Transformation Through Awareness: A Holistic Approach to Gestalt Therapy

Gestalt Therapy aims to make sense of experiences and restore personal integrity by addressing not just one aspect of the individual, but all dimensions of existence

Gestalt Therapy, a positive and practical integrative therapeutic approach, is considered a client-centered, humanistic form of psychotherapy that emphasizes personal responsibility and focuses on the individual’s current experience. Developed by Fritz Perls, Laura Perls, and Paul Goodman in the mid-20th century, this psychotherapy approach combines elements of psychoanalysis, existentialism, and phenomenology to offer a unique method. Gestalt Therapy focuses on awareness, self-management, and freedom, aiming to increase clients’ awareness of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in the ‘’here and now,’’ advance their personal development, and open the path to healing (Perls, Hefferline, & Goodman, 1951). This enables individuals to discover new perspectives, see the bigger picture, and begin making appropriate changes in their lives. In this mini sketch, the theoretical foundations of Gestalt Therapy will be explained, the areas in which the approach is applied and how it works will be evaluated, and a comprehensive overview of Gestalt Therapy will be provided.

What is Gestalt Therapy?

Developed by Fritz Perls, Laura Perls, and Paul Goodman in the 1940s and 1950s, Gestalt Therapy was inspired by various approaches that influenced the lives of its founders during their time, including physics, Eastern religions, existential phenomenology, psychoanalysis, systems theory, and field theory. At the heart of this integrative therapeutic model lie four fundamental concepts that shape both theory and practice: Gestalt, Health, Awareness, and Responsibility. These concepts serve not only as theoretical foundations but also as guiding principles in the therapeutic encounter, aiming to promote personal growth, integration, and self-directed change. Exploring each of these concepts provides a deeper understanding of how Gestalt Therapy facilitates holistic healing and authentic living. Let us take a closer look at the four key components of Gestalt Therapy:

Gestalt: The closest English equivalent of the German term “Gestalt” is “whole.” Gestalt psychologists argue that individuals perceive not only individual components but also holistic patterns or structures. For this very reason, when we see a group of points arranged in a triangular shape, it is the triangle that catches our attention rather than the individual points. According to O’Leary (2013), our brains organize information into complete configurations or Gestalts. Gestalt therapy is associated with experiencing a sense of wholeness and being connected to one's unique existential experience. Gestalt therapists apply this philosophy of wholeness to their clients, believing that one cannot understand a person by generalizing a part of themselves to understand the whole person (O’Leary, 2013). In other words, they argue that a client cannot be understood solely by their diagnosis or symptoms; rather, their entire being must be evaluated.

Health: Gestalt Therapy posits that healthy living consists of a series of creative adjustments (Latner, 1973). This means that the individual’s behavior naturally and flexibly adapts to the figure in their awareness. In contrast, unhealthy living occurs when the individual’s attention jumps from one figure to another and never achieves wholeness. In short, according to Gestalt, healthy living requires the individual to focus their attention on the most important figure in their awareness in a flexible and intentional manner.

Awareness: Gestalt therapists prioritise present-moment awareness, believing that paying attention to events occurring ‘’here and now’’ is the path to a healthy life. This awareness enables the figure/ground distinction process to function naturally, facilitates the formation of gestalt, helps to meet needs, and gives meaning to experiences (Latner, 1973). Awareness is considered the ultimate goal and the fundamental methodology of Gestalt therapy (O’Leary, 2013). Gestalt therapists help their clients to regain awareness of the present moment by focusing on it in the therapy room.

Responsibility: In the context of Gestalt Therapy, responsibility is evaluated in two different ways: ‘’aware of what is happening to us’’ and ‘’own up to acts, impulses, and feelings’’ (Latner, 1973). Gestalt therapists support clients in assuming these two types of personal responsibility. When clients are better able to take responsibility for themselves, they realize how much more they can do for themselves (O’Leary, 2013). In order to increase clients’ awareness of responsibility, Gestalt therapists prefer ways such as completing past experiences and encouraging new and flexible behaviors.

Gestalt Therapy focuses on the process rather than the content (Sommers-Flanagan & Rita Sommers-Flanagan, 2012). The focus of Gestalt is not on what is, what could be, or what should be, but on what is being done, thought, and felt in the present moment. On the other hand, Gestalt Therapy is also known as a method of awareness practice in which perception, feeling, and movement are understood to be conducive to interpretation, explanation, and conceptualization (Brownell, 2010). This distinction between direct experience and secondary interpretation is developed through the therapeutic process. Clients who go through the therapeutic process learn to become aware of what they are doing, and this triggers a signal for change and transformation (Beisser, 1970). In other words, Gestalt Therapy is able to benefit clients in various ways thanks to its multifaceted structure (Sommers-Flanagan & Rita Sommers-Flanagan, 2012):

Humanistic Psychotherapy Approach: In Gestalt Therapy, the goal is for the client to fully and creatively come alive, get rid of obstacles and unfinished business that might get in the way of satisfaction, fulfillment, and growth, and discover new ways of being. That’s why Gestalt Therapy is at the heart of humanistic psychotherapy modalities.

A Cognitive Approach: Since Gestalt Therapy encompasses the processes of perception and meaning in which experience takes place, it is also considered a cognitive approach.

A Relational Approach: Since Gestalt Therapy places particular emphasis on the contact between the therapist and the client, it is also considered a relational or interpersonal approach.

A Multi-Systemic Approach: Gestalt Therapy is considered a multi-systemic method because it appreciates the bigger picture that includes multiple influences in a complex situation.

Gestalt Therapy, which combines humanistic, cognitive, relational, and systemic perspectives, offers a multifaceted framework for psychological healing and personal growth. However, understanding the full potential of this therapeutic modality requires more than just grasping its theoretical foundations. At this point, it is necessary to examine more closely how Gestalt’s principles are put into practice. To this end, the following section will explore how Gestalt Therapy works.

How Does Gestalt Therapy Work?

In practice, Gestalt practitioners aim to help clients focus on their self-awareness by working with a process-oriented and experiential approach. Unlike other approaches that prioritize diagnostic labeling or interpretive insight, Gestalt Therapy focuses on the ‘’Here and Now.’’ Through techniques such as empty chair dialogue, guided mindfulness exercises, and body-focused interventions, clients are encouraged to become aware of and express their inner processes. Increased awareness of the present moment, including the individual’s immediate thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and relationship patterns, leads to powerful change and new perspectives. The therapeutic stance of Gestalt Therapy is non-directive yet deeply engaged, supporting clients in exploring unresolved issues, unfinished emotional experiences, or internal conflicts that interfere with personal growth and psychological well-being (Joyce & Sills, 2010; Perls, Hefferline, & Goodman, 1951).

From the client’s perspective, greater overall awareness and increased insight into how one thinks, feels, and behaves can be highly liberating. Increased awareness enhances the client’s self-confidence, facilitates problem-solving, and enables one to live life to its fullest potential (Gestalt Centre, 2023).

On the other hand, the therapeutic relationship itself is at the center of this process; the therapist and client create an authentic dialogue that reflects the relational dynamics outside of therapy. Rather than attempting to ‘’fix’’ the client, the therapist creates an environment where the client can experience themselves more completely and authentically, thereby accelerating the natural movement toward healing and integration (Yontef & Jacobs, 2014).

Understanding how Gestalt Therapy works in practice naturally leads to the discovery of its wide-ranging benefits and the various contexts in which it can be effectively applied. Examining the benefits and working areas of Gestalt Therapy highlights the importance and adaptability of Gestalt principles in addressing psychological, interpersonal, and even systemic challenges. Therefore, the focus here will be on the benefits of Gestalt Therapy.

What are the Benefits of Gestalt Therapy?

Gestalt Therapy has a multifaceted structure that can support individuals in terms of well-being, psychosocial health, and empowerment (Kaisler et al., 2023). Among its most notable benefits are its capacity to enhance self-awareness and emotional regulation. Brownell (2016) suggests that following Gestalt-based interventions, clients report increased emotional clarity, improved communication skills, and greater autonomy. This makes the approach particularly effective for treating trauma, relational issues, and psychosomatic symptoms. Additionally, research has shown that Gestalt Therapy can effectively treat anxiety, depression, and personality disorders (Leung and Khor, 2017; Heidari et al., 2017; Knez et al., 2013). Beyond individual therapy, Gestalt principles are also applied in a variety of other contexts. The approach has been effectively adapted for use in group therapy, couple therapy, and family therapy, where it focuses on relational dynamics through immediate and concrete awareness. The flexibility of Gestalt Therapy in addressing not only interpersonal issues but also systemic concerns contributes to its ongoing relevance in contemporary psychotherapy and beyond.

Takeaways:

• Gestalt Therapy aims to make sense of experiences and restore personal integrity by addressing not just one aspect of the individual, but all dimensions of existence, such as thoughts, feelings, the body, and interactions with the environment, as a whole.

• In the Gestalt approach, awareness and responsibility are both therapeutic goals and the drivers of healing processes; focusing on the individual’s ‘’here and now’’ experience and taking responsibility for it paves the way for change and transformation.

• With its holistic structure, Gestalt Therapy combines humanistic, cognitive, relational, and systemic approaches, aiming to gain a deep understanding and transform both the client's inner life and their relationships with their environment.

• Gestalt Therapy, which is effective in treating various psychological problems such as anxiety, depression, trauma, and psychosomatic symptoms, can be successfully applied in different contexts such as individual therapy, couple therapy, group therapy, and family therapy.

References

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2. Leung GSM, Khor SH. Gestalt intervention groups for anxious parents in Hong Kong: A quasi-experimental design. J Evid Inf Soc Work. 2017;14(3):183-200. doi:10.1080/23761407.2017.1311814

3. Brownell, P. (2016). Contemporary Gestalt therapy. In D. J. Cain, K. Keenan, & S. Rubin (Eds.), Humanistic psychotherapies: Handbook of research and practice (p. 219–250). American Psychological Association. doi:10.1037/14775-008

4. Heidari S, Shahbakhsh B, Janjoo M. The effectiveness of Gestalt therapy on depressed women in comparison with drug therapy. Journal of Applied Psychology & Behavioral Science. 2017;2(1):14-18.

5. Knez R, Gudelj L, Sveško-Visentin H. Scientific letter: Gestalt psychotherapy in the outpatient treatment of borderline personality disorder: A case report. Afr J Psych. 2013;16(1):52-53. doi:10.4314/ajpsy.v16i1.9

6. Yontef, G. M., & Jacobs, L. (2014). Gestalt therapy. In D. Cain, K. Keenan, & S. Rubin (Eds.), Humanistic psychotherapies: Handbook of research and practice (2nd ed., pp. 329–363). American Psychological Association.

7. What is Gestalt Psychology? | The Gestalt Centre. (2023b, February 12). The Gestalt Centre. https://gestaltcentre.org.uk/what-is-gestalt/

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10. Brownell, P. (2010). Gestalt therapy: A guide to contemporary practice. Springer Publishing Company.

11. Perls, F., Hefferline, R. F., & Goodman, P. (1951). Gestalt therapy: Excitement and growth in the human personality. Julian Press.

12. O'Leary, E. (2013). Key concepts of Gestalt therapy and processing. Gestalt therapy around the world, 15-36.

13. Latner, J. (1973). The Gestalt therapy book: A holistic guide to the theory, principles, and techniques of Gestalt therapy developed by Frederick S. Perls and others. New York, NY: Julian Press.