Theory Series: Gestalt Therapy
Gestalt Theory (GT) was founded by Laura and Fritz Perls in the late 1940s and 1950 and focuses on holistic individuality, mindfulness, and self-direction. Paul Goodman also helped bring the theory to notoriety after Fritz’s death, eventually popularizing it in everyday counseling settings. Gestalt is a term which defines a unique patterning of smaller parts making up a whole and is a foundational concept for this theory as it is applied to the human condition. In other words, people are viewed as unique individuals made up of the sum of their parts (and in large part, their environment). Words commonly associated with GT are holistic, emotional, spiritual, soulful, environmentally focused, mindfulness, and self-awareness. Over the years it has garnered a reputation for being one of the most emotionally intense humanistic theories, delving into all parts of the individual and examining how each affects the other.
GT has many philosophical underpinnings, with grounding in humanism, field theory, and psychoanalytic theory, among others. A large emphasis is placed on the creation and maintenance of boundaries (time, physical, emotional, etc.), a notion that is regaining momentum in modern psychology. Emphasis is also placed on maintaining awareness of being responsible for one’s own life. However, unlike with boundary maintenance, this idea seems to be sadly falling out of fashion as of late. In GT “Shoulds” are viewed as taboo as they take away from the here and now and weaken perception of self-efficacy and personal boundaries. One catchphrase that I’ve taken a liking to: “Don’t should all over yourself”.
Therapeutic interventions are plentiful in GT, which contrasts starkly from person centered therapy covered in my last post. This is a big consideration for therapists when deciding to use GT as each therapist varies in their style and not everyone prefers to play such an active role in their counseling sessions. Here are some common procedures you can expect to see from a Gestalt therapist:
Creating safe space - this is achieved through nonjudgmental listening, similar to most theories.
Bringing attention to the here and now - this might take the form of a therapist pointing out body language that may typically go unnoticed. For instance, they might say “I noticed you’re smiling when you’re talking about your anger, why do you think that is?” or asking, “where are you feeling your anxiety in your body?”
Empty chair technique - this is a role-playing exercise where clients correspond with troublesome emotions or figures as if they were sitting in front of them. For example, “Dad - I wish you had worked less when I was a kid.” This is a great way to handle fears or darted paradigms, or in Gestalt speak, “creating a space for safe crisis”.
Dream analysis - this is considered a valuable intervention similar to grandpappy Freud’s psychoanalysis.
Critics of GT point to the trap of a “fixed Gestalt” in which an individual fails to grow and evolve, essentially becoming stuck in their current level of self-actualization. To fix this, or to practice GT in a general sense often requires therapists to push their clients emotionally. This can result in an intense therapeutic environment that may not be preferential to all clients. For example, clients who are or were soldiers or who live in tough and unforgiving environments may not be willing to hack the emotional intensity required for GT. Additionally, GT has been ridiculed as being somewhat abstract, lacking the mountains of convincing evidence that support some other approaches like CBT.
However, benefits are plentiful as well, and I view this as one of the most intriguing and spiritually sound theories available. Perhaps most attractive is that it can be self-motivated, practiced independently, and improve relationships with others and with the self at any age. Role playing can help with conflict management styles and serve to help avoidant, pleasing personalities - something many people struggle with in the US today. Separately, its focus on here and now mindfulness and its holistic lens pays deference to environmental aspects of mental issues in a way that many other theories fail to address. In case it isn’t obvious already, GT is one of my personal favorites as I favor its holistic nature to the surgical and brief therapy options such as CBT that are popular today. I also believe that people get out of therapy what they’re willing to put in, making GT’s intense nature attractive as I wish to help those who are serious about making improvements in their lives.
Those interested in learning more about GT should check out Gestalt Therapy: Excitement and Growth in the Human Personality written by its founders Fred Perls and company. Just remember not should TOO much like I just did... happy reading!
