising the client.
'Experiments' are sometimes used to facilitate awareness and for this reason Gestalt is often referred to as an experiential therapy. 'The empty chair' is an experimental technique that is often used by Gestaltists in helping people work through 'unfinished business'.
Another reason why Gestalt Therapy is particularly popular now is that it was one of the first psychotherapies to recognise that the body is holder of all our life experience and that the mind and body are not separate. For instance anxiety is often primarily felt in our bodies with symptoms such as a racing heart, rapid breathing and sweaty palms. Our mannerisms or the way that we hold our body also maybe a prompt to the therapist for further exploration about what might be happening outside our awareness. Gestalt Therapy is now being accepted as particularly suited to trauma therapy where the client may not have the capacity to engage in intense cognitive work because of intrusive or over riding physical symptoms of trauma.
Gestalt Therapy does not try to change the client but to facilitate growth and awareness of the disowned parts and explore with the client who they truly are.
Armed with greater self awareness we have the opportunity to make choices about our thoughts, our relationships and how we live our lives. The paradox being that when we accept who we truly are without hiding any parts of ourselves from ourselves, we are in a greater position to change what is not working for us.
To find out more about Gestalt Therapy check out the Links section at
www.catesimpsoncounselling.com